Chapter 148: Furiously Rushing Forward

Jiang Feng halted his stride at a distance from Frosthevan, his cloak dusted with a fine layer of snow that clung to the fabric like a second skin. He stood atop a windswept ridge, gazing out over the sprawling expanse below. The Azure Peaks stretched before him, a jagged tapestry of plateaus and valleys carved by time and the elements. Some of the plateaus were vast enough to cradle entire cities, their flat summits legendary among the cultivators of this realm. These were places of renown, whispered about in tales of valor and power, stretching for miles as gathering points for the mightiest sects and clans.

Far off, shrouded in the haze of distance, lay the ShadowFang Hollows—one such storied locale. Jiang Feng's sharp eyes swept the horizon, then darted around the immediate vicinity. "This should serve as a fine starting point," he murmured to himself, his breath fogging in the frigid air. Not a soul stirred nearby, he was alone in this area; the silence was broken only by the faint howl of the wind threading through the peaks.

With a sudden burst of motion, he lunged forward. The cold air around him thickened, compressed by his speed, then shattered with a sharp crack that echoed off the cliffs. Wind roared past his ears, biting at his exposed skin with icy teeth, as his five golden cores hummed to life for the first time in three long months. A deep rumble of spiritual energy surged within him, coursing through every muscle and vein. His blood, tinged with the reddish-gold hue of his draconic lineage, pulsed fiercely, awakening the ancient power coiled in his bones.

"Easy, kid," came a gruff voice from within, resonant and tinged with exasperation. "You don't want to stir up trouble as soon." It was the Codex, the eternal relic bound to his soul and the life blood of his family, its presence a constant flicker of light in his mind.

Jiang Feng grinned faintly, his eternal bloodline flaring in response. The intricate character etched into the flesh of his back glowed briefly, a radiant sigil of power. "I'll steer clear of trouble as best I can, Senior, don't worry," he called back, his voice steady despite the rush of his descent. He was nearing a sheer cliff now, the wind's roar growing into a deafening bellow as his body cleaved through it.

"Very well," the Codex replied, its tone softening before fading into silence.

Like a meteor streaking across the heavens, Jiang Feng hurled himself off the cliff's edge. For a heartbeat, he plummeted, the world a blur of white and gray—until, with a ripple of heat, two massive wings unfurled from his back. They blazed like twin suns, their fiery plumes scattering embers into the snowy abyss. Twisting midair, he angled westward and shot forward at blinding speed. To any onlooker, he might have resembled a Golden Crow of legend, hauling the dawn across the sky—a radiant orb of light tearing through the frost-laden mountains.

"Change," he commanded, his hand brushing the faceless mask tethered to his face. He channeled a thread of his spirit essence into it, and the mask shivered, its surface darkening to an inky black. Slits formed for eyes and mouth, rendering his features utterly concealed. No trace of the man beneath remained visible.

The wings beat with rhythmic fury, propelling him faster still as he followed the subtle pull of the two flames guiding his path. After half an hour of relentless flight, a colossal mountain loomed ahead, its peak swallowed by a shroud of clouds. At its base sprawled an intricate network of conjoined towns, their rooftops and winding streets laid out with meticulous precision. Jiang Feng slowed, hovering for a moment to take it in. He tilted his head, peering closer—something about the symmetry of the settlement tugged at his curiosity.

Below, the towns thrived beneath a lattice of hundreds of formations, shimmering faintly like a vast dome. The barriers repelled the relentless snow, cradling the interior in an unexpected warmth. Within, lush trees swayed gently, their emerald leaves a stark contrast to the icy desolation beyond. Gardens bloomed with vibrant flowers, and streams wound through the streets, their waters glinting under the diffused light. The air carried the faint scent of plum blossoms and the distant murmur of life—children laughing, merchants haggling, the clatter of carts on cobblestone. It was a sanctuary carved from the harshness of the Azure Peaks, a testament to the ingenuity of its people.

Jiang Feng's lips quirked upward. It reminded him of the grand estates nestled in the Obsidian Woodlands, where only the wealthiest clans could afford such luxuries. Out here, in the snow-capped wilds, those without means were left to fend for themselves against the merciless elements. His moment of reflection passed, and with a flicker of intent, his body dissolved into a beam of yellow light, streaking westward toward his elusive target.

Down in the town, a young man sat cross-legged on a cushioned bench, his gaze fixed on the receding streak of light. His robes were finely woven, hinting at status, and his dark hair was swept back neatly. Beside him perched a young woman, her delicate features framed by a cascade of silken strands. She, too, tracked the glowing arc cutting through the sky.

"Who's that?" the young man asked, his voice low and curious, almost lost in the hum of the bustling town.

The woman shook her head, a faint crease forming between her brows. "I haven't the faintest idea." She lifted a hand, her fingers tracing a lazy arc through the air. A maid materialized at her side, bowing slightly. "Find out what's happening," the woman instructed, her tone calm but firm. The maid nodded briskly and hurried off, her footsteps swallowed by the crowd.

"Don't fret, Young Master," the woman added, glancing at her companion. "We'll have answers soon enough."

"Hmm," he grunted in acknowledgment, rising to his feet. He brushed off his robes and strode away, his silhouette blending into the throng.

A resounding boom shattered the quiet some distance away. Jiang Feng had reached the mountain's foot, his fiery wings retracting as he dropped to the earth. The ground shuddered beneath him, rocks splintering and sinking into a shallow crater where he landed. Dust swirled around his boots, mingling with the snow.

"I told you not to make a commotion!" the Codex snapped, its voice crackling with irritation.

Jiang Feng winced, an awkward smile tugging at his lips. "My apologies, Senior Codex. That was... unintended." He scratched the back of his neck, sheepish. It was the first time since his breakthrough that he'd fully unleashed his cultivation, and his body still felt like an untamed beast, brimming with power he hadn't yet mastered.

The Codex grumbled something inaudible, then fell silent. Jiang Feng's gaze shifted to his left, catching sight of scorched earth and torn shrubbery—a trail left by his quarry. "They went that way," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. With a push of his legs, he sprang forward once more, this time on foot, the snow crunching beneath his steady, determined strides.

"Caelestis," Jiang Feng called, his voice cutting through the crisp mountain air like a blade through silk. The true name of the Skyforge Flame Fairy rang out, and in an instant, a brilliant blue light erupted around him. Flames cloaked his form, licking at the edges of his cloak with a hungry, cerulean glow. From the blaze emerged Caelestis—not as the diminutive sprite that perched on his shoulder, but in a towering, majestic form, matching his height. Her presence was ethereal yet commanding, her body wreathed in shimmering azure fire, her eyes glinting like twin sapphires.

"Don't let them kill the Wilder and seize the flame," Jiang Feng instructed, his breath steady despite his relentless sprint. "Engage them if you must." Caelestis inclined her head in silent assent, then dissolved into a streak of blue light, vanishing into the distance with a speed that left even the wind trailing in her wake.

"Damn, she's fast," Jiang Feng muttered, a flicker of awe in his tone. He didn't linger on it. "Solaris, guide me forward."

The sky above blazed as golden light spilled forth, coalescing into the form of a radiant Golden Crow. Its feathers burned with the ferocity of a midday sun, sending tendrils of steam spiraling upward as the snow beneath melted into vapor. Jiang Feng leapt, his foot pressing off the ground with a muted thud, and landed deftly on the creature's broad back. Golden flames enveloped him, merging with his own aura, their heat a comforting weight against the chill.

SCRRAAA!

The Golden Crow threw back its head and unleashed a cry that tore through the air, a sound both haunting and sublime. The mountains trembled, the vibrations rippling outward like a melody woven into the fabric of the mortal soul—loud, clear, and achingly beautiful, yet laced with a power that stirred reverence and fear in equal measure. Jiang Feng settled into a seated position atop the creature, his hands pressing together as the essence within him churned. His body quaked, a sharp pain lancing through his chest, and he stifled a cough, tasting the faint tang of blood on his tongue.

"Seems my essence energy exceeds what my body can contain," he murmured, easing back from the effort. "I'll need to begin practicing the Titan Ascendance Art soon—very soon."

As he rode the Golden Crow, Jiang Feng reflected on the imbalance plaguing him. His five golden cores produced a torrent of energy that his frame struggled to harness. The only reason he could keep pace was his twelve meridians, particularly the Earth, Heaven, and Void channels. Of the trio, the Earth meridian pulsed most vividly in his awareness, a steady anchor amid the chaos.

In the known universe, cultivators were bound by nine meridian channels, each tied to the nine stages of cultivation required for a breakthrough. But Jiang Feng was an anomaly, forged by the Aetherion Dragon and the esoteric laws of reverse cultivation. His additional three meridians were a marvel—a symbiotic tether to the dragon's true form, granting him twelve meridian channels.

When the Aetherion Dragon manifested in its full glory, those meridians thrummed with an otherworldly resonance, as if the beast's spirit flowed through them. The Earth meridian grounded him, a conduit to the unyielding strength of the land itself. The Heaven meridian, elusive and faint, whispered of celestial forces beyond mortal ken, while the Void meridian—a shadowed enigma—seemed to hum with the silence of oblivion, a power so vast it defied comprehension. Together, they wove a tapestry of potential that left even Jiang Feng staggered, their existence a secret that could upend the very laws of the cultivation world.

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Six hours slipped by in a blur, and far from Jiang Feng's path, Lin Xue staggered, a ragged cough tearing from her throat. Blood spilled from her lips, staining the snow crimson as her face drained of color, her once-vibrant skin now a ghostly pallor. Her lips had darkened to a bruised purple, and the spiritual energy within her flickered like a dying ember. Lightning crackled over her body, swaying like flames caught in a storm, its wild arcs lashing out at the world around her, covering it in a field of profound lighting and fire that seamlessly coexisted. The snowy peaks shuddered as bolts slammed into the ground, shattering stone into rubble and sending plumes of dust skyward that were mixed with burning flames.

"Aeternum," she rasped, her voice barely a whisper, "I can't sustain the Storm Zone any longer. You must leave my body—flee while you can." Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the earth, her vision swimming as darkness crept in at the edges.

No sooner had she fallen than three cloaked figures materialized around her, their forms emerging from the haze like specters. Their eyes gleamed with a savage hunger, a brutal intent that hung heavy in the air. "Lin Xue," the leader snarled, his voice a low growl, "you dared steal from the Wei family. That's a death sentence."

He lunged forward, his body slamming into the fading field of lightning and fire that still clung to Lin Xue's crumpled form. He moved like a wraith, the weakened energy barely grazing him as it sputtered out. In his hand gleamed a slender, red blade, its edge catching the faint light as he raised it high. With a swift, lethal arc, he brought it slashing toward her throat.

BOOM!

The strike never landed. Blue flames roared to life, flooding the sky as a vortex of searing energy crashed down. It spun with ferocious speed, catching the leader off-guard and hurling him backward into a jagged rock face with a bone-rattling thud, blood instantly staining the rock face. The azure fire spread, encasing the Storm Zone in a cage of flickering light and bubbling heatwave. From its heart emerged Caelestis, the Skyforge Flame Fairy, her form now adorned with the intricate lattice of the Skyforge Furnace that was filled with ancient symbols. She hovered above Lin Xue, a guardian wreathed in celestial fire, her presence a silent vow.

"Who dares?!" one of the remaining figures barked, his stance shifting to high alert as he scanned the blazing perimeter.

BANG!

The rock face exploded outward, and the leader staggered free, his robes shredded and his body marred with charred, bloody streaks. Yet his eyes burned with defiance, his combat strength undiminished—a testament to the fearsome power he wielded. He landed beside his companions, chest heaving, as the trio faced the fiery intruder with wary, murderous intent.