237 The Ancient Fortress (1/2)
Chapter 237: The Ancient Fortress
The Ancient Fortress was actually a gigantic floating city that was suspending in mid-air.
It was massive, extending for miles, almost like the mountain ranges!
Yi Ping wondered how this big city could stay afloat just like this. It seemed to be familiar to the Stellar Sanctuary in many ways. Could this Ancient Fortress be a mystery artefect from the Great Beyond too?
Just as Yi Ping wondered how they were going to go up, the Great Lord Xuan Yuan said, ”Do you have your own stead? Why don't we fly up to the City of the Gods?”
He took a mocking glance at the Goddess Aeris at the same time. That was because he had killed her stead and could see the painful expressions that were on her.
Yi Ping thought, ”The City of the Gods? He must be referring to the Ancient Fortress. So that must be its other name.”
At the same time, he answered. ”No, I don't have a stead. I have come alone.”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan looked at Yi Ping sternly but Yi Ping returned a steadfast look at him. He laughed aloud, ”I am just astonished that you do not have your own stead even though I can sniff the scent of a Divine Kirin on you.”
Yi Ping smiled weakly as he thought, ”That must be Xiao Ping's scent.”
But he said firmly, ”I do not have one with me now.”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan said, ”Doesn't matter. Follow me on foot then.”
And with a flash, he had leapt on top of the ridge, ”I hope that the two of you can keep up with my pace or I will be none the pleased.”
The Goddess Aeris lowered her eyes and said, ”Yes, my lord.”
Yi Ping had no other choice but to follow him.
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan had actually taken them to the plains below.
The haste that was displayed by the Great Lord Xuan Yuan was astonishing and it had only taken them just a while to go down the plains!
Yi Ping was startled but he did not give it away. He thought, ”We are supposed to go up to the Ancient Fortress but why are we going further and further away?”
Very soon Yi Ping was on the plains below but what he had seen was disturbing to him. Thousands of forced laborers were dragging heavy blocks of stones around steep stone monument pyramids!
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan said haughtily, ”What do you think of my city? Isn't it beautiful?”
Yi Ping said unhappily, ”Your city may be beautiful but your people are suffering!”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan gave a mocking smile, ”Those are our slaves. Mortals and Immortals simply don't mix. Aren't you a little sentimental for an Immortal?
Just as Yi Ping was about to argue further, the Goddess Aeris said. ”He is from the Borderlands, remember? No mortals can survive the scorching heat of the other side. Maybe he has been away for too long and has never seen so many mortals before.”
Yi Ping was jolted as he thought, ”There are mortals here?”
His thoughts quickly translated into curiosity as he asked, ”There are mortals here?”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan smiled wryly, ”It seems that you are really been away for too long. The mortals here are a result of a freak unison between the Desolate Immortals. Normally, it is impossible for us to have any offspring. Or maybe we are actually capable of it but it rarely happens. Or it is because of this realm that we are in.”
He raised his fist, ”They are mortals and their lives have little consequences to us.”
The Goddess Aeris stole a sly glance at Yi Ping as she said to the Great Lord Xuan Yuan, ”Some of the mortals have actually succeeded to be the golden eyes half-immortals.”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan hummed coldly, ”And we have almost eliminated most of them by now. They are nothing else but trouble makers. We have actually given them a special position among us and yet they dare to incite the mortals to rebel against us. Since they want to be on the same level as the mortals then so shall it be. Only the true immortals like us, shall rule over all things.”
Yi Ping hummed coldly, ”You should not be so callous…”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan stared coldly at him, ”You do not tell me what to do or you will find it to be a terrible mistake…”
Just as Yi Ping was about to say something, the Goddess Aeris had pointed to a direction and hurriedly said. ”Look!”
A group of eleven men were coming toward them at a startling speed and they all had scarlet eyes!
Yi Ping immediately knew that they were Desolate Immortals!
They were all Sixth Positioning Immortals except for the one leading them, who was the Seventh Positioning.
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan did not seem to be startled as he turned to look at them coolly.
The leader of the group began to bow respectfully as he said hurriedly, ”Our honorable respect to the Great Lord Xuan Yuan and Great Goddess Aeris, we didn't know that you are here. Your humble servant Asatru pays my respects to you.”
The leader of the group looked at Yi Ping, not knowing what to address him. But anyone that was in the company of the Great Lord Xuan Yuan had to be someone of great important.
Yi Ping saw his subtle expression and said indifferently, ”You can call me Yi Ping.”
The leader of the group immediately said, ”My respects to the Lord Yi Ping…”
All eleven of them still carried startled expressions and a lingering fear.
That was because the Great Lord Xuan Yuan had rarely descended from the Ancient Fortress except on official business and the reasons were often not good. Also, they could see that the Great Lord Xuan Yuan, the Great Goddess Aeris and this Lord Ping had just been through a terrible fight; they wondered what exactly had happened…
The Goddess Aeris smiled, ”It seems that I am not used to being called a Great Goddess.”
The leader of the group shifted uncomfortably, not knowing if this smile was a sharp dagger or a beautiful compliment.
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan smiled wryly, ”There is no need for anyone of you to worry unduly. I just have a duel with this Lord Yi Ping. In the process, some of our steads are lost. So I want you to take them to the Great Pyramid of Cheops and bring them up to my palace in the City of the Gods.”
The leader of the group stammered, ”Yes, we will do as your sire commands…”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan interrupted coolly, ”You and your men will bring them to me without any delay.”
He paused briefly to give a sly smile, ”I don't want anything to happen to my honorable guests, is that understood?”
The leader of the group immediately understood the subtle intentions so he quickly said, ”I will escort them personally without any delay.”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan smiled, ”What if Lord Yi Ping wants to go to other places?”
The leader of the group immediately said, ”That will not happen. We have a hundred desolate immortals to watch over him!”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan nodded and smiled, ”After all, he is my honorable guest and I don't want anything to happen to him. Do not let him off from your sight and I don't want the other immortals to talk to him. When that is done, I will give you a divine sword as a reward.”
He smiled coldly, ”But if you fail, I will execute all the escorts personally.”
The leader of the group turned ashen and he quickly replied firmly, ”I will not let your sire down!”
Yi Ping smiled bitterly as he thought, ”Isn't it obvious that he is asking them to watch over me warily?”
As though the Great Lord Xuan Yuan understood what he was thinking about, he gave Yi Ping a smile. ”They can't stop you if you really want to go. But you should at least talk to my consort-to-be for a little while first. After all, you won't have a lot of chances in the future.”
He gave Yi Ping a blank stare as though he was saying to Yi Ping, ”So your weakness is her, am I right? Then you will surely come quietly to my palace.”
Yi Ping shrugged his shoulders as he sighed softly, thinking to himself. ”Why did I have to get into this mess?
The Goddess Aeris lowered her glances to say softly, ”Do I have to go too? Don't I have to prepare for the day of my honor tomorrow?”
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan said matter of fact, ”I will send a message to your clan for you. You will stay at my palace tonight.”
When he had finished saying, he gave a mighty howling shout to the heavens!
So terrifying was his martial shout that Yi Ping and the rest were repulsed several steps from him!
And immediately, a gigantic crimson four winged dragon burst from the dark clouds at a startling speed!
Yi Ping was startled at the sight of this dragon for it was ten times bigger than the divine blue dragon that he had seen earlier!
The Great Lord Xuan Yuan laughed, ”My divine stead has come. See you in a little while. If my stead can tolerate strangers, I will surely bring you up on her.”
The gigantic crimson four winged dragon slide down with thunderous explosive windforce but it never touched down for the Great Lord Xuan Yuan had already leapt onto her and in a blink of an eye, they had disappeared within the shadows of the massively Ancient Fortress!
The leader of the group said to Yi Ping with a cold smile, ”Shall we go now?”
Yi Ping nodded slowly while the Goddess Aeris looked at Yi Ping discreetly before she said aloud, ”So what are we waiting for? Let us move on hastily then.”
She took a look at Yi Ping before saying coolly to him, ”You are really brave to fight with the Great Lord Xuan Yuan and you live to tell about it. I don't know who you are but you are wiser to stay where you are…”
All of a sudden she gasped because Yi Ping took great stride forward as he said jovially, ”What are we waiting for? I have never seen the great palace of the Great Lord Xuan Yuan before and I am all too curious about it.”
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The Goddess Aeris leapt next to him and rebuked him gently, ”You are too impossible. Don't say I didn't warn you or anything!”