Chapter Fifty-Four: The Heavens Move with Unyielding Strength

After this period of adjustment, Hua Feng had grown increasingly adept at assuming the role of head of the farming clan. Although he was still unfamiliar with many affairs, with Shen Qiu’s assistance at his side, matters were handled with impressive order. Ever since the previous incident, Hua Feng couldn’t help but feel a vague awkwardness whenever he saw Xiao Li again. Yet it was Xiao Li who broke the silence first, telling him none of it was his fault, and that as long as he could pass the trial within a year, all would not yet be lost. If fortune favored him, perhaps even reaching the level of Primordial Emperor was not out of the question.

From the moment he learned he had only one year left, Hua Feng devoted himself daily to cultivation according to the Flame Emperor’s mark and Nangong Li’s guidance, aside from the documents and meetings that required his personal attention. Whenever his spiritual energy was exhausted and his body worn out, he followed Nangong Li’s instructions to drink elixirs brewed from rare treasures, both internally and as a medicinal bath steeped with countless precious herbs.

Every time Shen Qiu helped prepare these things, he was astonished. Even though he had seen many wondrous herbs since becoming head of the Divine Farmer Hall, Nangong Li’s resources never failed to surprise him: thousand-year-old polygonum, ten-thousand-year ginseng, the Celestial Grass, Heaven and Earth Ganoderma, Amethyst Ginseng—so many known and unknown treasures that they were beyond counting. Whenever Shen Qiu or Hua Feng asked her where these things came from, she would say nothing, merely attributing them to her family’s heritage. The simpler items, Shen Qiu would just take from the farming clan’s own medicine stores for Hua Feng’s use.

Strengthening the power of the heroic leader, the symbol of the farming clan, was the top priority. As the successor of the Flame Emperor, he naturally spared no effort, and the council of elders had no objections.

After each day’s cultivation, Hua Feng would chat a little with Yun Meng. Though he never told her about Nangong Li, not out of deliberate concealment, he couldn’t help but feel guilty when speaking to her. He planned to explain everything in person when they met.

One day in early March, Hua Feng made a video call home, briefly updating them on his situation, then seldom contacted his family after that. The Flying Dragon Camp was providing excellent protection for his loved ones, and he had no doubts about the Chinese military’s ability to keep them safe. Having been away for several months, he only occasionally thought of his old comrades-in-arms—Wang Yue, Shuang Ning, Yang Tian, Li Long, Wang Yuxuan…apart from them, his days in the army felt like a previous life.

Until that day, when Moonwatcher of the Kui Kui Hall paid a sudden visit at night.

Moonwatcher wore a simple, typical set of farming clan women’s clothes, which concealed her perfect figure well.

“Boss, I have something to show you,” she said directly as soon as she entered.

She held out a badge bearing the emblem of the Flying Dragon. Hua Feng suppressed his surprise. “What do you mean by this?”

“Once a Flying Dragon, always a Flying Dragon. Though I belong to the farming clan, I am also an undercover agent for the Flying Dragon Camp. To prepare for the doomsday catastrophe three years from now, the organization ordered me to gather intelligence on the various sects of the Mysterious Gate within the farming clan, to unite their strength and help China stabilize the spatial rift nearby. Other sites are handled by different countries and forces; currently, the United Nations and the World Daoist Association are overseeing the global plan. Commander Chen sent me to relay a mission to you.”

She finished her explanation in one breath.

“How can you prove you’re from the Flying Dragon Camp?” Hua Feng thought that, since her identity was exposed, he might as well get the whole truth.

“Alright then, let me show you the unique inner energy technique from the Flying Dragon Manual. Perhaps then you’ll believe me.” Moonwatcher shed her usual seductive air and spoke earnestly.

She gathered her energy and struck out with her fist. Hua Feng focused his mind on the flow of her energy, tracing its path through a full cycle. At last, he was convinced—this was truly the secret inner technique of the Flying Dragon Manual.

“What is the mission from the organization?” Hua Feng put aside his doubts and asked.

“You are to use your status as Heroic Leader and the influence of the One Qi Dao Alliance to unite the Chinese Daoist Association and the various Mysterious Gate sects. Do your utmost over the next three years,” Moonwatcher replied.

“Tell the organization to rest assured. I will do my best to fulfill the mission. To defend the stability of our space and the integrity of our homeland is the duty of every Chinese person.”

“Good, with official business settled, shall we talk about something more personal?” Moonwatcher’s seductive smile returned, her tone teasing.

Hua Feng broke out in goosebumps and hurriedly said, “No need to trouble yourself, Sister Moon. I still have things to do. You should get busy too. We can talk again later. There are too many people around—if someone saw you in my room in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t look good, would it?”

“Alright, I won’t tease you. Get some rest. I’ll come check on you another time. Good night.” Looking at Hua Feng, whose face was flushed from her teasing, Moonwatcher couldn’t help but laugh. “No need to see me out. Go back to sleep!”

As Hua Feng closed the door, he felt as though he’d just endured an exhausting session of cultivation. Sweat trickled down his forehead. Ah, women truly are a man’s nemesis—especially beautiful women. Fortunately, it was late at night and Shen Qiu and Nangong Li showed no sign of stirring. Even if they’d heard something, they would have been too embarrassed to mention it. After all, the new Heroic Leader had a military background, and such things were hardly a big deal.

To face the coming apocalypse, unity was the only way forward. Now, with talent in short supply, Primordial Saints nowhere to be found, and only a handful of Primordial Emperors and a slightly larger number of Primordial Sovereigns, whether they could stabilize the spatial collapse remained an open question.

Added to this was his appointment with the Snow Lord, that night of water and fire with Nangong Li…his aging parents, the organization’s mission, the mysterious voice hidden in his nightmares—all these things converged, making Hua Feng’s head ache. At last, he simply decided to let it all go and pulled the covers over himself to sleep.

Early the next morning, Nangong Li woke Hua Feng. She intended to take him deep into the primeval forest for an immersive cultivation experience. His recent progress had slowed, and Hua Feng also agreed that he should leave the training chamber and seek a breakthrough outdoors.

Xiao Li said she wanted to spar with him, to increase his resistance to the pressure of facing Primordial Emperor-level experts. Hua Feng had a hazy sense that a torturous training regimen was about to begin—and that, until his strength reached a certain level, he would have little influence to truly unite the various sects of China’s Mysterious Gate.