After returning to the inn, Chen Nan pondered carefully and gradually deduced the little princess's whereabouts. Based on the little princess's personality, she could never stand being alone. She was always there for excitement. She had most likely gone to look for the ancient god's severed hand.
"That wretched little devil, he never stops causing trouble! I hope he doesn't get into any more!"
The next day, he braced himself and went to Shenfeng Academy. In the distance, he saw a stunningly beautiful woman standing outside the gate, with a giant golden eagle standing beside her.
"You're smart enough not to break your promise, otherwise you'd be dead." The stunningly beautiful woman was dressed in purple, exuding an air of nobility.
Chen Nan said, "How could I dare? To prove my innocence, I'd go through fire and water. Um, what's your name, Miss?"
"My surname is Dongfang, and my given name is Fenghuang."
Chen Nan was taken aback. It was indeed a unique name. If it had been used on someone else, he would have burst out laughing. But the stunning beauty in front of him truly deserved the name Phoenix.
"A good name, Phoenix..."
"Shut up. I don't know you at all, you suspected thief. You can call me Dongfang Fenghuang, or you can call me Miss Dongfang, but you are absolutely not allowed to call me that."
Chen Nan smiled and said, "I understand. My name is Chen Bei. I don't mind if you call me Bei." He gave a pseudonym.
A powerful arc of electricity crackled and popped as it appeared in front of Dongfang Fenghuang.
"Just kidding, don't take it seriously."
"You'd better not joke around with me. Tell me about that little slovenly person's personality and habits."
Chen Nan said, "I don't know this girl very well either. I only met her on the street recently, but I have guessed where she might be going."
Dongfang Fenghuang asked, "Where do you think she is?"
Dongfang Fenghuang laughed and said, "I didn't expect this little slovenly guy to be so audacious. After committing such a crazy crime, he still dared to join in the fun."
The ruins of the ancient gods' battle are located fifty miles north of the city. When it was time to set off, Dongfang Fenghuang hesitated for a moment. Finally, she frowned and said to Chen Nan, "Why don't you sit with me on the roc? Otherwise, you don't know when you'll be able to get there."
After Chen Nan and Dongfang Fenghuang leaped onto the back of the giant eagle, the golden eagle stirred up a fierce gust of wind on the ground before soaring into the sky, the wind whistling in their ears.
Inside the Divine Wind Academy, an old man in purple robes and an old man in blue robes were looking up at the sky.
The old man in purple said, "Old man, look, your granddaughter has found you a son-in-law."
The man in blue laughed and scolded, "You old geezer, you're really something else..."
The old man in purple said, "Your granddaughter is arrogant and competitive; it's a shame she was born a girl."
The man in blue said, "Nonsense! When my granddaughter is gentle, she can melt ice that has stood for ten thousand years. You just haven't seen it."
...
The golden eagle flew with lightning speed, passing towering mountains and flowing rivers beneath it. Along the way, under Chen Nan's "earnest" and "eager" questioning, Dongfang Fenghuang reluctantly gave him a brief account of the legend of the severed hand of the god.
Three months ago, when a wealthy family in the City of Sin started construction, they unearthed an iron box containing an ancient parchment scroll, but no one could decipher the ancient script on it.
Later, the ancient parchment scroll was sent to the city lord's mansion. Several city lords sent people to the mainland to invite a few old scholars who were proficient in ancient writing. A month ago, they finally translated the text on it. The content recorded on it was roughly the same as what Chen Nan had heard while eating at the restaurant.
This matter became the talk of the town in the City of Freedom, and then carrier pigeons carried the news to various parts of the continent. Countless cultivators rushed here, all hoping to find the severed hand of the ancient god and obtain what the god held in his hand.
Chen Nan sighed, "The vast mountains in the central part of Tianyuan Continent are indeed incredibly mysterious. Last time, a Qilin appeared in the Luofeng Mountains near the western border of Chu Kingdom. This time, the incident of the severed hand of God has even occurred near the City of Sin."
Dongfang Fenghuang said, "These Hundred Thousand Mountains are full of treasures and wonders, and there are many things that you cannot imagine."
Chen Nan asked, "Why did that Qilin suddenly disappear last time? Did your Divine Wind Academy capture it?"
Dongfang Fenghuang said, "The Qilin is a spiritual beast that has surpassed the fifth rank. How could it be captured so easily? I estimate it is still in these Hundred Thousand Mountains."
The golden eagle flew like lightning, covering fifty miles in the blink of an eye. Below, the green mountains and valleys were beautiful, making it hard to imagine that a great battle of gods had once taken place there.
However, upon closer inspection, one can see that among the lush greenery, many ravines appear to have been carved out by external force. The tops of several other low hills are perfectly flat, as if they were cut by a sharp weapon, and large piles of rocks are scattered at their bases.
Previously, Chen Nan had doubted the rumors of the ancient god war, but now he was convinced. Looking at the ruins, he could imagine how tragic that earth-shattering battle must have been. He seemed to hear the sounds of the sky collapsing and the wailing of ghosts and gods.
In the lush mountains, shadowy figures could be seen moving about.
The Eastern Phoenix said, "This area within a radius of thirty miles was once the battlefield of two ancient gods. Go down and take a look, I will search from the air."
"A radius of thirty li!" Chen Nan gasped.
As the giant golden eagle swooped down, he leaped off its back, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "It smells so good!"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Fenghuang's expression changed drastically. She quickly chanted a spell, and a bolt of lightning followed Chen Nan. Chen Nan hurriedly shifted several feet to the side in mid-air, and the lightning struck the ground with a loud bang. When he landed, a charred crater appeared before his eyes.
At this moment, the golden giant eagle had already soared into the sky, and the Eastern Phoenix said coldly from above, "How dare you be so disrespectful to me! Consider yourself lucky!"
Human figures moved frequently in the mountains. The once desolate forest was now attracting a large number of visitors because of the severed hand of the ancient god. The birds and beasts in the forest were all frightened and fled from time to time.
Chen Nan crossed three low mountains and arrived at a valley. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this place used to be a lake, but it had long since dried up. The river that used to supply water here had changed course and bypassed the area. Upon closer observation, it could be seen that the river had changed course entirely because it had been cut off by a huge rock.
Gazing at the low mountain in the distance, now devoid of its peak, Chen Nan seemed to see the earth-shattering battle between two ancient gods. One of the ancient gods swung his hand and cleaved off the summit of a high mountain, sending rubble flying everywhere. One huge boulder fell into the river, blocking its flow and causing it to change course...
The instantaneous spiritual journey had already made his blood boil. He believed that after cultivating martial arts to the extreme, he would also be able to split mountains and stop rivers, because he still vividly remembered his father's various supernatural abilities.
At this moment, Chen Nan overheard the conversation between two cultivators. One of them said, "That girl is despicable. Yesterday, she shouted that she had found the ancient god's left hand, but when everyone ran over, she ran away, saying she had made a mistake. Today, she's shouting again, and she's fooled all the cultivators again. She's utterly despicable."
Another person said, "If it weren't for the white tiger she was riding, which moved as fast as lightning in the forest, we probably would have caught her long ago."
"Why do I feel like she looks a lot like the Flying Tigers from Liberty City?"
...
Chen Nan really wanted to find the little princess right away and give her a good pinch on the cheek. He even had an urge to strangle the little girl. This little girl was simply a troublemaker. After robbing the City of Sin, she actually came here to cause trouble, creating one problem after another, without a moment of peace.
He thought to himself, "This little devil is unbearable; she should be locked up in the palace for life!"
Chen Nan walked up to the two cultivators and asked, "Excuse me, gentlemen, where did the girl you mentioned appear today?"
The two men looked at him suspiciously and asked, "You know her?"
Chen Nan laughed and said, "How would I know her? I was also tricked by that wretched little girl yesterday, and I was just about to give her a piece of my mind."
"Oh, it's in that forest over there."
Chen Nan bid farewell to the two and walked forward. He wandered in the mountains and forests for most of the day, and encountered some cultivators, but he did not find any trace of the little princess.
Suddenly, a cry of an eagle rang out above his head, and the golden eagle of the Eastern Phoenix circled down.
"Hey, Chen Bei, are you sure that little slob really came here? I've searched the entire area within a thirty-mile radius, and I haven't found a trace of her at all."
Chen Nan said, "She did come here. There were people talking about her just now. I think she should still be nearby, but the forest is too dense, so you didn't notice her."
Just then, a shout of cursing suddenly came from ahead: "Help! That wretched girl is here..."
A commotion arose deep within the mountains as many cultivators rushed towards the location. Dongfang Fenghuang glanced at Chen Nan and said, "Quickly, come aboard the Great Roc."
Chen Nan leaped up quickly, and the golden giant eagle flew forward like lightning, skimming the forest, causing everyone in the forest to gasp in surprise.
In the distance, a pure white tiger could be seen running swiftly through the forest. On its back sat a slender girl in loose-fitting clothes. Her face was covered by a veil, which was occasionally lifted by the wind, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
Dongfang Fenghuang said, "It really is that little slovenly girl and her tiger king."
Although the little princess was running away, she wasn't panicked at all, and kept shouting behind her, "Hurry up! You're too slow! My little jade has stopped several times already..."
Chen Nan was both angry and amused. The little devil seemed to treat this as a game, showing a childish mentality that was both exasperating and laughable.
He shouted from mid-air, "You little devil, you troublemaker! Do you know what you've done?"
The little princess looked up and spotted the familiar golden eagle. She recognized the Eastern Phoenix as the masked woman from last time. She seemed to understand something at once and cried out, "Xiaoyu, run! Those two bastards are coming!"
Dongfang Fenghuang angrily shouted, "You little slob, you're being rude to me again! Have you forgotten what I learned last time?"
"Old woman, I'll get my revenge one day."
"You little slob, this time I'm going to punish you severely."
Tiger King Xiaoyu darted through the forest like a silver arrow, the little princess shouting and cursing into the air: "You scoundrel, you actually came to capture me with that old woman! I'll tear your tendons, skin you, and remove your bones sooner or later..." In her eyes, although Chen Nan was extremely hateful, he was still "one of us" and now he was colluding with "outsiders" to capture her, which made her extremely angry.
Chen Nan was so angry that his teeth itched, but there was nothing he could do but clench his fists and then relax them.
The little princess cried out, "You want to arrest me? Don't think I don't know! You two are both bad guys. Humph, birds of a feather, in cahoots, a den of snakes and rats, one plus one is a big scoundrel..."
Chen Nan was already used to the little princess's "bold words," but Dongfang Fenghuang was both shocked and furious. She gritted her teeth and sparks crackled between her hands.
A cliff appeared in front of the little princess, and she had to order Xiaoyu to spread her wings and fly into the air. The tiger and the eagle flew like lightning, one in front and one behind.
The cultivators in the mountains stared in astonishment at the sky, then began to discuss amongst themselves:
"So that despicable girl was the notorious thief who caused chaos and crime a few days ago."
"This girl is despicable. She caused such a huge mess and still dares to come here and play tricks on us."
...
Although Xiaoyu is a naturally born exotic beast, its strength has dropped to the first tier. Now it can no longer fly as fast as the golden giant eagle, and the distance between the two is getting closer and closer. It is about to enter the range of the Eastern Phoenix's magic attack.
The little princess's eyes darted around, and she shouted loudly to the back, "Old woman, I'm not running anymore. Let's stop and have a proper talk."
Dongfang Fenghuang said angrily, "You little slob, you're deliberately trying to annoy me. Just wait until I catch you, I'll teach you a lesson." With that, she launched a magical attack, and a fire dragon closed in on Xiaoyu from behind.
The little princess said urgently, "Sister, I don't know how to address you, so I called you that. Please stop your magic attack, I'm not running away."
Chen Nan was secretly puzzled. The unruly little princess had actually changed her ways and was now so humble. This made him feel a little strange.
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Fenghuang felt much better and stopped her fire attack, saying, "Then stop now and stop running away."
By this time, the three people and two beasts were already fifty or sixty miles away from the battlefield of the ancient god, and there was no trace of the cultivators behind them.
The little princess directed the Tiger King to land in a valley, followed closely by the giant golden eagle. The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with beautiful scenery. A stream flowed gently from the valley, and colorful camellias bloomed throughout, their fragrance intoxicating.
"The scenery here is so beautiful! Oh, it smells so good!" the little princess exclaimed.
Chen Nan said, "Little devil, do you even know what you've done to cause so much trouble?"
The little princess blinked her innocent big eyes and said, "Didn't you make me do all that?"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Fenghuang quickly distanced herself from Chen Nan. Regardless of whether what the seemingly slovenly girl said was true or false, she felt a chill run down her spine. An unidentified martial artist had actually traveled with her all the way. Magicians were most wary of engaging in close combat with martial artists. She secretly blamed herself for being too careless and committing a cardinal sin for magicians. She was already drenched in a cold sweat.
Chen Nan knew immediately that something was wrong; the wretched little princess had actually framed him.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you little devil? When did I ask you to do that?"
The little princess said with endless grievance, "You were the one who told me to rob them, and then when things got tense, you told me to hide. I did everything you said. But I was so bored in these deep mountains, so I started joking around with those cultivators. I know I was wrong; I shouldn't have joked with them. I was also wrong just now; I shouldn't have scolded you. I thought you wanted me to be a scapegoat, to get that sister to catch me. I felt wronged, so I couldn't help but scold you..."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Fenghuang quickly took a few steps back, preparing for battle.
Chen Nan was so angry he was about to vomit blood; he was now in a situation he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
"You little devil... You did it all yourself, why are you framing me? You little brat, you're really cunning. Hmph, do you think Miss Dongfang is so easy to fool? Don't waste your energy."
The little princess pulled off her veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face, but her delicate features were filled with sorrow. She sighed softly, "Chen Nan, how could you treat me like this? I'm truly heartbroken..."
Dongfang Fenghuang said angrily, "So your name is Chen Nan! You lied to me before and said your name was Chen Bei, humph!"
Chen Nan was in a terrible predicament; now it would be difficult for him to defend himself.
The little princess sighed, "We grew up together, and I've always treated you like an older brother. I never imagined that when trouble came, you would push me out as a scapegoat to protect yourself..."
She grew increasingly angry and absorbed in her story, venting all the grievances she had suffered over the past few days, almost bursting into tears. It wasn't that the little princess didn't want to be more realistic, but no matter how many times she blinked, she couldn't shed a tear.
Chen Nan was dumbfounded. The little princess was cunning and clever, and she was really good at acting. He really couldn't explain it anymore.
Dongfang Fenghuang said, "Little slovenly boy, although you've said a lot, I still can't completely believe you. To prove your innocence, you must come back to Shenfeng Academy with me. Do you dare?"
The little princess nodded and said, "I'm willing to go back with my sister to prove my innocence."
"Alright, let's go." The Eastern Phoenix leaped onto the golden giant eagle.
The little princess said, "I'm so sad today. I never expected him to treat me like this. Sister, I have a few more words to say to him."
"Okay, you can talk to him."
The little princess walked up to Chen Nan and said in a low voice, "You despicable scoundrel, you deserve it."
Chen Nan felt like he was going crazy. Today, the little princess had taken the initiative and slandered him so badly, yet he was powerless to defend himself.
"Ugh...you little devil, you've really ruined me."
"Serves you right, who told you to bring that old woman to arrest me?"
"If you hadn't caused such a huge mess, would I have been dragged into this?"
"Then you shouldn't have pushed me out."
"You are a princess. If I give them a slight hint, they will release you."
The little princess chuckled and said, "Serves you right. Who told you to offend this princess so many times? Just wait to be wanted and hunted down by the people of the City of Freedom." After saying that, she ran to Tiger King Xiaoyu's side and sat down on her.
The golden giant eagle and Tiger King Xiaoyu soared into the sky. Chen Nan shouted, "Hey, hey, hey... Little devil, Miss Dongfang, I haven't gone up yet! How could you forget about me?"
The little princess sighed in the air, "How dare you ask me to take you back after treating me like this?"
Dongfang Fenghuang said, "You should reflect on yourself here. What is your real name?"
"Hey, little devil, phoenix... you can't leave me behind."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Fenghuang waved her magic wand, unleashing a large swath of flames, followed by several bolts of lightning.
Chen Nan dodged left and right in the valley. By the time he avoided the series of magical attacks, the little princess and the Eastern Phoenix had already disappeared into the horizon.
"I XXXXXXX..." Chen Nan was on the verge of tears. He had been abandoned in the mountains by the two of them. This place was a city of great sin, no less than a hundred miles away. If he had to cross these mountains to get back, who knew how long it would take?
"God or devil, please punish those two women! They're awful, especially that little devil, she's absolutely despicable..."
Chen Nan trudged through the mountains with difficulty. Although the path was filled with fragrant flowers and singing birds, and rare birds and animals occasionally appeared before him, he had no interest in observing them. He only hoped to return to the City of Freedom before sunset, otherwise, it would be even more difficult for him to travel when night fell.
"I was already in a very passive position in this situation. Without my presence, wouldn't the little devil be able to fabricate lies at will? If those old fogies have preconceived notions, wouldn't I be unable to defend myself? I XXXXX"
Chen Nan could almost picture his portrait plastered all over the City of Sin, countless experts from the Divine Wind Academy hunting him down, and him fleeing in all directions. The thought sent a chill down his spine. If he returned to the City of Freedom like this, he would very likely be hunted down just as he had imagined.
He gradually developed the idea of escaping the City of Freedom, but whether he escaped or not, he had to go back first, because he couldn't find the road connecting the eastern and western continents in these vast mountains.