Chapter 4549 — Old Wounds

This was hardly surprising. Even if Ghost Thing was a top-tier master of the spirit beast race, Zhang Lifeng had a reputation that preceded him—a man's name casts its shadow. Though Zhang Lifeng was famed throughout the world for his alchemy and healing arts, his strength could not possibly be weak. Across the entire Five Great Islands of the Cloud-Tier, those who could reliably overpower him numbered but a handful—perhaps not even that many.

Wei Zhao was not a gossipy sort, but where it concerned a peak showdown between Ghost Thing and Zhang Lifeng, his soul of gossip was, at this moment, burning bright.

"Hmph. Nothing much—just crossed hands once, is all." Ghost Thing snorted sullenly. He had not intended to say more, but seeing Wei Zhao so worked up, he finally relented. "Back then, that old calf Zhang Lifeng discovered a way to travel freely to the mortal realm. But it required all seven of his wives working together to have any chance of opening the formation passage."

"Wait! Seven? How could it be seven? Doesn't he only have two wives?" Wei Zhao was stunned. Zhang Lifeng's two wives, the Ice Ancestor and the Snow Ancestor, were common knowledge. Even after coming to Cloud-Tier Island, the locals all said the same. Where had all these extra wives come from?

"Heh heh. A brat like you who's never even met the man has a whole flock of beauties around him—so how could that old calf have only two?" Ghost Thing gave a strange laugh, then added with a touch of envy, "Honestly, that old calf's luck is downright overflowing. Before coming to Cloud-Tier Island he had only two wives, and then came a flood of romantic fortune—he went and found five more, one after another. And the strangest part? Those seven wives of his just happened to cover the five elements and seven attributes of spiritual roots. Now what kind of luck is that?"

As a spirit beast, Ghost Thing had no interest whatsoever in how many wives a human took. But the fact that Zhang Lifeng's seven wives happened to make up the five elements and seven attributes—now that was truly rare and enviable. After all, it could be put to enormous use.

Listening to Ghost Thing's strange laughter, Wei Zhao was at a loss for words. How Zhang Lifeng had found those seven wives really left one speechless. This cheap master he had never met—he couldn't have gone looking according to the standard of the five elements and seven attributes, could he? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? But then he thought of himself... never mind, best not to mutter about others behind their backs.

"Then is he himself a five-element attribute too? Otherwise, even if his seven wives covered the five elements and seven attributes, without a medium there'd be no way to open the formation passage, right?" Wei Zhao asked instead.

"No, he's not a five-element attribute. Didn't I say it? You're the only freak I've ever seen who carries all five elements and seven attributes in one body," Ghost Thing said with a curl of his lip.

"Then how did he..." Wei Zhao was puzzled. Unless this cheap master of his had truly created a revolutionary formation passage, no matter how he did it, a five-element medium would surely be indispensable.

"Simple. That old calf isn't a five-element attribute himself, but he carries a Five-Element Divine Stone on him," Ghost Thing explained.

"Five-Element Divine Stone? What's that?" Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"A supreme treasure rarely seen in this world. It can serve as a substitute for a five-element medium. Apart from the one in that old calf's hands, you'd be hard-pressed to find a second anywhere under heaven." Ghost Thing's tone was somewhat sour. If he had possessed such a Five-Element Divine Stone himself, perhaps he would never have had to beg that old calf, and all the trouble that followed would never have happened.

"Oh, I see." Wei Zhao nodded. He showed little interest in the Five-Element Divine Stone—after all, when it came to a five-element medium, he himself could serve as one; there was no need for such a stone. Then he pressed on. "And then? How did the two of you end up fighting?"

"Hmph. I went to enormous trouble to finally track down that old calf, and humbled myself to ask him to open the formation passage so I could make a trip to the mortal realm. And the old bastard refused. The sheer audacity!" Even now, Ghost Thing was still indignant about it. As for why he wanted to go to the mortal realm—no need to say it; it was to seek the bloodline of the Spirit Beast King.

"Why? Did you two have a prior grudge?" Wei Zhao found it strange too. Zhang Lifeng, the Divine Physician and Alchemy Sage, bore such a great name—could he really be a petty man? Even if he was not so selfless as to help others gladly, Ghost Thing was the Azure Dragon Elder of the spirit beast race. Surely he was not so worthless as to have no value in befriending?

"Grudge, my foot. That old bastard isn't like other human cultivators who slaughter spirit beasts at the drop of a hat—he just makes pills and saves lives, day in and day out. What grudge could there be between us?" Ghost Thing paused, then sighed faintly. "The real reason he refused was that he dotes on his own. He said that every time the formation passage is opened, all seven of his wives fall into a coma together. Even he can't guarantee he'll be able to wake them every time—the risk is too great."

"No absolute guarantee?" Wei Zhao's heart lurched. Did that mean that even if he found Zhang Lifeng and secured his help, his own beauties might not necessarily be saved?

"Don't be so nervous. That was just an excuse from the old bastard. The Divine Physician and Alchemy Sage doesn't live off an empty name—he says he's not sure, but when have you ever seen him fail? Not once. What kind of 'not sure' is that?" Ghost Thing offered a word of comfort, then fumed again. "Back then, to get his help, I pleaded until my lips were nearly worn through. I told him to think of our spirit beast race—if only he would open the formation passage, my race would forever remember Zhang Lifeng's great kindness, and we would pay any price for it."

"And he still refused?" Wei Zhao clicked his tongue inwardly. For Ghost Thing, in his capacity as Azure Dragon Elder, to make such a promise was essentially to secure the endorsement and aid of the entire spirit beast race. With the spirit beast race's vast power, far surpassing any human sect, this was a benefit no great figure could refuse. Even someone of Zhang Lifeng's stature could not have been unmoved.

"Right. No matter how I pleaded and vouched for him, the old bastard would not do it. Damn his doting—he would not let his wives suffer the slightest harm, no matter what. Next to that, the fate of our entire spirit beast race was nothing but a fart in his eyes!" Ghost Thing was seething. After a pause, he added, "The way that old bastard dotes on his own—it's a match for you, kid, and that's saying something." (To be continued.)