Kong Fei stood in front of Mosi Mountain, which had been sundered in two. He was standing in the rain, letting it drench his body. He stood there in solemn silence, without speaking a word.
A while later, Kong Fei sighed and said, "You guys have wanted to leave for all eternity. Even in death, you still wish to be free. I guess a burial is not what you're interested in."
After that, he waved his hand. Inside the mountain, three thousand graves unleashed a bright white light. Like a spring, bones burst out of the earth, headed for the skies.
The bones melted in the air, becoming dust as they surged up through the atmosphere. They went up into space, disappearing amongst the stars.
"Quick and clean. That will save so much trouble. The only good thing about you guys was the fact you never caused trouble." Kong Fei looked up at the stars and smiled. But then, a glistening tear fell from his face.
Han Sen and Stay Up Late were standing a few paces away from him, speechless.
A while later, Kong Fei smiled and spoke to Han Sen. "Do you guys understand yet why I wanted you to accompany me?"
Han Sen and Stay Up Late shook their heads. They didn't know. After all, why would Kong Fei choose them to come along for something so important?
Han Sen had initially thought that Kong Fei wanted to trick them, but he had realized by now that things weren't that simple.
Kong Fei walked over to them and patted their shoulders. He said, "I was found by a crystallizer, and that is how I escaped the fate of my people. I escaped the mine that none of the others could make it out from. I was helped by a crystallizer, and now, you two appeared as a reminder. It's fate. It had to be."
"A crystallizer helped you escape? Who was he?" Han Sen and Stay Up Late were shocked. They couldn't believe that someone who had conquered a lantern would have a connection to the crystallizers.
"I don't know. He did not tell me, and I never saw him again. I do know that he was carrying a Nine-Life Cat pendant." Kong Fei was looking down at the feathers he had given to Han Sen and Stay Up Late. "Take those as souvenirs. For as long as I live, they may prove useful. And those of higher races will definitely notice them. They're a gift, and they're yours now. You are free to do with them as you please."
After that, Kong Fei left. He didn't walk away briskly, but he did disappear after a few meager steps. Just as Han Sen was going to call for him to come back, he was gone.
"Nine-Life Cat pendant? Who might that crystallizer be?" Han Sen wondered, as a number of thoughts now raced around his mind.
"This universe is big. It was a good idea to come here." Stay Up Late suddenly sighed. He had always been quiet and reserved, but now he was brimming with a vibrant passion.
Han Sen was not as sensitive as he was, though. For all intents and purposes, he was a realist. But even though there were many elites, that wouldn't quell his desire to train and improve. He wanted to see the world and everything in it.
"Let's go. We need to get out of here." Han Sen pulled Stay Up Late back.
Kong Fei had left with no warning. He didn't offer them a way back, and to add to that, they were a thousand miles away from western Gran City. When Kong Fei was there, it was an easy trip. Without him, it most certainly wouldn't be.
Han Sen called out for Kong Fei, so he could lead them back. God only knew what might happen to them if they traveled by themselves.
When the pair reached the bridge they had crossed earlier, they saw someone standing there. The person was holding an umbrella. But due to the item's presence, and the heavy rainfall, they couldn't make out who it was.
But that person had a lifeforce as powerful and bountiful as an entire galaxy. It was unfathomably large.
Han Sen and Stay Up Late stopped to look at him. And when they did, the person turned to look at them.
A while later, the person asked, "Are you guys willing to sell the white feathers you possess?"
"No." Stay Up Late shook his head.
Han Sen just smiled. "What's your price?"
"The feather is priceless, but a trade always demands a price for negotiations. Three thousand deposits of star ore for one feather," the person slowly said.
"Too low." Han Sen shook his head.
"Three hundred lifeplanets for one feather," the person said.
Han Sen shook his head again. The enigmatic figure did not speak to him again. Instead, he turned to talk with Stay Up Late. "If you enter my tribe, I can help you reinforce the white feather. After that, you can enjoy the treatment only my kind can provide."
Stay Up Late shook his head, to which the person responded, "Do you have any idea what you'll be missing out on? Even if you do have a god feather, it's useless if no one refines it for you."
"I appreciate your intent, but I do not wish to join any tribe," Stay Up Late said.
The man grunted. And when Han Sen turned to look at him, he had disappeared. It looked as if he had never been there at all.
They kept walking and crossed the bridge. Not long after, a beast appeared near the river. It was so big, it looked like a mountain from a distance away.
"Are you selling that white feather?" the beast asked, looking right at Han Sen. Its voice was so loud, it almost destroyed Han Sen's eardrums.
"It all depends on the price fronted," Han Sen smiled.
The beast grunted and said, "The Feathers lost. I will take on all of Holy Heaven, in exchange for that feather."
"No." Han Sen was very tempted, but he had to shake his head.
Holy Heaven was a high-ranking xenogeneic space. Many treasures must reside there. There had to be countless xenogeneic materials. Even the Feathers held that place incredibly dear. Through that, you could see how important it was.
Even though the Feathers had fallen, they had not been wiped out. Taking down Holy Heaven was still something no ordinary race could accomplish.
The beast said he could swap Holy Heaven's existence for the feather, which was a massive prospect.
But Han Sen was worried the beast might not have been serious. Still, if the beast wished to steal the white feather, Han Sen and Stay Up Late probably couldn't fight back.
The beast looked at Han Sen as if he knew that Han Sen did not want to accept the trade, and instead spoke to Stay Up Late. "Those of the Beast Area are willing to teach you. If you are willing to join us, I can teach you how to refine it. If you can become a king, I can give you twelve godseats."