A Martial Odyssey

It was not long before Yi Ping had left the Verdant Palace and he found himself in a forested area. The Goddess Lessica was supporting him as he limped even as they followed the Heaven Goddess Zero and the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien.

He was surprised that there were actually woods and hills on the Ancient Fortress. The Ancient Fortress was a vast citadel fortress as large as the Stellar Sanctuary itself.

All of a sudden the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien stopped her rapid steps as she turned around to smile coldly, "We are on neutral grounds now. If they want to pursue us, they would have already done so. You can relax your guard now."

The Goddess Lessica stammered, "We are really safe now?"

Yi Ping sighed softly, "It appears to be so."

The Heaven Goddess Zero smiled wryly, "Appears to be so? Why do you say that?"

Yi Ping sighed as he shook himself upright, looking keenly at them before saying. "That may be so but I am not out of danger yet."

The Heaven Goddess Zero asked, "Oh?"

Yi Ping bowed with both his hands as he said, "I have to thank the two of you for your kind rescue earlier. Now I have to take my leave!"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien said coldly as she raised her beaming fingers, "So the danger that you mention is really from the two of us. How dare you take your leave as you please? Outrageous! No matter what you say today, you are going to the Firmament Citadel with us whether you like it or not…"

She paused to smile wickedly to her sister, the Heaven Goddess Zero. "…And no matter if you are intact or in pieces."

The Heaven Goddess Zero said malevolently, "Therefore you have better be wise or else the consequences that are waiting for you won't be enjoyable at all."

The Goddess Lessica quickly said to Yi Ping, "Great Lord Yi Ping…the two Great Goddesses seem sincere enough to invite us to the Firmament Citadel. It is not every day that we have a chance to visit the abode of the World Ruler Fu Xi."

Yi Ping turned to look at the Goddess Lessica. He knew from her moving eyes that she had only said that to give him a chance to reconsider and to save him from an awkward situation. Moreover at his present condition, he may not be able to fend off a Great Goddess, moreover there were two here!

However his expressions remained defiant as he rubbed his nose to say wryly, "So we are going to fight?"

The Heaven Goddess Zero laughed softly, "That will depend on you."

Yi Ping replied solemnly, "I will choose to fight my way out. However…"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien raised her beautiful brows as she smiled enthrallingly, "However what? Surely you are not thinking of bargaining with us?"

Yi Ping was somewhat disturbed by her enthralling smile as he smiled bitterly, "Even if I can beat the two of you off, I still have to fight off two others that are watching us in the shadows."

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien laughed, "So you have already known that you are being watched…"

All of a sudden the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien paused in her tracks as she looked around her surroundings, "There are two?…"

Even the Heaven Goddess Zero was startled as she moved gracefully to her back before whispering, "Are you sure?"

Yi Ping was startled by their unusual movements as he looked around him.

Immediately he could see a shadow in visible view and it was the World Ruler Fu Xi!

The World Ruler Fu Xi sighed softly as he looked at the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien and the Heaven Goddess Zero, "You are too careless and did not know that you are being followed."

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien and the Heaven Goddess Zero were startled as they scanned their surroundings keenly as they said together, "Who has the audacity to follow us?"

Immediately there was a soft laughter as an alluring lady emerged from the shadows; it was the Alluring Goddess Theresa!

Yi Ping, the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien and the Heaven Goddess Zero were all startled by her presence as they did not expect to be followed by her!

The Alluring Goddess Theresa laughed with a wryly smile, "Are you so surprised to see me?"

The Heaven Goddess Zero said coldly, "Good! You are one and we are three. You can still laugh now but you won't be laughing in a short while time!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa laughed softly as she looked keenly at the World Ruler Fu Xi, "Zero, Surely you are not thinking of asking your lord brother here to bash me up? I have to admit that I am not so foolish as to fight him. However it will be shameful for him to beat an inferior like me?"

The Heaven Goddess Zero hummed coldly, "As long as we can get the lady of the Oracle Clan, it will be a great blow to the Great Lord Xuan Yuan so it doesn't matter what methods we use!"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien added with a cold smile as she touched the hilt of her sword, "After all, you are as good as in our hands now!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa shrugged her shoulders off with a soft alluring laughter as she looked at the World Ruler Fu Xi and Yi Ping, "Is this the way to treat me after all the help that I have given you?"

The World Ruler Fu Xi laughed aloud, "Indeed, indeed. Without your aid, I would not have got him out of there."

Yi Ping was startled as he thought, "They are on the same side? I have thought that they are on opposing sides and she was constantly opposing the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien and the Heaven Goddess Zero…"

All of a sudden he groaned silently, "I am so wrong! This Alluring Goddess Theresa has calculated all her moves in advance to bait everyone up to this point. She had interrupted a tense situation so that an ugly fight will not break out. Come to think of this, everyone was following her lead up to this point…"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled as she looked at Yi Ping, "So you have finally figured it out?"

She turned to look at the Heaven Goddess Zero and the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien, "So you still want to fight it out with me? It seems that your lord brother is standing on my side!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero smiled weakly, "Since you are on our side now, I shall not fight with you today but I won't ever forget all the fights we have in the past!"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien hummed coldly, "Either shall I!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa looked at them intently and smiled wryly, "Since? Know this, I have been on your side from the very start. It is just that you did not know about it. It is a secret that is between your lord brother and I!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero and the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien were startled as they quickly looked at their lord brother for what little subtle expressions he had.

The World Ruler Fu Xi simply said, "It is the truth. If she did not put on such an act, she won't be able to infiltrate the Verdant Palace."

The Heaven Goddess Zero asked, "So she is coming with us too?"

The World Ruler Fu Xi nodded with a grin, "That's right! So get along well!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled warmly, "I am inclined to be generous and be forgiving. So let us get along well with each other. I will give you a good explanation later."

The Heaven Goddess Zero hummed unhappily but she soon composed herself to look at the Goddess Lessica, "She knows too much and who knows if she is really an undercover for the Great Lord Xuan Yuan. After all, she hailed from the Verdant Palace!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa laughed softly, "This, you don't have to worry too much. Am I right, Goddess Lessica?"

The Goddess Lessica hastily gave a half-bow and said coolly, "Mistress, I did exactly as you have commanded and have brought the Great Lord Yi Ping to you."

The Heaven Goddess Zero and the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien were startled as they looked at each other. But they were not as startled as Yi Ping who reacted by asking, "You…the two of you are together?"

The Goddess Lessica lowered her glances and said quietly, "Forgive me my lord."

Yi Ping looked at her hesitatingly and sighed softly, "So that is the reason why you have asked me to pick you. So that is the plan…"

The Goddess Lessica replied with a soft melancholy, "That is exactly the plan of my mistress. It is of utmost importance that we get you out of the Verdant Palace immediately before it is too late."

Yi Ping asked curiously, "Before it is too late?"

The Goddess Lessica looked at the Alluring Goddess Theresa hesitatingly who nodded discreetly to her, "Yes, before it is too late even if it meant exposing our covers in the Verdant Palace and enraging the Great Lord Xuan Yuan. First of all, you may represent a shift in the balance between the Verdant Palace and the Firmament Citadel. Of course, the most important reason of all is that you have the Fantian Sovereign Sword which is the most sacred heritage artefact of the Oracle Clan. We must retrieve it at all costs."

Yi Ping smiled weakly as he touched the hilt of the Fantian Sovereign Sword, "But most unfortunately, this sword is now linked to me. There is no way for you to retrieve it unless I am dead."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled, "Oh really? Why don't you let me try?"

Yi Ping raised the Fantian Sovereign and thrust it into the ground, saying coldly to her. "If you want to but don't blame me for any bad consequences that will befall you!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa laughed, "I won't."

All of a sudden she had picked the Fantian Sovereign and was appraising it with both her hands, "Excellent. It seems that the sword core of the Fantian Sovereign has not grown dimmer but stronger. Hmmm, why is that so?" As she muttered to herself, she peeked at Yi Ping.

Yi Ping was perplexed as he thought, "She is able to handle my sword?!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled coolly, "Why are you looking at me like this? This Fantian Sovereign is originally from the Oracle Clan…"

All of a sudden the smiles on her face sunk as she looked at the Fantian Sovereign as she trembled lightly, "The sword core of this sword tells me that it has been in contact with the Heavenly Tears Sword. The Great Goddess Fantian is still alive? She is nearby?…"

She flashed a dangerous look at Yi Ping and her eyes had turned malevolently!

Yi Ping was startled by her malevolent look but before he could react, the Alluring Goddess Theresa gave a soft scream as she let off of the burning Fantian Sovereign as she gasped, "I have been rejected by the Fantian Sovereign!…"

Yi Ping quickly seized back the Fantian Sovereign and said quietly, "That is right. You have too much hatred in your heart and that is why the Fantian Sovereign has rejected you. It is a sword of righteousness, able to discern right and wrong. The same goes for the Heavenly Tears. Both swords are forged in the burning cosmos from the very dawn of time."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa was startled as she muttered almost incoherently, "I have too much hatred in my heart? Is that the reason why the Heavenly Tears has rejected me and has chosen Fantian…"

Yi Ping said gently to the Goddess Lessica, "I don't blame you for what you have done. I am sure that there is little choice."

The Goddess Lessica nodded with bleary eyes, "Thank you…"

Yi Ping interrupted gently, "But I am also glad that you are able to get out of there. You are free now. Now it is time for me to leave as well."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa quickly said, "Wait a minute! You are coming with us!"

Yi Ping straightened himself to say calmly as he held his swords tightly, "I am afraid that it is not my intention either. I will fight my way out."

He looked at the World Ruler Fu Xi, the Alluring Goddess Theresa, the Heaven Goddess Zero and the Dark Goddess Xia Hsien. He was not afraid. In fact, he was wondering how strong they were and he was immediately spirited!

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled, "If you do then you won't find your way back again."

Yi Ping was startled and he asked quickly, "What do you mean?"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled mysteriously, "I have taken a look at your sword core earlier. It seems that you are not from around here but is from the Immortal Realm, am I right? If you want to return to the Immortal Realm then you need help and I may be the only one who can help you."

Yi Ping was startled that she knew so much even though she was not exactly right. The Immortal Realm that she had known was partitioned into Three Known Realms, the Immortal Realm, the Celestial Realm and the Mortal Realm. However, she was right that he was not from around here.

He remembered that he had told the Goddess Lessica where he was from so he was now looking at her. However the Goddess Lessica lowered her eyes as she trembled, "Great Lord Yi Ping, I swear that I didn't tell anyone, not even my mistress."

The Heaven Goddess Zero was startled as she asked curiously, "He is from the enemy camp? Really?"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien was also startled as she stared at Yi Ping, "If he is from the Pangu Faction then he is the common enemy of all the Desolate Immortals then we mustn't let him live!"

The World Ruler Fu Xi grinned and said, "Does it matter? If he is a guest here then we shall give him the welcome that he wants. I appreciate fighters, no matter where they are from. What do you say, Great Lord Yi Ping? Join us and learn more about the Desolate Realm. Isn't that what you want from coming here?"

Yi Ping smiled weakly, "I want to go back to where I come from. That is what I really want."

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled warmly, "No matter. Join us and I will show you the way back."

Yi Ping hesitated for a while before he asked slowly, "So what do you want from me?"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa folded her arms and laughed jovially, "We want to know more about you and where you are from. In return, I will send you back unconditionally."

Yi Ping asked perplexedly, "Is that all?"

Because he knew that it was not as simple as it looked!

The Alluring Goddess Theresa laughed, "So what do you think?"

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien hummed coldly, "You call this persuasion? It will be a miracle if he believes in your lies! I say, just give him an honorable death!"

The Heaven Goddess Zero seemed to sigh pitifully as she said coldly, "Why all the talk? If he is so foolish and wants to die, let's grant him a quick death!"

The World Ruler Fu Xi said slowly as he shot deadly look at Yi Ping, "Know this, I will not stay my hand. I am actually looking forward for our fight!"

The Alluring Goddess Theresa looked at them unhappily, "If you not helping then can you stop messing up with my plans?"

Yi Ping shook his robe as he stepped forward, "I am willing to follow you to the Firmament Citadel but you have to guide me back to the Material Realm."

The Dark Goddess Xia Hsien and the Heaven Goddess Zero were both startled as they had thought that Yi Ping would choose to fight with them.

The Alluring Goddess Theresa smiled, "Then let us be on my way now!"