Maiden Galaxy

The girl had thick brows and phoenix eyes, rouge lips, and her five apertures were as magnificent and brilliant as the sun. A set of flame-light earrings hung from her earlobes. She wore a white tunic and red armor, the edges of her skirt dragging along the ground, flowing like water, rolling like lava. Combined with that tall figure of hers, she was like an awakened flame.

Her black hair was like an umber dye. The girl's gem-like, red pupils stared at Chen Mo, blazing.

The woman's forehead had three flame patterns. They appeared like birthmarks yet also seemed to have been painted on. A Star Crest flickered. Even an idiot ought to realize that she was a Star General.

A Star General who awakened after a thousand years of slumber.

Even though Chen Mo was very calm, he was also caught somewhat unprepared for the events unfolding before him. According to what he knew, the Azure Dragon Footpath had existed for at least a thousand years. During this time, no one had come here, meaning, the woman in front of him had been sleeping in this chest for that long?

But.

How could the Heavenly Spirit Earthly Fiend Purple Rose Treasure Chest even have a slumbering woman in the first place.

"You are?" Chen Mo asked cautiously.

The woman looked around. She spotted three men and women that she was unable to tell if they were dead or not. Her gaze was like lightning, like fire. She took a breath. That breath carried the taste of scorching fire. Suddenly, she snorted, bearing a mocking gaze as she looked at Chen Mo.

This man was bare-chested, but he actually had somewhat of a manly scent.

"It seems you have spent much effort to obtain this treasure chest." The woman said as she leapt out from the chest. Her jade legs were slender, clad in beautiful, blazing red long boots. A spiraling flame like a dragon or a phoenix coiled around her leg, very beautiful.

But this was very strange. Although she was a Star General, possibly a Star General from a thousand years ago, Chen Mo did not sense a Star General's oppressive aura emanate from her body. Perhaps this was because she held no hostility towards him?

Chen Mo forced a smile in the face of the woman's overbearing haughtiness, "Your Servant is Chen Mo. Could you inform Your Servant just what happened here? How would a woman be inside a treasure chest?"

"Consider it your good fortune." The woman's eyes flashed meaningfully.

The young man in front of her was Qi And Blood Seven Turns, yet he was neither servile nor overbearing. Was this the virtue of arrogance?

Bah!

If placed before her, the woman would have already run her lance through this kind of arrogance and killed him. A man surprisingly dared to be bold in front of her. This was truly loathsome. But for now, the woman sneered on the inside. "Han Xin,¹ you bitch, on that day you plotted against This King, you must never have imagined it, that there would come a day that I would emerge again. Han Xin, you slut, This King will definitely destroy you." She did not care for Chen Mo, instead roaring into the air, releasing the dissatisfaction in her heart. After she finished speaking, her figure rushed outside the cave. The next instant, she had thoroughly left this cavern.

Chen Mo was ignored as if he was air in her eyes.

"Han Xin?? Fuck…" Chen Mo's brows rose. This Star General was exceptional.

This woman in front of him was surprisingly sealed by Han Xin? He wondered what her identity was. It seemed very formidable.

Seeing she left just like this, Chen Mo contrarily breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of the origins of that Star General, it appeared that she was not at all too friendly. But after wasting all this time, the treasure of this Azure Dragon Path could not possibly be just a Fiend Star, right?

Chen Mo was quite depressed. He searched through the chest again and actually found some things. Reddish-pink powder, crystalline fragments, they seemed to be crystallized flames, very magnificent. "Divine Clinging Cinnabar!"²

Divine Clinging Cinnabar was recorded in the Spirit Sand chapter of the "Book Of Casting." It was a kind of very valuable fire-type Spirit Sand. This type of cinnabar had a very high success rate when used to "Cast Stars" for higher ranks. Even for ordinary forging, placing a few qian of the cinnabar could allow the forging flames to have enhanced results. The forged weapon would not only have distinction from ordinary Divine Weapons, forging in the fires of Divine Clinging Cinnabar could greatly temper the casting master's body and mind, to advance their forging proficiency by leaps and bounds.

This kind of Divine Clinging Cinnabar was a very rarely seen legend. Mother's Book Of Casting did not even clear up its origins, but the Book Of Casting did say that the Divine Clinging Cinnabar was a casting master's supreme treasure.

Five qian of the cinnabar was enough to allow a casting apprentice to ascend to Early Stage Casting master.

Across all of Star World, this was a treasure that could send a dynasty, an empire, or even sects into a frenzy.

Chen Mo also could not help but become excited. He gathered up all of the Divine Clinging Cinnabar. After a thousand years, the treasure chest contained more than a dozen taels of the cinnabar. In the center of the chest, Chen Mo then found an earring.

The earring was a ruby the size of his pinky, spiral in shape, like a cloud or a flame, a bit familiar. Chen Mo recalled that woman's ear had an earring just like this one. It appeared she lost this one. This earring did not seem to be a magic weapon nor an Astral Treasure. However, it was very beautiful. Chen Mo still took it. If he ever found that woman again, he would return it.

Another careful inspection showed the treasure chest had nothing else.

The Heavenly Spirit Earthly Fiend Purple Rose Treasure Chest having only these few items made Chen Mo a bit disappointed. Thinking about it, the items inside the treasure chest perhaps could have long already been looted by someone else, and then that woman was then sealed inside for certain reasons. To surprisingly not die after a thousand years, she would not happen to be some kind of demon, right. Chen Mo recalled that many of Star World's books all said that the Star Names of Star Generals lasted about five hundred years. The higher a Star General's Realm, the longer the Star Name could exist. However, if a Star Maiden's cultivation was unable to make a breakthrough, then the Star Energy in her body would slowly vanish with the flow of time. In the end, this Star Name would be completely destroyed, and the Star Maiden would also Starfall.

This was also why many Star Generals who inherited their Star Names diligently cultivated and made ascending Maiden Mountain their goal.

He heard that atop Maiden Mountain was where Star Names were. By scaling Maiden Mountain, theirs could become indestructible Star Names, and they could realize the significance of their own existences.

Maiden Mountain?

To speak of the origins of that Maiden Mountain's name was quite fascinating. Chen Mo shook his head. Now was not the time to indulge in gossip about Star Maidens. That woman just now did not have overwhelming killing intent. Chen Mo suddenly thought of a reason for that. Perhaps being sealed for so long, or for some other reason, the woman's Star Energy was currently depleted. A thousand years was just enough time to make a Heavenly Star vanish into the wind. He feared that woman was extremely weak right now, unable to stand a single blow.

"I heard that one can obtain Star Energy cultivation by killing a Star General. There's even a chance to receive the Star Maiden's Innate Skill." Chen Mo clicked his tongue. He then remembered another widely known legend of Star World.

A Star Maiden that killed another Star Maiden could spread her influence through the world.

A Star Cultivator that killed a Star Maiden could obtain her Star Energy, Innate Skill, and Star Weapon.

Star Maidens that crossed over Star World unimpeded appeared like mighty and awe-inspiring in all respects, but legends pertaining to their disadvantages were very numerous. This probably was the price of a Star Name. That woman just now appeared impressive. If he killed her and obtained her Star Energy, Chen Mo felt that he would be uncontested in the Divine Warrior Examination, even if faced against a Star Weapon.

However, Chen Mo would not actually be so savage. He was a splendid young man that had grown under the red banner of socialism, wearing the red neck scarf.³ He could never do such a deranged, demented act. It was a whole other matter if she was hostile to him.

As he contemplated this, Chen Mo retracted his disordered thoughts. The woman had left anyways, so there was no use in pondering upon this any further. His mind then went back to this treasure chest. It appeared nondescript. To be able to trap a Star Maiden, it was presumably itself a treasure, but Chen Mo had spent such a long time only to be unable to take it away. It would need Star Energy to be refined, but with Chen Mo's current feeble Star Energy, he did not know how long that would take. He could only renounce this thinking.

He looked at the duke's son, the princess, and the older brother who were gasping for breath. Chen Mo thought over it but still decided to carry them down the mountain. If it was not for the sake of the Wuyang Princess' face, the other two would already be dead. However, a bit of compensation was unavoidable. To think of scheming against This Young Master, this will be treated as your lesson fee.

Down Azure Dragon Mountain.

A grandiose troupe of men and horses had currently surrounded and blockaded the foot of the mountain. These several hundred people were dressed in black clothes, holding various kinds of weapons. These people all had vigorous qi and blood, each with a resolute expression. The qi and blood of the hundred people together was more scorching than flame, and the winter season in the surrounding hundred meters even seemed to retreat.

The leading men and women of the group sat atop horses. Each and every one of them had Qi And Blood Eight or Nine Turns strength.

At this moment, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered around.

They were startled upon seeing this formation.

"What happened? Isn't this the Qing Family?"

"All of the Qing Family's warriors have mobilized? What an impressive formation."

"For even a person like Qing Yuanshan to have come out, just what happened for them to surround Azure Dragon Mountain.

"I heard the duke's son and the princess entered Azure Dragon Mountain. It looks like they are here to protect them."

"It can't be that simple, right?"

"Don't tell me it's related to the Azure Dragon Footpath?"

Everyone whispered to each other. The Qing Family's large formation could not possibly be concealed from the townspeople. Very quickly, more and more warriors rushed over. Close to a thousand people were gathered at the foot of the mountain. The Qing Family had been entrenched in Azure Dragon Town for a century, but this was the first time they had seen practically all of the Qing Family show up in force. Only that ancestor did not come.

Qing Yuanshan in the others did not move.

Qing Wan wrinkled her brow.

By the time they rushed over, the Azure Dragon Footpath had already vanished without a trace. Thus, the Qing Family stationed people at the foot of the mountain to stand vigilant guard. Perhaps that man penetrated deeply into the dangerous Azure Dragon Mountain range. Of course, with his Qi And Blood Seven or Eight Turns strength, he would definitely die. Otherwise, he would need to cross the foot of the mountain. At that time, no matter what he had obtained, he should not dare think of leaving Azure Dragon Town.

Qing Wan glanced through the crowd. Many warriors from the Shen and Tao Noble Families had come. These people had keen senses of smell and apparently smelled something suspicious, but to think of struggling against the Qing Family, that truly was suicidal.

"That trash did not come." Qing Wan sneered.

"Wan'er, from now on, you cannot say this about Chen Mo." Qing Wan's father, Qing Song'gu, shook his head.

"Father, Wan'er does not understand. Although that Chen Mo's father is Lord Chang'an, he is nothing more than trash incapable of martial arts. Even when he came to Azure Dragon Town, he is still trash. Father, why are you so afraid of him. For people like us that can practice martial arts, with upright qi and blood, how can we submit to a piece of trash." Qing Wan self-righteously said. Qi And Blood Warriors cultivated their qi and blood, and in the case they showed deference to someone weaker, that was a disgrace. How could they raise their level in the martial arts world. For this reason, Qing Wan always despised Chen Mo.⁴

The seniors were well-versed in the ways of this world. They were not children like Qing Wan who was young and vigorous.

"No matter what, Chen Mo's backing is that of Lord Chang'an. Even if he is trash, he is trash that Lord Chang'an raised. You can throw a few insults his way, perhaps that Chang'an Mansion will not pursue the matter so obsessively, but as a father, I fear you will injure him sooner or later should you continue like this." Qing Song'gu said meaningfully and sincerely.

Great Uncle Qing Yuanshan also said: "What your father says is very true. Even a dog that the Chang'an Mansion raised cannot be so arbitrarily touched by a warrior."

"Chang'an Mansion's dog…Great Uncle truly has a way with words." Qing Wan faintly said.

The others were silent, knowingly smiling.

1. 韓信 ↩
2. 神離硃砂 ↩
3. Ugh, more communism references. But hey, it's a CN webnovel. It can't be helped. ↩
4. To reiterate, Qing Wan hates that she has to submit to Chen Mo simply because he has a better heritage. ↩