272: A new man of destiny?

Upon arriving at Shu Mountain, Xia Fan did not recklessly charge up the mountain, but instead stopped at its foot, looking up.

All he saw was a landscape of strange, jagged rocks, with several narrow, winding paths hidden among wild flowers and grasses. Perhaps due to a recent rain or lingering morning dew, there were glistening drops on the plants, sparkling with the colorful light of the sun.

Further up, sturdy pine trees took root and grew amidst rocks and soil, extending their palm-like trunks as if to catch the clouds and mist descending from the sky.

Xia Fan was enjoying the view when he suddenly heard a low shout, "Who dares trespass on Shu Mountain?"

He and Centipede Qian Zu simultaneously looked up, only to see several white-robed Shu Mountain disciples flying on their swords, each with a vigilant expression.

After all, besides the Emperor Willow in the Imperial Capital, there were currently no powerful non-human entities who had explicitly allied with humans. Shu Mountain had always been committed to slaying demons and devils, so at first sight of Xia Fan, they only felt that a fierce beast was audacious enough to try and attack Shu Mountain.

Their attitude, naturally, was not very good.

"Eh!"

After a few glances, a Shu Mountain disciple suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Xia Fan excitedly, "He... he seems to be... Jiangnan Tiger King!"

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, he is Jiangnan Tiger King!"

Following this Shu Mountain disciple's exclamation, several others recognized him, each becoming incredibly excited.

The leading Shu Mountain disciple took a deep breath, and after calming his emotions, he nodded slightly and, while bowing to Xia Fan, said with emotion, "So it is Tiger King!"

"You must know, this... this is the guardian god of our Great Xia!"

"Moreover, Master holds Tiger King in very high regard, so do not be disrespectful."

Having said that, the leading Shu Mountain disciple spoke to Xia Fan with good will, "Tiger King, we were unaware of your visit to Shu Mountain, and we apologize for any offense given earlier. Please forgive us, Tiger King."

"However, since Tiger King has come to our Shu Mountain, it must not be merely for sightseeing. May I ask what important matter brings you here, Tiger King?"

After recognizing Xia Fan, the attitude of these Shu Mountain disciples immediately improved, and their words even revealed a hint of respect. "How about, we invite Tiger King up the mountain for a discussion?"

"This King has come to inquire about some matters!"

Xia Fan nodded, explaining his purpose. After the latter quickly stepped aside to invite him, he mounted Black Dragon King, bringing Centipede Qian Zu, and ostentatiously sped towards Shu Mountain like a bolt of lightning.

Earlier, looking at Shu Mountain from its foot, he only felt that most of Shu Mountain was hidden in the clouds and mist, making it exceptionally mysterious.

As he passed through the thin layer of mist at the mountainside, he discovered that various sizes of houses were built all over the mountain. Some Shu Mountain disciples were startled to suddenly perceive Black Dragon King, a colossal creature, soaring upwards, filling them with alarm.

Fortunately, the Shu Mountain disciples who were welcoming Xia Fan and his companions spread the news along the way, preventing the people on the mountain from being alarmed, which kept the commotion from becoming too great.

Upon reaching the summit of Shu Mountain, Xia Fan saw a tall palace standing there.

The palace was magnificent, with glazed tiles sparkling in the sunlight, dispelling the mist from the area. Around the palace were various sizes of ancient pine trees, interspersed with some dojos.

With his arrival, many Shu Mountain disciples stopped what they were doing and looked over with curiosity and nervousness, and some bolder ones even pulled their companions aside to whisper.

On the way, Xia Fan had already learned that some people from ancient times also survived into the present in Shu Mountain. Therefore, even if he couldn't meet Li Sisi today, he should still be able to get some answers.

It just depended on whether the people of Shu Mountain were willing to explain.

"Quick!"

"Quickly notify the Patriarch!"

After the leading disciple arrived, he immediately instructed his fellow disciples at the palace entrance to invite someone. He then turned to face Xia Fan, "Tiger King, please come this way!"

"Hmm."

Along the way, no Shu Mountain disciples blocked him, though there were many curious gazes.

Soon after, Xia Fan arrived above the palace. Before he even stopped, he heard a female voice from inside the palace, "Tiger King, come in!"

"I have been waiting for a long time."

Although the person's words were somewhat disrespectful, Xia Fan didn't mind.

He looked back at Black Dragon King and Centipede Qian Zu and said softly, "You two wait here. Do not wander around before this King comes out, and do not scare the Shu Mountain disciples."

"If any Shu Mountain disciples approach, just let them look. Don't deliberately tease them."

"Yes."

The two subordinates quickly agreed, promising not to move around.

Seeing this, Xia Fan then said to Magic Cat, "Let's go, we'll go in."

"Okay."

This grand hall seemed to have a world of its own; the space inside was very large, so even Xia Fan did not feel cramped.

His gaze swept around, and he quickly spotted a figure, sitting cross-legged by the window, smiling at him, and it was a woman.

This woman was Hong Yi.

She was petite, yet her every movement carried deep meaning, seemingly embodying the Dao of nature.

This caused Xia Fan to show a hint of surprise, after all... this ancient person was not as colossal as those Xia Fan had seen before. If he didn't know the reason, he might have thought Hong Yi was a person of the present age.

Upon a slight perception, Hong Yi's cultivation aura had actually reached the mid-seventh stage, which surprised Xia Fan even more. At this moment, he secretly thought to himself, "I didn't expect that Shu Mountain, though not an Immortal Realm, would have such a foundation. It seems... Shu Mountain cannot be underestimated."

"What do you want to ask?"

Hong Yi seemed to know his intention and went straight to the point.

Seeing this, Xia Fan was also not polite and directly said, "The Prophecy of Destiny!"

"Oh? Where did you hear about that?"

Under Hong Yi's puzzled gaze, Xia Fan calmly said, "From Immortal Lord Azure Water in the Rain Immortal Realm."

"So it was him!"

Immediately, Hong Yi nodded slightly, a look of reminiscence appearing in her eyes.

Clearly, this ancient person also knew Azure Water, otherwise she wouldn't have appeared so calm.

"The matter of the Prophecy of Destiny is indeed related to you."

Hong Yi pondered for a moment, then looked up at Xia Fan.

She was so petite, yet her aura was no less than that of Tiger King. "Since you have met him, you should also know that you correspond somewhat to the destined person in the prophecy."

"However, your identity does not fit!"

After saying that, Hong Yi deliberately paused, her eyes burning, wanting to see Xia Fan's reaction.

But somewhat regrettably, Xia Fan was not surprised, but calmly nodded, "Indeed! But I think... the Prophecy of Destiny wouldn't be so simple."

"Since you brought this up yourself, you should know something."

Hearing this, Hong Yi smiled and then said, "In my opinion, the so-called destined one does not necessarily have to be human!"

"You must know, all living beings could potentially fulfill the ancestor's prophecy back then!"

"And you... are the new destined one!"