Volume One: The Cloudmist Immortal Palace Chapter Twenty-three: The Sect of the Fairy Maidens

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Fairy Faction

Zhou Hao and Cao Shuang turned around, and both were immediately struck by a dazzling display of color. Ahead stood a tall girl in crimson, her phoenix eyes flashing with a hint of menace. Behind her, a line of men and women stood, all glaring at Zhou Hao and Cao Shuang with such fury that it seemed their eyes might spit fire.

"So it's Senior Sister Yu. What guidance do you have for us today?" Zhou Hao smiled at the beautiful woman before him, ever faithful to his principle of responding to all changes with steadfast calm.

Yu Nan’s beauty was striking—her figure tall and slender, legs long and straight. Her red dress was no ordinary princess gown, but a fitted battle skirt designed for agile combat. Her bare calves, gleaming and pale, lent her an extra touch of allure. Yet at this moment, she stood like a Valkyrie descended, her aura overwhelming as she locked eyes with Zhou Hao.

"Those beside Yu Nan are all members of her Fairy Faction, some male, some female. The reason is nothing more than admiration or affection for her. None of them are weak; one-on-one you'd win, but if they all come at once..." Cao Shuang secretly transmitted to Zhou Hao, for it would have been tactless to say this out loud.

"Zhou Hao, don't think you can get away with it so easily. Today, new grudges and old debts will be settled together. I have only one purpose here: to fight you. Do you dare accept?" Yu Nan licked her red lips, her large eyes brimming with challenge.

"Heh, a duel? Then, Senior Sister, you needn't dress so... formally," Zhou Hao first gazed into Yu Nan’s eyes, then let his gaze drop and rise, sweeping up and down before finally grinning mischievously.

"You..." Yu Nan was instantly enraged. A new disciple dared to flirt with her so openly—he was brazenly ogling her.

Before Yu Nan could slap him, one of the Fairy Faction had already appeared before Zhou Hao like a ghost.

"Smack!"

A loud slap echoed across the platform, followed by a thud as someone was sent flying, crashing onto the stone floor.

"Hmph, ambush me? Too late. I'm no longer a pushover—now it's my turn to test you!" Zhou Hao still wore a smile, unharmed, but the scene left those present feeling a chill on their faces.

The Fairy Faction member had meant to avenge his goddess by smacking Zhou Hao, but Zhou Hao reacted swiftly, sending him flying with a slap. Now he lay flat on the stone floor, five vivid finger marks on his right cheek.

"Very good, Zhou Hao. I admit I misjudged you before, your progress truly surprises me. But today, I won't let you off." Yu Nan sneered, clapping her hands, her phoenix eyes growing colder.

"Senior Sister Yu, I accept your challenge. I, too, wish to learn a few moves from you." Zhou Hao stepped forward with a gesture of invitation.

"You? What qualifications do you have to duel with Fairy Yu Nan?" Two members of the Fairy Faction stepped forward.

Zhou Hao said nothing, merely stared coldly at Yu Nan. She returned his gaze, cold light flickering in her beautiful eyes, also silent.

Swish!

Two fairy swords suddenly slashed toward Zhou Hao. The disciples around hurriedly retreated dozens of meters; the swords, wielded simultaneously by two members of the Fairy Faction, transformed into massive blades aimed straight at Zhou Hao's chest.

His expression did not change, nor did his gaze leave Yu Nan’s eyes, but his hands were already moving.

Two crisp clangs rang out as Zhou Hao flicked his fingers against the sword tips, causing the blades to tremble and fly, embedding themselves in the feet of their wielders. Both cried out, clutching their injured feet and hopping in agony.

"We'll fight you!"

Four figures leapt out, surrounding Zhou Hao from all sides. Each bore a striking resemblance, and their weapons were no longer swords.

"Aren’t those the four sons of Deputy Hall Master Ao Xiu? I heard they're quadruplets, practice only hammer techniques, not swordsmanship," someone among the retreating disciples remarked.

"Zhou Hao, the Deputy Hall Master’s four sons rarely meet an equal when fighting together. I want to see your true abilities. You dared disrespect me—I'll have you dead without lifting a finger!" Yu Nan watched quietly as Zhou Hao faced the quadruplets, a strange curve at the corner of her mouth.

Each of the four held a massive black hammer, glaring at Zhou Hao. They were burly, muscular, and even their thousand-pound hammers spun with the force of a tiger in their hands.

Buzz!

The quadruplets struck in unison, their hammers slicing through the air with a whirring sound, growing ever more piercing. Zhou Hao’s eyes were sharp as he immediately leapt into the air, evading their blows.

Clang!

His fairy sword flashed forth, a green light bursting out to repel the simultaneous hammer strikes. Zhou Hao then swept his sword across, engaging the quadruplets in fierce combat.

One had to admit, these four were formidable. As quadruplets, they possessed innate rapport; their heavy hammers might seem unwieldy to others, but to them, they were wielded with ease, almost like toys.

Clang!

Zhou Hao raised his sword and cleaved down, sparks flying between blade and hammer. The four attacked as if possessed, their combined power far more than just the sum of each. Zhou Hao narrowly avoided a blow to his back; their four hammers made attack and defense seamless. He was hard-pressed and found no way to break through.

"What remarkable quadruplets. Truly worthy sons of the Deputy Hall Master! To witness your hammer skills today is a privilege," Zhou Hao exclaimed amidst their relentless assault, even as he began to fall behind.

"Kid, there's worse to come. Take this—defeat is inevitable under our Whirling Meteor Hammer!" the eldest declared.

Next, their assault intensified. The black hammers stirred violent winds, each creating hundreds of phantom images. Zhou Hao slashed to break the wind, but was instantly blocked. At that moment, a chill swept over him from above—countless hammer shadows descended like meteors.

They moved fast; in a blink, they were above Zhou Hao. He gripped his fairy sword tightly, a golden ripple emanating from his left hand, shattering the hammer shadows. He soared upward, his sword breaking all obstacles. The clangs in the sky were endless, like a smith forging steel.

"Impossible!" The quadruplets were stunned.

They hurried to defend with their hammers, but Zhou Hao charged down from the air, his sword blazing with green light. With a single strike, he split their four hammers, sword energy bursting from the fractures, catching their arms in its wake—blood blossomed, vivid and crimson.

"Ah!"

The four burly youths clutched their arms, howling in pain like wounded beasts. Their faces twisted in agony, and their hammers slipped from their grasp, clattering onto the stone floor with a resonant hum.

The outcome was decided.

In that moment, all eyes turned to Zhou Hao, the new disciple with only twenty years of cultivation. If his victory over Cheng Yan and others had merely shocked them before, now it truly terrified.

Such a pure newcomer, defeating the Deputy Hall Master’s four sons single-handedly—especially when they fought together—was nothing short of astounding!

In their minds, not even the most gifted prodigy of the Cloud Veil Immortal Hall could have bested such formidable foes in just twenty years of cultivation. Yet today, someone had done it. Did it mean Zhou Hao surpassed even Yu Yang in talent?

Many disciples suddenly changed their opinions and attitudes, gazing at Zhou Hao with growing admiration.

The youth stood, his robes slightly disheveled, but otherwise without a scratch. This only heightened their praise.

"This new disciple Zhou Hao is clearly a prodigy—a youth like a god! How did he cultivate in these twenty years?"

"Even if he consumed heavenly treasures, it’s impossible to progress so fast and defeat the quadruplets, isn’t it?"

"A genius rises! A genius rises! Cloud Veil Immortal Hall has a new prodigy!"

...

The platform buzzed with excitement. Hundreds of disciples had made a complete turnaround, each proclaiming Zhou Hao a genius.

In the crowd, a beautiful woman in white, though dressed like all the others, stood out with her unique aura of Dao. Her exquisite fairy-like face was cool and aloof, but as she looked at the white-robed youth, a subtle smile appeared at her lips.

Several male disciples who adored the white-robed goddess were stunned to see her smile. After a brief daze, they realized her smile was prompted by the youth at the center. Though reluctant, they now acknowledged Zhou Hao’s importance to Su Qing, for he was truly extraordinary!

"Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge me?"

Zhou Hao’s voice was not loud, but it resonated deeply with everyone present. Just seven words, spoken lightly, yet still revealed an invincible confidence.

"So arrogant! Let me test your skills!" Another figure shot out from the Fairy Faction.

This one had silver hair, a handsome face, tall stature, and even his eyes were silver. In his hand, he held a flying dagger.

"Fei Ling! It’s Fei Ling—he’s appeared! He was Yu Yang’s old friend. After Yu Yang’s tragic death a hundred years ago, Fei Ling went into seclusion. Who would have thought he’d emerge today!" someone called out, hoping Zhou Hao would hear.

"Fei Ling’s strength surpasses even Yu Nan. The three prodigies of Cloud Veil should now be four."

"Not so fast. That was a hundred years ago. Now, Fairy Yu Nan is truly one of the three prodigies. In the past century, she’s diligently cultivated, her power and Dao advancing exponentially—she is Yu Yang’s equal. Elder Yu’s line has produced both dragon and phoenix!"

Whoosh!

On the platform, Fei Ling hurled his flying dagger. In an instant, it tore through the air, trailing a lightning arc. Electric light enveloped the dagger as it shot at Zhou Hao, a long tail shining like a comet streaking across the cosmos—brilliant and dazzling.