33 Heaven and Earth

When the next morning comes, the ground has changed its color from the green grass into the gold desert. With the sun shining bright the desert glitters, make it even more beautiful.

A day. That is all they need to arrives at the Golden Desert of Qiao Country.

Few of them ever set their foot at Qiao Country, even those who did so still amaze at what they see from above. Most of the time people who visit there are using the built-in road with outposts along the way. With an airship they do not need to follow that path. From way up there, all they can see is the waves of gold, there is nothing else below. Now they felt like they truly sailing on a ship at the sea of gold.

The majestic scene accompanies the ship passengers on their meditation. There is not much they can do at the ship, other than sightseeing and cultivating. Although the ship is heaven made, people still hesitate to practice magic and fighting skill, while they are floating at it.

Lu Yan choose to go sightseeing as he cannot concentrate to meditate at this moment. There are too much things running in his mind. From his deep conversation yesterday, the tournament that is going to happen, his little secret with the God of Darkness to the family he misses so much.

He barely travels outside his village before, let alone travel to another country. The bullies he received back then has forced him to travel into Yin Kingdom, now he is standing above Qiao Country, soon to be arrives into Feng Kingdom.

When walking aimlessly, Lu Yan suddenly sees someone else looking blankly at the sky. The person that captivated him yesterday and the day before yesterday and all the day since he entered the Wing Sect.

She is alone and doing nothing, there is no better chance than this to have conversation with her. Lu Yan approach her with that intention. He standing right behind her, thinking how to start the conversation.

For an hour and half!!

Lu Yan keep walking back and forth behind her, never found the right words to say. Thinking what to say and what her replies might be. Different scenes just replaying in his head, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

It is not because he cannot think of good words to say, but rather for his anxiety. The longer he waits, the more anxious he become. After two hours waiting there is no courage left in him. He just decided to give it another day, hoping for another chance to come. Hopefully he will be ready when the time comes.

Lu Yan just about to left her when he heard a soft voice calling him. There is no way Lu Yan will refuse when his crush asking him to keep her company.

Feng Yanlei called for him, but she doesn't talk much after. Lu Yan sit besides her awkwardly. Once again thinking of how he is going to break the silence. After picking the lamest topic ever, he starts the conversation. Luckily for him, she was asleep when he starts to speak. Lu Yan just realized this soon after the regret hits him.

He paused instantly looking at her, beautiful as ever. Leaving her there without saying anything, after she asked him to accompany her seems inappropriate. But to wait for her sleeping and doing nothing for who knows how long feels awkward.

In the end, it is obvious he is going to wait for her there. He can spend hours just imagining her or admiring her beauty from afar, watching her sleeping is not the worst thing he can do to spend his time.

"How long did I sleep?" When she wakes up, Lu Yan still there sitting beside her.

"I am not sure, it certainly not a short nap though." Lu Yan really didn't pay attention for the time.

"Thank you for keeping me accompany, I really need that sleep, can't sleep at all last night."

"Never mind, I have nothing much to do anyway. Why can't you sleep though? Is there anything bothering you?" Lu Yan cannot help but to concerned for her.

"No, it just not comfortable to sleep here. Or maybe, I'm too nervous about this tournament." The remarks sounded simple. Anybody can nervous but for Lu Yan this girl is an "Ice Goddess" void of any emotion.

The fact that Feng Yanlei can be nervous is huge news for Lu Yan. It shows that she is a human after all, and he actually has a chance with her.

"What make you so nervous about this competition?" Lu Yan asks the question after a moment of silence.

"Sure is, this competition is the key for me to finally be able to reach the heaven. Brother Han is talented, but people has been saying he was not focus enough during his cultivation. It is no longer a secret, our sect in the heaven has been asking for an alchemist since they need it badly. He might get the next pill as well, and after that I have to compete with you, Liu Fang and certainly Guo Feng. It is not that I am not confident, but I rather not to compete with you guys." That is the longest sentences Lu Yan ever heard of her talking.

Lu Yan needs some time to digesting her answer words by words. Luckily for him, he doesn't need to hurry when he speaks with her. She always prefers the slower pace of conversation, as long as it has substances in it.

"Why is it so important to go to heaven. I mean surely it is an achievement to be proud of, but you will leave this world when you get there. You got something new, but lose something you have before. Are you that certain that the new things you will get are better than the old ones?"

It might be the first time this question come out of Lu Yan's mouth, but it is not the first time he asks that question. In fact, he has asked this question every day, to himself. It is the first time he asks someone, hoping for the answer he never able to gives.

"I have nothing in this world, so I can leave it without worry."

It is a short and simple answer; an answer Lu Yan cannot ever relate to. He looks at her face to see her expression, but there is none. She is as calm as ever, no sadness nor remorse in her face. To say a thing like that without a change in expression shows how cold she really is.

Everyone has their own story. Yesterday it was Liu Fang and now Feng Yanlei comes up with a story he cannot understand. A problem he cannot solve.

As of now the only help he can offer to her is being her side, to accompany her in silence. So, there they are, at the edge of the airship looking into the horizon side by side until darkness covered the skies.

It is enough for Lu Yan. He doesn't need to do anything, being with her is enough. No words or action needed. There is something he cannot explain, everything just felt right when he is with her. He feels satisfy and complete being there.

"Hua Ha Ha, you are just so helpless. You can sweeten your story with whatever spices you want, nothing will chance the fact of how lame you are. Come on, you just spend a whole day with the probably the most beautiful girl on earth, and you are doing nothing!" Cao Fan hasn't stop laughing since Lu Yan told him what he is doing the whole day.

"Well you do not know what I feel, it does feels great. I really don't want to destroy that good feelings with unnecessary conversation. She is not someone that enjoy conversation that much… I guess." Lu Yan is completely blind about romantic relationship, even though he was sure to understand Feng Yanlei characters, he is getting doubtful the longer he talks.

"Come on, you do not need to confess to her right there and then. At least throw some jokes, or ask what she likes and dislikes. Learn something about her or let her learn something about you. I can't believe people been calling me stiff, they certainly don't know you." Cao Fan certainly have more experience in this matter than Lu Yan.

Did I botch it? Will I ever get another chance like that in my life?

Lu Yan cannot stop to worries hearing Cao Fan's words, and his laugh making it even worse. His head almost burst, when a huge commotion suddenly erupt.

It was another airship in the horizon that make the people excited. It still quite far away nobody sure about its shape, but it is certainly an airship. Seeing the trajectory that airship is moving to the same destination as theirs.

Even if they cannot be sure about it, they can tell it has different shape with their airship. They do not have cottages at it, but instead a bunk like a common ship below the deck. Seeing it sailing the cloud giving a more surreal feelings than they already experienced. The ship belongs to Beast Sect, at least it is what the patriarchs been explaining to them. They certainly come with the same intention.

The tournament.

The next day their ship become closer with each other. Lord Jiang takes his time to fly there to extend his greetings. Lu Yan got a glimpse of the God accepting him. A huge burly man with long hair and beard, exactly suited for a Beast God. Disappointing how mainstream it turns out to be.

Some disciples are not happy to the fact that their God is the one greeting them, while none of their envoys come to return the favor. Lu Yan hearing all sort of rumor as he hanging out with some of the ship crews.

"Of course, we are the one that has to visit them. Our Lord Jiang has that elegant wings with him and can fly easily to them. How are that savage Gods going to visit us anyway? Are they going to jump here?" They laugh it off while making fun of the Beast Sect's Gods, trying to console themselves.

They are yet finish laughing when a shadow suddenly arrives at in the middle of the crowd. When it comes, it comes with a bang. It throws out all the four people around it, then a hand come out of the shadow to pull one of them back. The one said the last sentences before.

"Savage? You should never talk like that to a God. Your tongue was given to praise us, and since it doesn't seem to serve the purpose, let me take it off for you." The shadow is a young man, younger than Lu Yan.

The young man hands are covered by a huge shadow, making it looks like a huge beast claw. The fierce claw is about to pierce the poor guy's head when Lu Yan pushed him over. It is his reflex kicking in rather than an act he chooses to.

Now he has to look face to face at the shocking expression of the half beast and half kid in front of him.

Why did he had to put himself in this situation?

There is no logic in the decision he made, but now he is suffocating under the killing gaze of the kid. He has lost the control of his body under the kid's overwhelming aura.

"Respect! Everyone of you has to learn respect! Your death will make a example for others here."

The kid's aura has lifted Lu Yan up and his shadow claw approaching. He tries to use the magic he learned to break free, but his qi was blocked completely. He can only wait for the claw to tore up his body.

The worst part is he cannot even close his eyes. The shadow claw come faster at him before it was dissolved by a blue aura that comes from nowhere.

"Young master, please forgive my disciple for his ignorance. Let us deal this with our own sect's rules." Suddenly Patriarch Blue standing in between them, saving Lu Yan's life at the critical time.

"One life for a good lesson to all your other disciples is a good trade I will say. You know you cannot stop even if try." The kid's killing intent piling up, and his aura grows suppressing the blue aura of the patriarch's.

"If you start to kill the tournament's contestant before it begins, it will be considered cheating. The council will not take that lightly. Are you really want to risk the consequences?" It was Lord Zai that speaks, and with a wave of his hand the dark aura of the kid instantly gone.

"A contestant? Are you seriously do not have anyone more competent than this pathetic man? Ha Ha Ha, I didn't know the Wing Sect are this weak." He is going to throw more mockery when a shout stops him.

"Fu Zhen! You can stop now. Get back to the ship!"

The speaker is certainly the burly man which Lord Jiang met before. He is standing at the edge of the ship without Lu Yan realizing when he has arrived. With one of his word the kid has leap over the other ship easily.

Pathetic. That is the perfect statement to describe Lu Yan's condition right now.

He has freed from the Fu Zhen's aura before but he still cannot stand or move at all. His feet still trembling out of fear. The kid has gone, but now he is facing someone even stronger. The man called the kid before staring at him, this guy surely at the Heavenly Lord Stage of cultivation. The Beast Lord say no word, but his eyes is enough to make Lu Yan suffocate. His body then blurred out before he disappeared.

"Why wasting energy to save him? He is an embarrassment to our sect. Is there really no one else better than him in our sect." Lei Wang once again shown his disgust at how weak the people in the Wing Sect's branch at this world.

"I'm sorry young master, but you can't compare their strength with you. We live in different worlds with different scale of strength. All I can say is I assure you that all the contestants we sent here are the best in our sect. Lu Yan here especially having a talent that is considered rare not only in our sect." Patriarch Blue is older than Lei Wang, but still offers his respect while speaking with him.

Lei Wang insulting Lu Yan a couple more times before leave the scene along with other Gods.

"Lei Wang is God with all its power, but he still a child in heart. There is always a problem when your power far exceeds your wisdom. All that say he is not a bad kid, it just the power gap between your world are the difference of heaven and earth itself. Just remember, one day both you will become acquaintance. Do not harbor any hatred to him, it won't benefit you in anyway."

Patriarch Blue helping Lu Yan to stand himself. While it seems a general advice, his hopes for Lu Yan future set clear in his words.