Chapter 64: A Great Mountain

"Immortal, please rest assured, my daughter's background is absolutely extraordinary; as soon as you see her, you will definitely be satisfied!"

Ao Yifan patted his chest and guaranteed.

"Oh? A little Golden Immortal, you actually have such bravado; I'm quite curious—what exactly is your daughter's background?"

Immortal Yunxiao also became interested.

"Why not, bring your daughter over and let this immortal have a look."

"This..."

Ao Yifan's face showed a hint of hesitation.

"What? You want to go back on your word?"

"In the next moment, Immortal Yunxiao's expression sank slightly as she said: 'This matter, if you don't speak up, it's fine; but now that you've piqued my interest, if you want to back out, you'd better consider the price you'd have to pay!'"

"It's quite obvious that this Immortal Yunxiao is not someone easy to talk to."

Ao Yifan hurriedly explained: "Immortal, don't misunderstand, I'm not intending to back out; it's just that my daughter was just born, her mother might be reluctant—how about this: when my daughter grows a bit older, I'll personally send her to Three Immortals Island?"

"That works too!"

Immortal Yunxiao's expression gradually eased as she nodded and said: "In the primordial wilderness, years are unknown; a few years mean nothing to us, so I'll wait for you at Three Immortals Island!"

As she spoke, Immortal Yunxiao waved her right hand, and a jade talisman fell into Ao Yifan's hand.

"This is the guiding jade talisman of Three Immortals Island; holding it, you can find Three Immortals Island!"

Having said that, Immortal Yunxiao, accompanied by her two sisters, flew back to the immortals of the Sect of the Cutting.

Watching the retreating backs of the Sect of the Cutting immortals, Ao Yifan played with the jade talisman in his hand, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

……

"You've come!"

A icy sea breeze blew, carrying a voice.

Shen Gongbao abruptly turned his head, seeing Ao Yifan suddenly appear behind him, a flash of wariness crossing his eyes.

"You're looking for me—what exactly do you want?"

Shen Gongbao wondered strangely why his stutter disappeared instantly when facing this person.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Shen, there's no need to be so nervous!"

Ao Yifan said with a smile: "I just want to ask, Fellow Daoist Shen, what are your thoughts on this three teachings' Dao discussion, where you lost to the immortals of the Sect of the Cutting?"

"You, want to humiliate me?"

Shen Gongbao's face turned cold, his right hand instinctively moving toward the Thunder God's Whip at his waist.

"The scenery of Flying Heaven Waterfall—do you, Fellow Daoist Shen, still remember it?"

Suddenly, a sentence from Ao Yifan caused Shen Gongbao's hand movement to pause.

"You—just who are you?"

Shen Gongbao's face had already become extremely grim.

Even within the Sect of the Primordial, few know his origins.

He couldn't understand why this guy in front of him would know his affairs.

"Who am I? Actually it's not important; what matters is, Fellow Daoist Shen, who are you?"

Ao Yifan looked at Shen Gongbao and said.

"Who am I?"

After a slight pause, Shen Gongbao gritted his teeth and said: "I am Shen Gongbao, disciple under Yuanshi Tianzun, a second-generation disciple of the Sect of the Primordial, Shen Gongbao!"

"No, no, no!"

Ao Yifan shook his head and said: "From today's three teachings' Dao discussion, the attitude of the Sect of the Primordial immortals toward you, in my view, you are still that leopard demon of Flying Heaven Waterfall who vainly tries to change his fate through his own efforts."

"What did you say?"

In an instant, Shen Gongbao's anger erupted; his Thunder God's Whip rolled up heavenly thunder, sweeping toward Ao Yifan.

However, facing Shen Gongbao's attack, Ao Yifan merely stepped aside and easily dodged it.

In the next moment, countless afterimages appeared, all looking down on the enraged Shen Gongbao.

"Damn it!"

That kind of gaze, Shen Gongbao has seen countless times over the past thousand years, making him even more furious.

He kept waving his Thunder God's Whip, yet his attacks were futile.

After all, under the Three Thousand Illusory Bodies Escape, Shen Gongbao's current strength couldn't even touch the corner of Ao Yifan's robe.

"His strength!"

The more they fought, the more Shen Gongbao's heart trembled.

Obviously, the last time they met, the opponent only relied on a powerful magical artifact to tie with him (he himself thought so).

Only a short time has passed, yet he now can't even touch the opponent's robe corner.

In an instant, Shen Gongbao thought of Taiyi Zhenren, who entered the path around the same time as him, and a strong sense of defeat welled up in his heart.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

After sustaining an hour-long attack, Shen Gongbao couldn't help but pant heavily.

"How about it, are you a bit calmer now?"

The Three Thousand Illusory Bodies merged into one, and Ao Yifan stood once more before Shen Gongbao.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Shen Gongbao said in a deep voice.

"Prejudice in the heart is a great mountain; no matter how hard you strive, you cannot move it, Fellow Daoist Shen—don't you see yet? Relying solely on yourself, you can accomplish nothing!"

Ao Yifan said with his back to Shen Gongbao.

Hearing this, Shen Gongbao felt, for some unknown reason, that the other's words could evoke a strong resonance in him.

"Shen Daoist friend, I have heard that the Chan Sect possesses a Hunyuan Pearl?"

Ao Yifan's voice came again.

Upon hearing this, Shen Gongbao's expression changed, and he shouted sternly: "What exactly do you want to do? If you want me to steal the Hunyuan Pearl for you, I advise you to give up early; such a treasure is not something we can lay our hands on, and I would never betray the Chan Sect!"

The Hunyuan Pearl is exceedingly precious, being the Chan Sect's sacred Spirit Pearl; if he truly stole it for someone, there would be no turning back.

"Hehe, Daoist friend Shen, there's no need to refuse hastily; haven't you already stolen something once before?"

Ao Yifan said.

"Is this slander? I, Shen Gongbao, act openly and uprightly; when have I ever done something as petty as stealing chickens and dogs?"

Shen Gongbao said coldly.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Ao Yifan looked at Shen Gongbao with a half-smile and said: "How come I heard that back then you secretly hid a dragon egg of the Dragon Clan and gave it to the current East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang?"

"You..."

Looking at Ao Yifan with a fearful face, Shen Gongbao again asked the question he had asked many times: "Who exactly are you?"

"Hehe, let me introduce myself: I am also of the Dragon Clan, a holy dragon bestowed by the Heavenly Court!"

Ao Yifan said, producing a Jade Emperor's sacred edict.

Looking at the Jade Emperor's sacred edict in Ao Yifan's hand, Shen Gongbao's eyes widened; after all, having mingled in the Chan Sect for so many years, he could still tell genuine from counterfeit.

"The Dragon Clan, is it making a comeback?"

Shen Gongbao thought to himself.

After all, since that time, Shen Gongbao, to avoid suspicion, has had no further contact with the Dragon Clan.

Yet he never expected that nowadays the Dragon Clan would actually produce a holy dragon bestowed by the Heavenly Court, which is recognized by the Heavenly Court.

"But what does this have to do with the Hunyuan Pearl?"

Shen Gongbao asked.

"It's very much related!"

Ao Yifan said: "I have received insider news that Yuanshi Tianzun plans to split the Hunyuan Pearl in two, let the Spirit Pearl be reincarnated as a person, and then cultivate them as a Chan Sect disciple."

"This, there's actually such a thing?"

Shen Gongbao was slightly taken aback; he did not know where this so-called insider information of the other party came from.

After all, as a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, he had never heard of such a thing either.