Chapter 429: Future Becoming a Major Figure

As the saying goes, "People live by their face, trees live by their bark."

At this moment, Heiyao and the others turned their gazes elsewhere, unwilling to heed Heifeng's call. Qin Cang, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, actually started whistling a cheerful tune.

They could never have imagined how Longling managed to make Heifeng throw caution to the wind—this was a complete trampling of their own dignity.

Look at Guo Yuan's face, chewed until it was bright red, and even his thick beard had been gnawed away more than half.

Not only did the cultivators of Archdemon Mound refuse to attract Heifeng's attention, even their own comrades felt a twinge of unease. If they admitted to aligning with Heifeng, their names would become infamous in the Universe Cultivation World.

Heifeng seemed indifferent to everyone's coldness, his mind firmly fixed on the Myriad Soul Banner promised by Longling. If he could obtain this treasure, his cultivation technique would reach perfection and his combat power would triple.

By then he would not only bring glory to his ancestors, but also stir up earth-shaking changes on his future path of cultivation.

For now he is merely a minor figure in the Universe Cultivation World, but if he can go all-in once, using the Myriad Soul Banner to achieve a qualitative leap, he will surely become a major figure in the future.

By then, who would still dare to mock his past?

What he is playing now is nothing more than a thrilling game.

He who cannot bear to part with his child cannot catch a wolf; he who cannot bear to part with his wife cannot catch an old monk—this is the same principle.

Guo Yuan felt the gazes of the surrounding cultivators; his dark-skinned face felt scorching hot.

In this helpless situation, he could only cover his face with his rough, big hand.

His heart was filled with despair; just moments ago he had been threatening Heiyao and the others with a menacing aura, but in an instant his overbearing demeanor was utterly destroyed by Heifeng's actions, as if he had been stepped on the ground.

If this continues, as more and more Universe cultivators pass by, even Archdemon Mound may become famous because of him.

By then, not to mention cultivation, even his sect would hesitate not to execute him on the spot.

Guo Yuan took a deep breath, realizing he had no way out.

"I know I was wrong; no matter the punishment, I am willing to accept it."

He pleaded, looking toward Longling, his voice trembling slightly.

"Please, have mercy, consider the fellow cultivators who previously traveled with you."

"Under everyone's gaze, my face is insignificant!"

"For such a trivial face, to damage the dignity of my fellow cultivators is simply not worth it."

Guo Yuan bowed deeply to Longling, Heiyao and the others, forcing out a faint smile despite his cheeks burning with shame.

After hearing this, Longling felt that Guo Yuan's words also made sense.

After all, nobody wants to, in a desperate situation, abandon their dignity and become a despised lowlife.

Heifeng saw Longling nod and snorted coldly, "You're wise to see sense! From now on, be a decent person and stop those deceitful tricks."

Upon hearing Heifeng's words, Guo Yuan let out a long sigh, like a frost‑bitten eggplant losing its vigor, his face showing a miserable expression; after Heifeng's lecture, a shadow had settled in his heart, and he no longer dared to harbor thoughts of scheming.

"I will certainly heed your words; I will never dare again, never dare again…"

Guo Yuan's eyes were bloodshot, moist crystals swirling in his sockets; he earnestly promised Heifeng and Longling and the others, his voice trembling slightly.

Under everyone's gaze, he vanished like a gust of wind, leaving no trace; he didn't even want to linger a moment longer at the spot just now.

Heifeng's whole-body ordeal left an indelible shadow in his heart.

Among the surrounding cultivators, those who knew Guo Yuan began to whisper, curiously staring at Longling and the others, guessing their identities.

In the Universe Cultivation World, Archdemon Mound, as a major force of the evil path, aside from the disciples of the ten great orthodox sects, hardly any cultivator dares to offend its disciples.

The disciples of Archdemon Mound are a bunch of tough characters; once involved with them, if they don't squeeze a fortune out of you, they will never let it rest.

"Let's go!"

As Longling's words fell, Heiyao, Qin Cang and the others followed closely behind, flying toward the Haotian Palace.

At this point the Dadi Ewei Xi was no longer usable; everyone could only ride their own magical devices, soaring through the skies.

Everyone looked at the building shaped like a pill furnace, their expressions gradually turning solemn.

Many Universe cultivators headed toward the Haotian Palace, a place full of the unknown and danger.

But in order to obtain the Haotian Stone, pursue higher cultivation, and explore the mysteries of the Dao of cultivation, even if it costs their lives, they are willing to stake everything on their cultivation path.

Along the way, the cultivators who had witnessed the bizarre clash between Heifeng and Guo Yuan, upon seeing Heifeng, felt as if they had stepped in dung, frantically channeling spiritual power to speed their magical devices and vanish without a trace.

Furthermore, some meddling cultivators in the distance pointed and gossiped about Heifeng, making Heiyao, Bibo Xianzi, and Chilian feel extremely uncomfortable.

Yet Heifeng, the instigator, was secretly flying alone in the rear, seemingly possessed, unconsciously letting out a hehe laugh.

He seemed oblivious to everything around him, immersed in his own world, unable to extricate himself. Black mist intermittently emanated from his body, giving an eerie and mysterious feeling.

"Yo ho yo ho yo ho..."

From Heifeng's mouth came a low, mysterious chant; he closed his eyes, his entire expression bearing an indescribably lewd feeling.

Yet everyone was surprised to discover that the aura surrounding Heifeng was steadily increasing at a visible speed.

"Boom..."

A black storm erupted violently from around Heifeng's body, fierce demonic qi spreading in all directions. In an instant, countless wandering souls and ghosts gathered behind him, forming an eerie figure wielding an All Phenomena Scepter.

That eerie figure was clad head to toe in a black robe, the robe covered with the red killing marks of All Phenomena.

The eerie figure's face was aged, its wrinkles like the bark of an old tree, deeply grooved. A crimson tongue hung from its mouth, stretching long to its chest, appearing exceedingly evil.

"Is this the Ghost Dance?"

A gleam flashed in Longling's eyes; the eerie apparition condensed behind Heifeng, holding the All Phenomena Scepter, kept jumping in the air—seeming to dance a great shamanic rite, yet actually full of order.

The surrounding wandering souls and ghosts, summoned by the Ghost Dance, came from all directions of ghostly qi. First, a layer of black ghostly armor formed on Heifeng's body.

Then endless ghostly entities gathered together, transforming into a Divine Ability Phantom that danced violently in the air, causing the surrounding space to warp.

Who would have thought that, after the Heifeng Clan's inherited technique combined with the Myriad Soul Banner, it could produce such a mysterious effect?

If Heifeng could, with the aid of the Myriad Soul Banner, master his inherited technique to perfection, his combat power could truly triple.

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Heiyao, Qin Cang and the others, seeing this, also showed looks of shock and envy on their faces.

They knew that Heifeng's cultivation path had already taken an important step; his future achievements would undoubtedly be limitless.

The Guinyin Shi at the side witnessed this scene, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He and Heifeng were both killing cultivators, cultivating with the yin and nether evil spirits; today Heifeng's realm increased, undoubtedly making him feel both envious and shocked.

The changes in Heifeng's body were obviously due to the assistance of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in Longling's hand. The effect of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner on Heifeng's enhancement far exceeded Guinyin Shi's expectations.

In just a moment, Heifeng not only broke through the realm barrier and reached the late stage of the Heaven Realm, but also showed momentum for further ascent.

Heifeng's realm was now no inferior to his own.

Guinyin Shi watched the aura surging around Heifeng's body, realizing that without relying on the corpse puppet's power, he would absolutely not be a match for Heifeng.

Guinyin Shi also longed for the assistance of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to enhance his and the corpse puppet's strength. However, he was simultaneously restraining his own desire.

He firmly believed that his path must be walked by himself; even if he longed for the Ten Thousand Souls Banner's aid, he must only use it in dire necessity.

Only in this way could he preserve his dignity and not be looked down upon by Longling.

As they flew, they gradually approached the Haotian Palace.

Along the way, the clouds in the sky shifted unpredictably, sometimes like dragons soaring and tigers leaping, sometimes like fairies scattering flowers, beautiful beyond description.

On the ground, strange flowers and exotic grasses could be seen everywhere, emitting fragrant breezes that refreshed the mind and delighted the spirit.

This leg of the journey was relatively peaceful, but as they neared the Haotian Palace, they encountered forces from other sects.

Whether righteous or heretical, none wished to quarrel with others outside Haotian Palace. After all, their goal was the same—to obtain the Haotian Stone inside Haotian Palace as quickly as possible to raise their Cultivation Level.

Haotian Stone is acclaimed as the supreme treasure for breaking through to the ultimate peak of the Celestial Spirit Realm; even in the ancient and primordial eras it was exceedingly rare.

No one knows how many Haotian Stones are hidden within Haotian Palace, but this does not hinder the cultivators' yearning for it.

Thus, on the journey to Haotian Palace, most cultivators were unwilling to stir up trouble, lest they waste the precious opportunity to seize the Haotian Stone.

"Everyone, we are about to reach Haotian Palace; please rally your spirits and do not let success slip away at the last moment."

Heiyao warned everyone vigilantly, his eyes fixed on the ever‑approaching Haotian Palace ahead.

Once they truly stepped into Haotian Palace, the repressed ambition and hostility of some cultivators would erupt; then they would have to face threats from other forces as well as guard against enemies lurking in the shadows.

Only by standing united and remaining highly vigilant could they have a greater chance of survival.

As time passed, everyone finally arrived at the outskirts of Haotian Palace.

Haotian Palace resembled a gigantic elixir furnace, its surface forged with mysterious patterns; streams of runes glowed with multicolored rosy light, making one feel as if stepping into a transcendent holy land.

The atmosphere of the whole space felt unusually oppressive; all cultivators waited for the Haotian Palace gates to open.

The leaders of the major sects each released their powerful aura, individually occupying a space ahead to assert their presence.

"Daoist Longling, should we move forward a bit more to secure a more advantageous position?" Heiyao took a deep breath and made the suggestion to Longling.

However, just as they were preparing to approach Haotian Palace further, a mighty force suddenly descended from the heavens, blocking them from behind.

It turned out that the disciples of Huanyu's Luosheng Hall had arrived, saw that Longling and the others were merely a group of young cultivators in varied attire, and directly cut in front of them.

This sudden act of cutting in line caused Heiyao, Qin Cang, and others to frown tightly.

They knew the contest had only just begun, with more challenges and conflicts awaiting them.

Just as Heiyao and the others felt their Cultivation Level surge, ready to strike, Longling's icy glance halted their impulse.

"Daoist Longling!"

"The Luosheng Hall people are truly overbearing; if we don't give them a taste of their own medicine, they'll really think we're easy to bully."

Qin Cang suppressed the anger in his heart and spoke in a low voice.

As a disciple of one of the five great ancient royal clans, he found it hard to tolerate his contempt for this second‑rate Luosheng Hall.

"What Daoist Qin Cang says is absolutely correct."

Chilian also sent a mental transmission, his tone clearly dissatisfied: "We already have a distance to Haotian Palace, yet they barged in sideways—this is clearly stealing our opportunity."

Haotian Palace was within reach, but Luosheng Hall, relying on their numbers, treated them as nothing, cutting in line without a glance; this arrogant attitude filled Chilian and the others with rage.

"Everyone, don't panic!"

Longling's voice was calm and firm, his mental transmission soothing everyone.

"The Haotian Stone is a great treasure, hidden deep within Haotian Palace; being close does not guarantee one will enter first and obtain it."

That elixir‑furnace‑shaped Haotian Palace towered into the clouds, purple vapor billowing, as if linking heaven and earth.

Longling speculated that Haotian Palace might be the alchemy chamber of the ancient sect, its interior filled with dense restrictions and myriad dangers; from antiquity to the present, the elixirs inside could have undergone unknown changes.

"Since we have a free shield, why not use it?"

Longling secretly thought it would be perfect to let those Luosheng Hall people in front bear the brunt of any sudden developments before Haotian Palace.

Before Haotian Palace, life and death hang in the balance; only by truly entering can one gain anything. Quarreling outside for a moment's pride is worthless.

Heiyao and the others, hearing Longling's words, gradually restrained their hostility and wholeheartedly agreed with him.

Longling always remains composed when facing matters, and can always turn unfavorable situations to his advantage.

Bibo Xianzi saw a faint cold smile appear at the corner of Longling's mouth.

She knew that whenever Longling analyzed so calmly, it usually meant he was about to scheme again; those Luosheng Hall disciples would likely not fare well.

"Everyone, the inside of Haotian Palace is not like now."

Longling continued his mental transmission: "When opportunity presents itself, cultivators will surely go berserk."

"One must act within one's limits; being able to retreat safely from Haotian Palace is itself a victory."

"Don't risk your life for what you cannot obtain; that's foolish." Longling's voice rang in everyone's ears, calm yet powerful. "I give you this advice: first develop modestly, don't be too rash."

Her words revealed a profound understanding of the survival wisdom on the path of cultivation.

"If you encounter miraculous elixirs and spiritual materials, as long as you feel they benefit your body, take them first to raise your Cultivation Level and enhance your self‑defense ability." Longling reminded everyone, warning not to miss a chance to boost strength due to momentary stinginess.

"Never be reluctant; waiting to eat them after taking them out is wasting your life to make wedding clothes for others." Her words carried a hint of warning, reminding everyone that in this cruel cultivation world, only strength guarantees survival.

"For any spiritual material that can be used immediately, do not delay its use." Longling continued, "If you obtain a treasure and feel you cannot guard it, simply shout loudly to attract more cultivators to compete, then exchange it for something else."

Her words revealed a kind of wit and strategy.

"One must learn to borrow strength to strike strength!"

This is Longling's final reminder to everyone, and also her profound insight into the ruthless competition of the cultivation world.