Chapter 182: Uninvited Guest

Observing the Way of the Three Saints closely, Yuan Shi's Jade Void Palace follows strict order, while Tongtian's Azure Roaming Palace is like countless rivers merging into the sea, its disciples a mix of fish and dragons.

Such a difference ultimately became a foreshadowing of the Fengshen Calamity; while the two clans of witches and zombies were still fighting beneath Mount Buzhou, cracks within the Profound Heaven Sect had already appeared.

Zhou Yi watched with cold eyes; even as a Quasi Saint, how could his anger, ignorance, and resentment ever be severed? That method of slaying three bodies to verify the Dao seemed like a self‑deceiving trick.

A moment later, Zhou Yi and Zhenyuanzi had arrived at the Jade Pillar Cave on Mount Zhongnan. Before the two great beings even set foot, they sensed the familiar yet strange aura within the cave.

"Daoist friend, long unseen, may you appear to catch up?" Zhenyuanzi lifted his dust‑sweeping fan lightly, his voice piercing the cave's barrier.

At that moment, deep within the cave, Fude was clutching his life‑bound treasure, his fingertips trembling slightly.

His time since reincarnation and resuming cultivation was still short; now barely at the level of a true Immortal, he sensed the two Quasi Saint auras outside the cave, and cold sweat seeped down his back.

Although he is a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, he usually lives a secluded life; how could he ever have encountered such a formation?

Just as he hesitated whether to activate the Mountain‑Guarding Array, the jade messenger talisman at his waist suddenly lit up, and the seal from Kunlun Mountain prominently appeared.

Fude's mind steadied instantly; since his master had not warned him, he presumed it was not a dangerous matter.

He inhaled deeply, straightened his Daoist robe, and finally stepped toward the cave entrance.

"I, the junior Fude, have seen the two seniors," the young Daoist said while bowing, his peripheral vision catching Zhenyuanzi's suddenly bright eyes.

The silver‑haired Daoist actually took three steps as two, moving forward; his trembling palm hovered a few inches above his shoulder, finally turning into a long sigh.

Zhou Yi stepped forward to untangle the situation: "Daoist friend, do you recognize Earth Immortal ancestor Zhenyuanzi Daxian? A thousand years ago during the Great Calamity of witches and zombies, the Wan Huo Ancestor sacrificed himself to protect a close friend…"

Zhenyuanzi's eyes reddened as he replied: "That day, before you self‑detonated your primordial spirit, you entrusted the Nine‑Nine Soul‑Scattering Gourd to me, saying that after reincarnation we would renew our robe‑bond friendship."

As he spoke, a crimson gourd appeared in his palm, its swirling cloud pattern resonating with the jade pendant at Fude's waist.

Fude suddenly felt his sea of consciousness surge, fragments of past‑life memories flooding in. As he staggered backward, Zhenyuanzi promptly caught his arm; the thousand‑year wait turned into a hoarse utterance: "It's good you have returned."

Outside, pine waves rustled; Zhou Yi looked at his recognized old friend, a smile at his lips as he produced a jade tablet: "This item records the alchemical technique your past self created; now it returns to its original owner." The tablet's surface faintly displayed the Dao pattern of the words "Tongtian Divine Fire Pillar."

Based on the information Fude possessed, although Zhou Yi ranked among the Quasi Saints, his true combat power far exceeded what conventional realms could measure.

Even more astonishing, this Human Race strongman had once faced the Demon Court's ruler Taiyi in direct combat without losing ground.

It should be known that the Demon Race supreme who bears the Chaos Bell is recognized throughout Honghuang as one of the strongest Quasi Saints; one who can match such beings is naturally understood to possess extraordinary cultivation.

Zhenyuanzi's arrival further startled Fude. This master of the Five Zhuang Hall is not only of Earth Immortal lineage, but also the first innate deity who lectured at the Dao Ancestor's Zixiao Palace.

When the two top‑tier Honghuang strongmen entered together, especially as Zhou Yi uttered the words "past life," Fude felt his sea of consciousness surge, and the tea cup in his hand nearly fell.

Fude's brows furrowed slightly, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the tip of his dust‑sweeping fan: "The theory of reincarnation and rebirth has always been vague; does a Daoist friend's such assertion have any basis?"

At this time, it had been only a thousand years since the Hou Tu Ancestor Shaman transformed into the Six Paths; even in a saintly Daoist arena like Kunlun Mountain, the mysteries of reincarnation are rarely comprehended.

Zhou Yi's fingertips formed a reincarnation Dao pattern, and the void revealed a phantom of the Netherworld: "The Dao Ancestor once said the Heavenly Dao has fifty aspects, one of which can be evaded. When the Wan Huo Ancestor self‑detonated his primordial spirit, a strand of primordial Hongmeng violet qi burst forth and fled the void."

As he spoke leisurely, the book in Zhenyuanzi's sleeve moved without wind, and layers of Wu Earth divine light enveloped the entire cave.

When the words "Demon Master Great Peng Bird" rang out, Fude's spiritual platform suddenly displayed a blood‑red sky, and in a daze it seemed a colossal wing covering the heavens pressed down.

Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi urgently grasped a technique; a phantom ginseng fruit tree manifested behind him, and nine jade‑like Dao fruits emitted a profound, clear light.

The Earth Immortal ancestor's sleeve robe quivered slightly, his gaze burning as if awaiting a thousand years to finally meet an old friend.

"So that's it!" Fude suddenly clapped his hands and sighed, three blossoms atop his head blossoming with unusual colors, a strand of Wan Huo‑shaped primordial qi surged from the Baihui point to the heavens, subtly resonating with the Wu Earth vital energy circulating around Zhenyuanzi.

Outside the cave, a celestial anomaly suddenly appeared; the nine‑sky cloud sea roiled like waves, as if ancient secrets were about to be revealed.

Fude looked at the two unexpected guests before him, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist.

Suddenly two Quasi Saint great beings emerged; claiming to be reincarnations of ancient great beings, this situation made anyone raise doubts.

If he were not wary of the other's cultivation, he would have already sent them off with a Tongtian Divine Fire Pillar.

"Daoist friend, since you are under the Saint, you only need to visit the Jade Void Palace once to verify," Zhou Yi gently placed the tea cup on the jade table, the misty vapor blurring the golden pattern between his brows.

These words awakened Fude; the Zhan sect members place the greatest emphasis on foot‑step transmission, and if there truly is karmic tie with the Wan Huo Ancestor, how could Master Yuanshi Tianzun be unaware?

Zhenyuanzi's grip on the earth‑script loosened then tightened, and the scent of a thousand‑year ginseng fruit spread throughout the cave.

Seeing Fude still frowning, the Earth Immortal ancestor finally suppressed his urgency: "This matter is not pressing; when you have time, go to the Five Zhuang Hall…" He altered his tone at the last moment: "In the future, if you encounter difficulties in alchemy, feel free to seek me."

Fude's gaze swept over the three Dao fruits on the table, their spiritual energy swirling; gifting such celestial treasures so casually displayed utmost sincerity.

He performed a technique to conjure three cloud‑patterned meditation cushions; a gentle breeze carrying tea fragrance guided them deeper into the cave: "You two may stay for a few days; once I finish forging the binding‑Immortal‑Lock array, I also need to ask Senior Zhenyuan about some Five‑Element evasion arts."

Thereafter, for over a month, the summit of Mount Zhongnan frequently emitted mysterious light.

Using the pretext of sparring array techniques, Zhenyuanzi turned the Wan Huo past events into eight hundred story‑scripts to recount; Zhou Yi discussed the Human Race's torch‑bearing lineage with Fude, secretly observing the reactions of this true Immortal.

One day, while Fude calibrated a newly made Demon‑Detecting Mirror, a red cloud pattern suddenly appeared on its surface, startling Zhenyuanzi into spilling half a furnace of Samadhi True Fire.

"When I paid respects to the master the other day, he did mention 'the old Hongmeng bond remains unfulfilled,'" Fude brushed ash off his Daoist robe, his tone no longer as distant as at first meeting.

Hearing this, Zhenyuanzi's eyes reddened slightly; he turned, pretending to inspect the scorched cuff, the damage exactly where Wan Huo had once shielded him from a Demon Master attack.

Zhou Yi watched the immortal crane soaring through the cloud sea, a smile curling his lips. A gentle wind brought half a vermilion talisman paper, faintly showing the characters "Reincarnation," which instantly turned into starlight and vanished in the purple vapor rising from the alchemical furnace.

Zhou Yi judged the moment had arrived, and drew from his sleeve a wholly crimson gourd artifact. This treasure was the Nine‑Nine Soul‑Scattering Gourd entrusted by the Wan Huo Ancestor, now shimmering with a dark red sheen in the sunlight.