Chapter 129: The Day of Opening with Lanterns and Streamers, Fellow Daoists and Guests Gather to Show Support【4k】

Cangmang Mountain is decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

On the craggy rocks, jade-like buds are carved; they cluster in groups, trembling and swaying. Before the coral trees, new branches sprout, shaking and fluttering, with a dense, fragrant aura.

Within the entire Daoist practice ground, it is vast and hazy; the bamboo leaves carry the scent of rain, and the accumulated greenery is like cyan.

In an open space on a hillside, numerous monkey demons have changed into festive clothes; some in groups of three or five, others in groups of five or six, they blow horns and beat drums while practicing joyful dances.

"Rehearse well! The guests invited by the Great King are numerous and varied; there will surely be many seniors of our ape and monkey clan among them."

"Who knows? Perhaps one of you will catch someone's eye, and with a flip of their palm, they might bestow a stroke of good fortune. Wouldn't that be a blessing?"

Yuan Hong, clad in red armor and holding a red copper long staff, urges on these monkey demons who are rehearsing their welcoming duties.

Some of the slippery ones who were originally slacking off, upon hearing his words, immediately perk up and begin to take it seriously.

Seeing this, Yuan Hong wears a smile.

In truth, these words are all just him painting a big picture.

If good fortune were truly as easy to obtain as he claimed, that would be fine.

Do you really think these demon kings are all philanthropists? If you haven't shown a certain level of potential, what does it matter if you are of the same clan? Do you really think monkey demons don't eat monkey brains? Some great demon kings of the ape and monkey clan love nothing more than to taste the brains of other, rival monkey demons.

Not to mention anything else, he, old Yuan, hasn't gone without tasting them himself; that flavor is truly fresh!

He wipes away his drool and continues to urge the monkey demons in their rehearsal with every word and action.

If one were to really speak of it, he isn't lying.

If these monkey demons perform brilliantly when the time comes, as a member of the welcoming party, he will naturally be able to show his face before those demon kings.

Those seniors of the ape lineage will indeed very likely let some things slip through their fingers as rewards.

However, as for the target of this reward~

It could never be these small fry; naturally, it would be him, the true welcoming personnel.

On this point, Yuan Hong sees things very clearly.

Merit goes to the superiors! He took on this errand himself. Not to mention anything else, just showing his face before the Great King is already worth it.

Not to mention the tips from these demon kings. To him, that is no small amount of cultivation resources.

I imagine the persons in charge of the other selected welcoming teams must have the same thought as him.

For instance, those Loose Immortals and even Origin Immortals of the Feathered Clan were nearly beating each other's brains out to snatch this position.

"Although there aren't many of the ape and monkey clan in the Great King's practice ground, and few who can shoulder heavy responsibilities, there is a benefit to being few in number!"

Yuan Hong strokes the Weapon in his hand, his face all smiles.

There are only two figures in the Immortal Realm of the ape lineage on the entire Cangmang Mountain: one is the old green ape, and the other is him.

As a talent among monkeys who has advanced by leaps and bounds and is already on the verge of the peak of the Loose Immortal realm, he naturally competed easily against the old green ape, that old antique who had obtained good fortune before but had made little progress since.

If this were any other category, it wouldn't be so easy to move up; one would have to go through a sinister struggle.

"Don't slack off! Yes, I'm talking to you!" Yuan Hong snaps back to reality, his face turning stern as he scolds a little monkey who has started acting slippery and lazy again.

Such dedicated supervision—one can see he is the model of a "good employee"!...

Three months later, the day for the market to open finally arrived.

Outside the practice ground, located on the side of the Longyuan River to the northeast of the previously established Longyuan River stone tablet, a high mountain rises.

It is entirely gray-blue, with no grass or trees to be seen. The peak of the mountain has been leveled by someone to form a platform, creating a massive Cloud Platform, which is already packed with people, noisy and bustling.

These are all ordinary demon immortals and demon cultivators who came for the reputation of the new Yaofang, wanting to see if there were any bargains to be had.

In other words, what Fang Longye called "bargain hunters" in his previous life.

"Screech—" A fierce bird, shaped like a great crane with bright fiery feathers, sways gracefully, pulling a chariot adorned with pearls and treasures as it descends steadily.

It draws a commotion from the surrounding crowd.

Soon, as if this had raised the curtain, one treasure carriage and flying chariot after another, driven by various rare birds and strange beasts, landed upon this high mountain Cloud Platform.

It is not that Fang Longye is neglecting his guests, but that this is also a way to build momentum, a display of grandeur.

Look, so many demon kings have come here and are waiting patiently, which shows that there are definitely wonders inside this Yaofang of mine that you could never imagine.

Old friends acquainted with Fang Longye are naturally building momentum for him. Demon kings who did not know him before, seeing Fang Longye's recent fame, are naturally happy to do him a favor.

"Roar—" A strange beast with a tiger's head and leopard's body, patterned with spots, treading on snow with sharp horns on its head, and surrounded by sparks of lightning, pulls a chariot with an ancient and imposing design, appearing in the cloudy sky not far away, accompanied by bursts of thunder.

"King Yu-Rong?!" A demon immortal recognizes this carriage and exclaims in surprise.

Watching the chariot slowly approach the Cloud Platform and then land steadily, this demon immortal sighs: "I never expected that a figure like King Yu-Rong would actually come to build momentum for this Yuanlong Dragon Lord."

"You must be ill-informed, right?" A demon immortal familiar with him sneers, "You actually don't know that these two are good friends who became acquainted through a fight?"

"That's right, you must know that this Yuanlong Dragon Lord first rose to fame precisely because he fought King Yu-Rong to a draw. That is how everyone came to know him~"

"I truly wasn't aware of that; I happened to be in seclusion for a while. I only know of this Dragon Lord because he traveled hundreds of millions of miles, sweeping away over a dozen Yaoshan forces."

"I came today to try my luck, to see if I could pick up some good things at a low price while this new Yaofang is opening."

"Hey, who isn't?"

"……"

Some of the lower-level demon immortals and demon cultivators are bustling and chatting, finally waiting until the auspicious time for the market to open.

"Clang—"

The sound of Golden Bells and jade chimes resonates in all directions.

In front of the Cloud Platform, the clouds and mist that have been swirling incessantly around the Longyuan River are as if pushed aside by a single hand, revealing a massive gap.

Five-colored light permeates the surroundings, accompanied by the sound of dragon roars.

A rich spiritual aura rushes toward one's brow.

A magnificent gateway emerges from the interlacing light.

It towers into the clouds, with archways on both sides, hung with gold and colorful decorations, shining brilliantly.

Vast light pours down from mid-air like an overturned pot, spreading around the perimeter, presenting an arc-shaped outline, sinking and floating.

With every collision, there was the sound of thunder.

It was magnificent and opulent, with an imposing aura that blanketed the sky and covered the earth.

King Yu Rong sat within his carriage, smiled slightly, and said, "Although I am not clear on just how large a business Brother Fang can manage, this display of the Yaofang is truly done to perfection."

He looked toward this magnificent portal; with his current abilities, he was actually unable to see the scene behind the portal, and could only feel that it was a jumble of overlapping spaces, bizarre and kaleidoscopic.

However, this was not strange; given this Brother Fang's foundation, even if a Golden Immortal were to arrange the layout of the Yaofang for him, he would not be surprised.

Such methods, according to his current realm of True Immortal, being unable to see through them was perfectly normal.

Even though he had long been able to defy the odds and slay Golden Immortals.

"Ding—"

A wondrous sound rang out from within the portal, crisp and melodious, and then layers of lotus fragrance drifted out; in the center, a colorful boat emerged, with water shimmering and sparkling.

Above the colorful boat, four True Immortal-level Longnu surrounded a green-clad female demon immortal, appearing before the crowd.

This female demon immortal had fine green hair styled in a coiled dragon bun, eyebrows like willow leaves, eyes like lotus flowers, and the skirt she wore swayed lightly like lotus leaves, embroidered with patterns.

Within her pupils, unusual colors were displayed, burning with brilliance, very eye-catching.

Behind her was a halo of green, and within it, a divine sword floated, revealing a piercing sharpness that reached the sky.

It was precisely Qingli and the four True Immortal-level Longnu, including Ao Ying and Ao Jiao.

"Everyone," Qingli's voice was ethereal and wondrous, extremely pleasant to hear, speaking just like singing, "The Wanling Market has newly opened; we welcome everyone to come and show your support."

"I invite everyone to follow us inside—"

Having said this, she turned the colorful boat, scattering layers of divine light that dispersed into petals filling the sky, with a lingering fragrance.

Amidst the falling blossoms, the carriages outside immediately took to the air, following the colorful boat and submerging into this portal.

Behind the procession of carriages, the crowd of demon immortals and demon cultivators naturally scrambled to be first, filing in one after another. In the end, they all entered, leaving only the empty Cloud Platform on the high mountain.

The portal immediately dissipated, and the lingering charm gathered into a beam of light, landing on the Cloud Platform and transforming into a massive stone tablet a hundred feet tall, glowing with five colors.

Clouds and mist grew, swirling in clusters, floating around the stone tablet like cotton wool, obscuring it so that it appeared and disappeared from view.

Only the four seal characters on it were bright and eye-catching—

Wanling Market.

The brushwork was sharp and fierce, the color a reddish gold, shining brilliantly.

A vast expanse of ocean, with green waves rolling.

Water and sky met, blending into a single color.

The crowd of guests, whether riding in carriages, driving chariots, treading on clouds, or controlling treasures, all landed on the back of a giant sea turtle ten thousand miles in size.

"Hiss—" A demon immortal drew a deep breath of cold air and said in shock, "Such an ancient exotic beast is actually willing to carry a city on its back. This Dragon Lord has such great prestige!"

"Haha! You're ignorant, aren't you?" A demon immortal beside him mocked, "This isn't a living creature~"

"If it were truly such a large ancient giant sea turtle, even if it were difficult for it to develop intelligence on its own, it would have been enlightened by those great figures. Nowadays, such exotic beasts are rarely seen."

A True Immortal-level demon immortal probed for a moment and stated with certainty, "This should be a landscape formed by the soul of a sea turtle that has surpassed the True Immortal level, connected to a Grotto-Heaven."

"It can serve as an object to stabilize the realm and solidify the Grotto-Heaven. It also harmonizes with the surrounding ocean, adding a bit of style. Even if it is not a living creature, it is definitely extraordinary."

Whether it was the great demon kings in the carriages or the numerous ordinary demon immortals, they all couldn't help but examine this Grotto-Heaven.

They saw the four feet of the giant sea turtle beneath their feet swaying slowly, as if it were a living thing.

It produced rustling ripples, circles upon circles, spreading in all directions.

The circles overlapped, forming waves and echoing in layers.

A giant city was borne on the turtle's back, built surrounding two adjacent Blessed Lands of treasure mountains.

Suddenly.

"Chirp—"

Bird calls of all kinds rang out.

Spiritual birds filled the sky, flying around the guests, swaying their bodies in the air and combining into many patterns, colorful and dazzling.

"Woo—"

Horn sounds rose from an unknown place, followed by the simultaneous ringing of bells and drums, with a hundred instruments playing together, and grand, elegant music rising leisurely.

Thousands of flags appeared at the city gate, rolling like paintings, accompanied by elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, tigers, white cranes, giant turtles, green oxen, white horses, sika deer, pythons, apes... and so on and so forth, all kinds of demon beasts.

These clans revealed their beast forms, gathered together, each forming various formations, shaking their bodies of all sizes, and dancing to the immortal music.

"The Phoenix Clan comes to perform, and the hundred beasts dance in unison."

Accompanied by this joyful and grand atmosphere, a great star suddenly appeared in the sky; at first, it was only a dot, but a moment later, it was unimaginably large, its light shining brilliantly.

Then, from the great star, an exotic beast resembling a Qilin—with a dragon's mouth, lion's head, fish scales, ox tail, tiger claws, and deer antlers, its whole body crimson red—flew out, pulling a profound black Dharma boat over ten feet in size.

It was precisely the Bishui Jinjing Beast; it stepped on golden light, which bloomed in clusters, splashing out thousands of rays of light as it flew.

In an instant, it arrived above the city gate.

Looking into the Dharma boat, there was a gold and jade cloud bed, hung with light gauze curtains, with Mingyue pearls suspended above, crystal clear and dazzling, blooming with radiance, dripping down from top to bottom, spilling into the center like mercury, silent and soundless.

On both sides of the cloud bed were placed flower vases as tall as a person, with lush branches and leaves, shading the sun.

Fang Longye sat upright upon it, wearing a Dharma robe, holding a Gilded Dragon Pattern Bright Silver Spear; even with a smile on his face, the prestige radiating from his body still shocked the crowd of ordinary demon immortals into silence.

For a moment, it was cold and still.

Fang Longye laughed loudly: "Fellow Daoists, today the Wanling Market is opening. Many thanks to everyone for coming to show your support; I am deeply honored."

"I won't say much, and I won't engage in empty pleasantries. To celebrate the opening of the Yaofang, all goods in the venue will be thirty percent off for one month."

"After one month, we will hold the first Wanling Treasure Appraisal Dharma Assembly. Those interested are welcome to attend~"

Having said this, he immediately took the lead and submerged into the city.

"Boom—"

The city gates opened accordingly, and the crowd of demon immortals, seeing this, immediately entered like birds returning to the forest.

Wanling Market, officially open for business! ……

Wanling Market.

Yurong Wang paced through it, seeing the surroundings bustling with voices, with cheers erupting from time to time.

In the center of the street, clusters of jade flowers were in full bloom, casting a red glow and dividing the wide street down the middle.

A rich, intoxicating fragrance rushed toward him, brushing against his robes.

At intervals, rainbow bridges were set up, connecting the two sides.

"Regardless of anything else, Brother Fang, this street layout is quite interesting."

Looking more closely, colorful ribbons were tied everywhere, fluttering and swaying.

It was full of festivity.

At this moment, he arrived at the open space between two immortal mountains. Bamboo and rocks were dotted about, the accumulated greenery like blue-green.

Colorful flags fluttered, a scene of joy.

Various groups of demon beasts were still dancing continuously, heightening the festive atmosphere.

At this time, his footsteps faltered; he saw ahead that many apes, macaques, long-tailed monkeys, and short-tailed monkeys, numbering in the thousands, were all wearing festive clothes, either in groups of three or five, or five or six together, playing music.

The music spread out, passing through the pines and bamboo to bring lushness, passing through the shimmering water to bring a resonant sound, passing through the flowers to bring a fragrant scent, and passing through the colorful flags to bring a vibrant, fiery spirit.

"Truly lively."

Yurong Wang was a Monkey after all; seeing monkeys covering the mountains and plains playing and beating drums felt exceptionally intimate, and even with his steady personality, his face was filled with smiles.

He waved at Yuan Hong, who was leading the group of monkey demons.

Yuan Hong immediately stepped forward, saying with an excited face: "Greetings, Yurong Wang!"

"You've worked hard~" He smiled, looking at this tall and spirited monkey demon before him, and immediately tossed him a storage Dharma Treasure.

"Many thanks, Yurong Wang!"

Although Yuan Hong did not know exactly what was inside, he figured that this great demon king of his own kind was definitely a generous master.

"Just serve your king well."

He waved his hand and said.

"It seems I must thank Brother Yuan for his thoughtfulness!"

Fang Longye's teasing voice came from behind him.

"King!"

Yuan Hong hurriedly bowed.

"Go do your work well!" Fang Longye waved his hand, ordering him to withdraw.

"It seems Brother Fang has finished your social obligations?"

"I have kept Brother Yuan waiting for a long time!"

"It is nothing; wandering about is also a pleasure. I just don't know, Brother Fang, why you chose to receive me alone at the end; what is the matter?"

"To introduce you to a few friends."

Looking at the puzzled Yurong Wang, Fang Longye said with a beaming smile.

(End of this chapter)