Chapter 132: Matters of the Daoist Temple and a Journey South with Beauties【4k】

Above the sea of clouds, Fang Longye let out a breath and, with a single stride, arrived at the massive canopy of this Xun Wood sapling.

Dense spiritual essence swirled, vast and mighty, condensing into rain around the Xun Wood, coming and going to form clouds, displaying a myriad of strange phenomena, brilliant and dazzling.

The entire Spiritual Root was permeated on its surface by a layer of faint light, invisible to the naked eye, which mingled with the layers of cloud vapor surrounding it to present a Purple-Green Qi.

Rising slowly, shining brilliantly.

The cloud vapor surrounding it sank, settling at the tree roots to accumulate into clear, bright ripples, circle after circle.

Carrying dense spiritual energy, it improved the surrounding environment. The area around the Xun Wood, like a green island rising from the water, was filled with shimmering water and cloud vapor, surging back and forth.

"Clang—"

Fang Longye flicked his finger against the tree trunk; a sound like metal and stone rang out, clashing loudly.

The lingering echoes resonated.

Throughout the entire Spiritual Root, roots and leaves were intertwined, anchored in the water, with mottled moss marks resembling scales of a dragon, appearing bronze-green, ancient and majestic.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—

Calming his mind and listening carefully, one could hear bursts of water sounds, all of which were the sounds of it inhaling and exhaling Creation Spiritual Essence.

Fang Longye's gaze was bright and clear as he sensed the inner details of this acquired, nurtured Companion Spiritual Root.

"Roar—"

Amidst the extremely abundant Spiritual Root essence, nine dragons were coiled, colored in five hues, holding crystal-clear precious pearls in their mouths, swimming back and forth, constantly refining and strengthening the aura of the Spiritual Root.

Vast and mighty, grand and imposing.

Branches, leaves, trunk, and roots were paved with special textures. Spiritual essence became runes, engraved within the material, with countless hexagrams deriving, constantly changing, being born and perishing, then changing again.

From the inside out, the entire Spiritual Root emitted indescribable, wonderful, and mysterious sounds, murmuring incessantly.

Fang Longye's heart stirred, and a jade pendant leaped into his palm, with a moist touch and a brilliant luster.

Millions upon millions of Dao Patterns were round and smooth, the murmuring sound faint and indistinct.

It was precisely the jade pendant from before, which contained information about the place where a Taiyi Realm swan had perished.

Using this jade pendant as a guide, and leveraging the special connection between this Xun Wood sapling and the Second Generation Xun Wood, he enhanced this faint sense of connection.

Within his primordial spirit, a brilliant light rose, constantly changing, hanging down like a net, and some inexplicable information surged into his heart like a trickling stream.

"To the south—"

Fang Longye opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

With the 'Return to Heaven and Reverse the Sun' and 'Reverse Knowledge of the Future' divine abilities activated simultaneously, he knew the general location and some information.

It was not very specific and still somewhat blurry, but it was enough.

"The southern territory of Beiju Luzhou," Fang Longye said, bowing his head in thought.

Information about the conditions in the southern region of Beiju Luzhou surfaced in his mind.

Unlike most of the regions from the Beiming Ocean all the way south to here, which were basically clearly stratified, with the highest power in each area having a specific and clear background.

The southern region was different. Due to the encroachment of various forces, the reach of the Demon Master Mansion was relatively weak there, and the specific situation inside was not very clear.

In that territory, which occupied less than one-tenth of Beiju Luzhou, there were demons, immortals, Mortal Kingdoms, and Demon Sects.

There were outposts established by the Heavenly Court, secret agents planted by the Buddhist and Daoist factions,... and so on and so forth; it was defined by chaos.

Such a place where dragons and snakes lived together was bound to have hidden talents.

One never knew when a reclusive Taiyi expert might jump out from some obscure corner.

"It seems I must make another trip to the Demon Master Mansion to carefully look up some information about the southern region," Fang Longye thought to himself.

Over these ten years, he had made many trips to the Demon Master Mansion's base. To say nothing else, the 'Library' alone had kept him lingering and forgetting to return.

"Moreover—"

Fang Longye followed the textures of the trunk, stepping down step by step, and arrived at the water surface covered by the Xun Wood canopy.

Beneath his feet, the water light naturally gathered into halos of different sizes, inside which strange patterns of all shapes and sizes clustered, outlined by Yin and Yang, with the Five Elements flowing and the Eight Trigrams deriving.

Empty and wondrous, mysterious and profound.

He looked at his reflection in the water, his brows clouded with gloom, and a seven-colored halo behind him.

"This time, the places I pass through on my travels will likely not be limited to Beiju Luzhou!"

Earlier, when he activated his divine abilities, he had a vague premonition that the time spent on this trip would likely not be short, and the territories he stepped into would not be limited to Beiju Luzhou.

However, he was not surprised. Over these ten years, he had long since come to an understanding.

If he were to just stay here, he would likely have to accumulate a hundred years of Merit and Luck before Heaven and Earth would directly bestow an opportunity, allowing him to obtain an Innate Spiritual Object for cultivation.

Achieving "sitting at home, with treasures falling from the sky."

The transactions of the Equivalent Balance had limitations; acquired trades for acquired, innate trades for innate. The two were clearly demarcated, and at the current stage, it was difficult to cross that line.

Although the way of 'staying low' was good, it did not suit him!

Now, in the Second Tribulation of the era, if he guessed correctly, that Monkey on Huaguo Mountain was the key to this tribulation.

Calculating based on this, the time left for him was not very abundant.

It was not that he had to join in the fun of the Havoc in Heaven, but rather that under such an Era Calamity, Heavenly Luck erupted, and there were all kinds of opportunities and creations derived, waiting for people to seize them.

How did that saying go? Chaos is a ladder to progress.

Although he did not yet know the details, Fang Longye had a vague premonition in his heart that if he did not rise amidst the chaos and reach a certain height before the end of the Journey to the West.

After this tribulation, even with his Golden Finger, he would not be able to make up for the great opportunities he would miss.

One step slow, every step slow.

Don't let it be that when the time comes, he can't even catch the fresh scraps; that would be truly regrettable.

"Don't think about it so much! Preparing well is the real business."

Fang Longye regained his composure, his spirit soaring; perhaps the road ahead was not smooth, but he had not the slightest fear.

When it is time to take a step forward, one should stride forward, rather than shrinking back and settling in one place.

……

Wanling Market.

The voices of the crowd were deafening, filled with coming and going Demon Immortals and shops hawking their wares along the street.

In a restaurant, groups of Demon Immortals gathered, roasting meat, drinking wine, and spouting nonsense.

Cheers and excitement filled the air.

"Brother, did you know? The Wanling Divine Pill is now being sold in limited quantities!"

Two Demon Immortals sat opposite each other, and a Qingyi Demon Immortal whispered.

"Who doesn't know that! According to the public notice from the Demon Market, it's because the raw materials are scarce and it cannot be refined on a large scale," the Hongyi Demon Immortal opposite him waved his hand and said.

"Actually, this is normal. The divine pills launched by Wanling Workshop are said to be the unique secret recipe of that Dragon Lord; they were never ordinary pills to begin with."

"Who's to say they aren't? In my opinion, ten years of uninterrupted supply is already quite remarkable. If it weren't to build a reputation, why would this Dragon Lord be willing to invest such a huge amount of capital?"

"Unique divine pills, all kinds of treasures, and a refiner said to be at the Golden Immortal Realm. It truly counts as a boutique among the many demon markets. There is just one thing,..."

The Qingyi Demon Immortal changed the subject, reached out to tear off a piece of the roasted meat in front of him, threw it into his mouth, chewed vigorously, and said, "This meat is not bad, but compared to a little monk I tasted at the Qingyi Demon Market a while ago, it is far inferior." "That taste—"

The Qingyi Demon Immortal's face was full of lingering aftertaste as he opened his mouth to say: "I drool just thinking about it."

"That goes without saying."

The Hongyi Demon Immortal hugged a wine pot, drunk, and said, "To us Demon Clan, the Daoist and Buddhist cultivators of the Human Race are simply comparable to spiritual pills and miraculous medicines."

"It's a pity, I don't know what that workshop owner, Dragon Lord Yuanlong, is thinking. In all the restaurants in Wanling Market, let alone Human Race cultivators, you can't even see a single mortal."

"Exactly, look at other demon markets. Even if they are supervised by forces outside of Bei Zhou, so what? Can they stop us from eating humans?" The Qingyi Demon Immortal complained with a face full of grievance.

"Indeed, just like the Chilin Demon Market, although they cannot often catch Daoist and Buddhist Qi Refiners for food."

"But that workshop owner directly opened up a Small World and raised quite a few mortals. I haven't seen any Human Race cultivators stationed in that demon market have any objections," the Hongyi Demon Immortal agreed.

"Sigh, human meat is still the best to drink with! I really don't know what Dragon Lord Yuanlong is thinking," the Qingyi Demon Immortal drank a cup of wine and shook his head.

"Dragon Lord Yuanlong comes from the Dragon Clan. It is said that the Dragon Clan and the Human Race are on very good terms. Perhaps that is the reason!" The Hongyi Demon Immortal lowered his head and whispered.

"Shh~ watch your words." The Qingyi Demon Immortal looked around, "However, many fellow practitioners say that this Dragon Lord came to Beiju Luzhou for the Dragon Clan to plant a flag and occupy territory."

"Alright, this is none of our business as mediocre Demon Immortals. The great demon kings have their own worries. Besides, he is a demon market owner recognized by the Demon Master Mansion, so let's not meddle."

"Brother is right. Come, let's have a drink—"

Amidst the clinking of glasses and laughter, the two stopped discussing in this direction with great tacit understanding.

This was only because a monkey demon wearing armor and holding a staff had come up to this floor of the restaurant; he was the person in charge of the patrols in this area.

Yuan Hong scanned the surroundings, chose a seat by the window, ordered two small dishes and a pot of Immortal Brew, and began to drink slowly.

He looked out the window at the pine trees casting shadows and the new flowers after the rain.

Silver light burst from the glazed jade tiles, like stars and scattered petals.

Without the hustle and bustle of the market, it added a touch of detachment.

In the restaurant, there was the sound of sheng and reed pipes playing, with a sobbing tone. Yuan Hong's ears twitched, listening to the music, his face intoxicated, shaking his head.

"Life is good now!" He took a sip of wine with a smile on his face.

Previously, after receiving the reward from the Yu Rong King, he had undergone ten years of cultivation and was now a leader among the Yuan Immortal realm, counting as a backbone of Cangmang Mountain.

He was also quick-witted and applied to come to the market to do the job of patrolling.

Not to mention the generous monthly salary, the extra perks alone made him wealthy.

"Still have to thank the Great King!"

He knew clearly that with his Great King's supernatural powers, how could he not know about the extra benefits that they, the street patrols, could scrape together?

It was just turning a blind eye.

Besides, if the Great King hadn't opened the demon market, there would be no perks to scrape, and everything would be in vain.

……

On the two treasure mountains in the middle of Wanling Demon Market.

All kinds of pavilions, towers, halls, and gardens were arranged in an orderly manner.

Whether it was the Book Club Building, the Welcome Pavilion, the Water Pavilion, the Eight Immortals Cave, the Cloud Stepping Bridge, the Moon Playing Terrace, the Crape Myrtle Pavilion, the Rose Garden, or the Stream Pavilion, they were all sights to behold.

Layer upon layer, everywhere was engraved with images of dragons and phoenixes, and there was no lack of Yin and Yang and Five Elements patterns.

In a garden.

Under the tree, there was a stone bed, a jade table, and two or three vine chairs.

Bamboo leaves crisscrossed all around, and the sunlight shone on them, creating a golden-green halo that fell all around, like the first opening of autumn water, with a clear and bright light swaying back and forth.

Mingxi entered from outside and saw Fang Longye sitting on a chair, his person in the halo, reading a Jade Slip in a leisurely manner.

With his aura dissipated, he did not look like the famous Wanling Workshop owner, but rather like a scholar among the Human Race.

Mingxi clicked her tongue in wonder, suppressed her thoughts, and asked with a smile: "I wonder what business you have with me, fellow Daoist?"

"Fairy Mingxi."

Fang Longye put away the Jade Slip, divine light soaking into his brows, crystal clear and penetrating. He had no nonsense, raised his head and smiled, "I am going away for a while, so I leave the affairs of the demon market to you."

Mingxi was stunned, then nodded and said: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured."

Seeing this, Fang Longye continued: "However, there is no need to worry too much. I will also leave a clone here."

"If there is anything that makes it difficult for you, fellow Daoist, just look for my clone."

With the Fangzhu Token in hand, if he really needed his true self to handle it, he could still return in a short time by shifting and moving.

Next, he gave instructions to Luming, who was now in charge of the demon market affairs. He also granted the divine pills that could support sales for a hundred years to Jinghuan, who was prepared to stay behind at the Cave Abode.

This was considered to have handled the affairs of the demon market cleanly.

This time, he planned to take Qingli and Ao Ying with him on his travels.

For no other reason, firstly, he was used to being served in his daily life, and naturally, he would not want to wrong himself if he had the conditions.

Secondly, he had indeed divined that on this excursion, both Qingli and Ao Ying would be able to encounter a stroke of good fortune, so naturally, he could not let it pass.

……

Three days later.

Outside the Daoist practice grounds.

Verdant green filled the path, with pines and cypresses forever evergreen.

Vines coiled beneath the rocks, the wind through the bamboo stretched for a thousand miles, and green clouds reached toward the sky.

The winding Longyuan River flowed in a circle, its water deep and dark; within it were kept an unknown number of strange fish, a zhang in length, with large heads and small bodies.

These were a strange species that Fang Longye had specifically sought out; although they were unlikely to develop spiritual intelligence, they could miraculously survive in such harsh environments as Weak Water and Xuanming True Water.

Whenever there was the slightest disturbance, these strange fish would poke out from the water, fluttering their whiskers and opening their wide mouths to reveal rows of dense, sharp teeth capable of tearing through metal and stone, fierce and extraordinary.

Although, for the time being, their defensive capabilities were not yet sufficient—one could only say they were better than nothing—they still counted as a piece of scenery.

A Treasure Chariot hovered in the air; it was precisely that Spirit Treasure-grade carriage previously gifted by the North Sea Dragon Palace.

In front of the carriage, ripples of water shimmered, spreading out in mid-air.

The crimson-bodied Bishui Jinjing Beast, its feet treading upon golden light that bloomed like flowers, stood before the carriage, restlessly stamping its hooves in boredom.

"Young Master, why not take me along as well!" Jinghuan wore a pitiful expression.

Beside her, Hu Qiuyue also gazed at Fang Longye, tears welling in her beautiful eyes.

Fang Longye waved his hand and said, "That's enough. The Cave Abode at the practice grounds still needs you two to guard it! I am taking Qingli and Ao Ying only because the two of them have a stroke of good fortune on this trip. Why are you going to cause trouble? Besides, with the Fangzhu Token, I can still easily travel back and forth."

Jinghuan still wanted to plead and act spoiled once more to see if she could make her Young Master change his mind, but upon seeing Fang Longye's bottomless gaze, like a deep, dark well,

she immediately felt a bit intimidated, knowing he had already made up his mind, and so she said no more.

Fang Longye looked at the reluctant Hu Qiuyue and Jinghuan, patted both women on the head, and then turned to enter the Treasure Chariot.

The Bishui Jinjing Beast let out a roar, transformed into a streak of crimson flame, headed straight for the firmament, vanished into the clouds, and then whistled through the wind and clouds, disappearing into the distance.

……

(End of this chapter)