Chapter 225: Yang Chan Feels the Call to the Southwest; The Plague Rages by Human Design

Pavilions are arranged in rows, and kiosks intersect.

Clouds and water are like colorful ribbons, drifting along; the light of the sky hangs over them, layers of halos swaying, curved like fine eyebrows or a new moon, vast and boundless, moving back and forth.

A pool of deep green surrounds the kiosks and pavilions, reflecting this magnificent scenery within itself.

All around, white birds still fly past with wings spread, their tail feathers as large as wheels, their cries like those of cranes.

Amidst the shimmering water and shadows, Fang Longye sits upright on a Treasure Rock emerging from the water.

The Treasure Rock is not small, covered in sunny green moss, with thin bamboo growing here and there upon it. The clear light from all around shines upon it, the dark green lingering, swaying with grace.

The wind blows, the textures rustle, and the sound of the bamboo is pleasant to the ear, as if the notes of gong, shang, jue, and yu were being played; clear and bright bamboo sounds burst forth, like the cries of a thousand cranes, very crisp.

That's right, even a cold woman fears the pestering of a lovesick man.

Under Fang Longye's thick-skinned pestering, he still managed to stay behind as he had wished.

Living in Yang Chan's Daoist practice ground, he would wander in front of her from time to time every day.

Either bickering and playing, or discussing the Dao and exchanging ideas, or else, chatting about poetry and songs, or talking about romance and moonlight.

Truly, how carefree!

After this continued for more than ten days, feeling that there was a certain ambiguity between the two, Fang Longye thought about digesting what he had recently gained.

Under the halo of the bamboo sounds, one can see, above the water surface, clusters of Divine Light swirling, and within them are treasures of all shapes and sizes.

There are exquisite and magnificent Storage Tools, lush branches and leaves extending horizontally, Dharma Pill Gourds full of Dao Rhyme, weapons with astonishing sharp edges,... and so on and so forth.

The halo produces colors, and the bright radiance shines brilliantly.

Just one look is enough to make one unable to look away.

Some of these treasures were accumulated before, and some were diligently provided by the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, Huang Feihu.

As for Chidi Yan Ju—speaking of this, Fang Longye felt resentful; such a big shot, yet he didn't even see him pluck a single hair.

Not to mention gifting treasures, he didn't even see him give any pointers on cultivation.

Compared to big shots he had met like Randeng and Lu Ya, he was far too inferior! To this day, this was the first big shot Fang Longye had encountered who, upon meeting him, a junior, gave him absolutely nothing.

And—

He didn't know if it was his illusion or a fact, but during that short banquet at Mount Tai, he always felt that Chidi Yan Ju showed a sense of detachment toward him.

It could even be said that it was mixed with a trace of inexplicable disgust.

It was just damn annoying—

He could not figure out at all where he had made this big shot's favorability so poor.

Fang Longye, who could not find an answer after much thought, had overlooked one person, and that was Shennong's daughter—Nuwa.

Do not think that big shots do not hold grudges.

Although there was a hidden story behind this, the fact that Nuwa met her Calamity at the hands of the East Sea Dragon Clan was an indisputable, iron-clad fact.

As a former leader of the Human Race, Chidi Yan Ju certainly knew to consider the big picture. But public is public, and private is private; as Nuwa's elder brother, Yan Ju naturally would not have a good face for the Dragon Clan.

Not casually taking action to slaughter the Dragon Clan was already his greatest gentleness toward them.

Being able to show a detached closeness to Fang Longye was already the result of him considering Fang Longye's status and background.

"Hmm, pick and choose, and select what I can use at the moment."

Fang Longye cast aside these distracting thoughts, his gaze focused and steady, staring at the dazzling array before him.

Behind him, a five-colored halo rose, transforming into a Five-Colored Divine Light, moving back and forth among the many treasures.

Sensing the Aura of various treasures, when he encountered one beneficial to his own cultivation, with a slight rotation, he would roll it up.

Now, he had finally brought the Five-Colored Divine Light divine ability of the big shot Kong Xuan to the entry level.

Although it had not yet reached the point where, once the Divine Light appeared, it would brush down all treasures, it could be considered to have the initial form.

Before long, the selection was finished.

He put away the remaining treasures, and then, a Dragon Head Phantom appeared behind him, roaring proudly, and in one breath, it swallowed all the selected treasures.

He began the refining process.

Huashan, Yang Chan's practice ground.

The green waves are serene, the clouds and mist on the water surface are vast, and the smoke curls, covering a large area, with faint sounds of dragon chanting, very clear and resonant.

Heard by human ears, it is vast and impassioned.

There are even large patches of five-colored Divine Light appearing out of thin air, illuminating the entire realm with colorful brilliance.

After a good while, only a dragon roar mixed with joy was heard; the clouds and mist twisted continuously, blending with the Divine Light, and then transformed into a human figure, which was none other than Fang Longye.

He was seen sitting leisurely, with a Grotto-Heaven unfolding behind him, ink paintings upon it, the sun and moon outlined into images, the vast ocean unrestrained, the earth vast and boundless, and the stars filling the sky.

It gave one a feeling of being unfathomable.

"The harvest is not small!"

Fang Longye's eyes were shining, and the smile on his face did not cease.

The many treasures gifted to him by the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, whether they were Dharma pills or spiritual objects, all contained a great deal of Heaven and Earth Essence and Dao Rhyme and Dharma principles.

Through refining, both his Dharma power and Bloodline had made significant progress.

The most crucial part—

He was seen sitting upright on the Treasure Rock; above his crown, the auspicious clouds were like water, and the Divine Light steamed, in clusters, like flowers blooming on thousands of trees, lush and colorful.

All around, there were jade pendants and Golden Flowers.

Divine Light and auspicious mist were presented in abundance.

He did not know how much time had passed, but the jade pendants and Golden Flowers bloomed more and more, gathering fuller and fuller, filling the space and time.

Then, suddenly, they rose together, triggering the mysterious void.

It looked like the momentum was not great, but in the mysterious void invisible to the naked eye, a shocking scene appeared before Fang Longye's eyes.

In a space-time that defies verbal description, the ocean of the Great Dao was vast and mighty, stretching without shore or limit.

Where the Great Dao resides, Yin and Yang are obscured, cause and effect are severed; there is no east, west, north, or south, nor are there the universe or the Five Elements.

There is only the "Dao," supreme and vast.

Even a Golden Immortal is imperceptible in such an ocean of the Great Dao.

Like a speck of dust, they have no sense of existence. A single gust of wind or a crashing wave could completely annihilate them.

After merely glancing at it a few times, Fang Longye felt his mental energy exhausted and hurriedly withdrew from this sea of the Great Dao.

"So, to ascend to Taiyi, one must leave one's own mark within this sea of Dao."

Fang Longye muttered to himself, as if he had realized something.

This gain brought a significant improvement in his essence, energy, and spirit. But more importantly, through the accumulation of his efforts, he had unexpectedly caught a glimpse of the ocean of the Great Dao ahead of time.

One must know, this is a path that can only be touched upon at the perfection of the Golden Immortal realm.

Now, the threshold for a Golden Immortal to ascend to Taiyi was crystal clear to him.

He rose and stood with his hands behind his back, surveying his surroundings; the blue waves rippled, the wood and stone felt cool, and the breeze brushed against his face, an indescribably refreshing feeling.

"Meals must be eaten one mouthful at a time, and the road must be walked one step at a time." Fang Longye recalled the scene he had just witnessed and thought to himself, "There is no point in considering this right now."

"The key point is that being able to glimpse the ocean of the Great Dao, which can only be seen at the perfection of the Golden Immortal realm, is a rare help to me!"

With the endless insights of the Great Dao surfacing in his mind, Fang Longye smiled with satisfaction.

These were all gained from peeking at that ocean of the Great Dao. Even now, a layer of profound mystery that he had yet to fully comprehend lingered in his heart.

He stretched, feeling pleasant, and thought to himself: "It is time to come out of seclusion and see the little rich woman!"

……

"Huh? You came out of seclusion quite timely! I was planning to leave a projection for you and was about to set off~" In a palace hall.

Lamp flames hung down like stars, flickering in size; flames sprouted clouds, and colors drifted like smoke, hovering all around.

They drifted uncertainly, darting back and forth, colliding with each other and emitting various marvelous sounds.

At a table, the two sat opposite each other, and Yang Chan reached out to pour a cup of Immortal Brew for Fang Longye, her face full of smiles.

Seeing her pleasant mood, Fang Longye took a look and immediately understood.

Her fortune was surging!

It seemed this little rich woman had encountered an opportunity~ He saw that she was shrouded in large swathes of purple-blue fortune, which came in wisps from the void and seeped into the crown of her head, even emitting the sounds of bells, chimes, and drums.

Her entire aura of fortune was surging, shooting straight into the heavens and covering the surroundings. A canopy of jewels hung down, and seven-colored energy swirled, vast and mighty, with no bottom in sight.

With such fortune, she would truly turn bad luck into good, encounter safety in danger, and treasures would throw themselves at her~

"It seems the Immortal has encountered an opportunity? I just don't know where this opportunity lies?"

Fang Longye sipped the Immortal Brew in his cup and said with a chuckle.

Yang Chan took a sip of wine and smiled: "Why? It seems you intend to go with me?"

"Is that not allowed? I cannot bear to part with the Immortal~" Fang Longye feigned a look of infatuation and leaned toward her.

"Smooth-tongued!"

Yang Chan swayed her body to avoid him, yet for some reason, she did not truly move away.

She only muttered, her eyes holding an inexplicable color.

Yes, muttered.

This tone clearly showed she had become numb to Fang Longye's flowery words.

She was too lazy to even be angry~

As for whether she was truly too lazy to be angry, or simply not angry at all, only she knew.

……

Thin mist scattered, and the light was sparse and faint.

Above the blue sky, a cloud gathered, and Fang Longye and Yang Chan were traveling together.

They were heading toward the southwest border of Great Han.

Yang Chan's eyes shone with divine light as she looked into the distance and exclaimed in surprise: "This southwest borderland is actually plagued by a Plague? Before, I was unable to learn of this from the Heavenly Secrets?"

After learning from the Heavenly Secrets that her opportunity this time lay in the southwest direction, she had calculated the Heavenly Secrets of the southwest region.

Although she could not know the specific information about the opportunity, the affairs of the southwest were clear to her. Yet, within the Heavenly Secrets, there was no mention of such a thing as a Plague.

This was too abnormal!

"Previously, didn't the Human King depose the gods? Perhaps this is the backlash suffered."

Fang Longye used his Thousand-Mile Eye, saw the miserable scene in the distance, and spoke.

Then he paused and added: "Of course, since you were unable to detect it from the Heavenly Secrets, it is also possible that someone has obscured the Heavenly Secrets."

"Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that this was done by a cultivator who practices the path of the Plague."

"Since it is uncertain, we naturally have to go and take a look~" Yang Chan turned her head and smiled.

Between their words, they passed through Shu and arrived at the southwest border of Great Han.

It was roughly equivalent to the Yunnan-Guizhou and Nanyue regions of his previous life.

It was a dilapidated small town, less than five miles long, with low city walls, housing over a thousand families.

However, at this moment, the small town was deathly silent.

On a long street, no one was in sight; every house had its doors closed, and almost every doorway had a White Banner fluttering, making the entire city look like a ghost town.

At every passage of the city, fully armed soldiers had set up checkpoints, forbidding people from leaving the city to prevent the Plague from spreading.

In this era with poor medical conditions, when a Plague breaks out and people die city by city, surrounding the city to prevent the spread of the Plague is the best choice.

Moreover, to be honest—

For this borderland, the fact that there were still soldiers faithfully performing their duties was not bad at all~

Fang Longye and Yang Chan descended on their clouds directly within the city, but both were in a state of invisibility and did not disturb anything in the slightest.

The city was very quiet, and the occasional sound of sorrowful weeping made it even more desolate.

Not far away, a wild dog with withered yellow fur that had mostly fallen off, revealing the rotting skin and flesh beneath, lay on the ground exuding a foul stench, its eyes dim like a dead dog.

Fang Longye scanned with his primordial spirit and discovered that in this small city of a thousand households, only a thousand or so people remained; it could be called nine empty houses out of ten.

He raised his head and used his Dharma eyes to observe the sky above the city, only to see it filled with deathly energy and devoid of any vitality.

Seeing this phenomenon, he turned his head and said to Yang Chan, "Vitality is severed; if there is no miracle, I fear the people here will all be dead within ten days!"

This was not the result for just this one city, but for vast swathes of cities, all of which were like this.

Unexpectedly, when he turned his head, he discovered that Yang Chan was casting a divine ability, sprinkling Immortal Dew Nectar to save that wild dog.

As the Immortal Dew was sprinkled, all the Plague Poison on the wild dog was washed away, and its ulcerated skin and flesh recovered as before, inevitably regaining vitality.

If it were not for the weakness of having just recovered from a long illness, it would likely have jumped up full of life immediately.

Yang Chan waved her hand, parting space, and sent this wild dog into her own Divine Dao Dharma Realm.

Then, she waved her hand at Fang Longye and said, "Let's go! This plague is not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity caused by a cultivator."

"Find him and kill him."

"I reckon this is the opportunity I sensed!"

"Uh—" Fang Longye looked at Yang Chan with a strange expression, pointed to a dilapidated courtyard nearby, and said, "Do you not intend to save the commoners here?"

Inside that dilapidated courtyard, there were five Straw Mats, and on the mats lay five men and women in rags, their bodies covered in pus.

These five people had dull eyes and weak breath, appearing as if they could die at any moment.

Yang Chan waved her hand and said, "That is a futile effort; if the source of the plague is not removed, they will still relapse and die from the plague after a while."

"It is meaningless!"

"You should also be able to see—not just this small city, but the entire southwest frontier is shrouded by that unknown cultivator with a peculiar energy field."

"The living beings here have had their souls locked by the Plague Poison deep within. Even if the Plague Poison is temporarily removed from their bodies, it will not be long before they are infected again."

"How many times can I save them, and how many people can I save?"

Her tone was cold, and she appeared extremely rational, almost to the point of being heartless.

There was not the slightest awareness of saving the suffering or performing great acts of compassion.

Fang Longye had no objections and felt nothing about this.

After spending this time together, he had long understood that Yang Chan did not have the saintly personality from the legends of his past life at all.

If she, as someone who was half Human Clan, did not care, why should he, a Dragon Clan member staying at the Demon Master Mansion, worry so much?

It was already not bad that she didn't go around threatening to use young boys and girls for blood sacrifices—it was just that—Yang Chan's beautiful eyes closed slightly, as if she had sensed the strange gaze he cast, and she exhaled and explained, "That wild dog has meaning!"

"It reminded me of the scene when I first met Xiaotian Quan with my second brother."

Fang Longye shrugged.

Recalling the past to appreciate the present, eh! He had been calling her a little rich girl for so long that he almost forgot she was much older than him! She must have lived for at least a hundred-plus Yuanhui—

Having lived for so many years.

What did mere mortals, who were like ants, matter?

Memories were the only things that were priceless.

(End of this chapter)