Chapter 315: Secret Talk in the Blood Sea, the Women's Kingdom of Xiliang

"Rest assured, it is better to resolve grievances than to knot them. I am truly sincere about settling the karma between us, fellow Daoist."

Minghe Laozu's suspicion was naturally seen by Yunzhongzi, who immediately raised an eyebrow and expressed his intent for reconciliation.

"Oh?"

Hearing these words, Minghe Laozu gestured with his hand, and the Blood Sea surged into the sky, filling the heavens and covering the earth.

Countless variegated flowers slanted across the space, some as buds, some on the verge of blooming, and some already in full flower, clustered in groups.

Yet without exception, they were all as crimson as blood.

Millions upon millions of blood lotuses, their fragrance floating and condensing into clouds, finally combined to form a thousand-petaled perfect Dharma lotus, still as scarlet as blood.

Seeing this, Yunzhongzi smiled, Generating Light beneath his feet, and with a shake of his body, he arrived on this thousand-petaled blood lotus platform and sat down gracefully.

For a moment, the place where the two sat was wreathed in mist and clouds, with auspicious vapors and colorful rays rising, and hundreds of millions of golden lamps and beaded curtains flowing; the precious light was like water dripping from eaves, continuous and unending.

Looking closely, space and time became folded.

Within it, karma was isolated, and neither the inside nor the outside could be perceived.

Yunzhongzi landed on the lotus platform, sat opposite Minghe Laozu, organized his words, and looking straight into those eyes full of inquiry, said: "Please believe me, fellow Daoist; I truly do not intend to hold a grudge over that sword strike you gave me back then."

"You also know that I don't even hold a grudge against Kunpeng, so why would I hold one against you, fellow Daoist?"

"What's more," Yunzhongzi said with a pointed meaning, "I don't think that just because I am about to attain Hunyuan, I would be your match~"

"What do you mean?"

Minghe Laozu's calm, unruffled expression finally changed.

Yunzhongzi smiled and said, "What I mean, fellow Daoist Minghe, you know yourself."

He paused.

He looked at Minghe Laozu with a playful expression.

"Of course, I am not so kind-hearted, nor so generous, as to give you the opportunity to touch the legacy of Xihuang for no reason."

"But as I just said, it is better to resolve grievances than to knot them. In this great era of the epoch, there is no irreconcilable hatred between us; wouldn't it be better to cast aside past grudges?"

"Turning hostility into friendship is, of course, not bad," Minghe Laozu said in a deep voice. "Since you, the aggrieved party, are willing, I naturally have no reason to refuse."

"However," he changed the subject and said, "in other respects, please forgive Minghe for being unable to accompany you~"

He was not a fool; he naturally understood what Hongyun wanted by being so generous.

Could it be that he really thought Hongyun, this Great Divine Ability holder about to step into Hunyuan, was so idle that he ran over just to propose marriage for a junior? It could only be said that after experiencing who knows how many epochs, the current Hongyun had also changed and was no longer his original self.

"This current epoch is indeed unparalleled; I do not know what you want me to do for you."

Minghe Laozu said bluntly, "But to speak frankly, as long as I, this seat, want to cooperate with others, Hunyuan Saints would be lining up to find me."

"On what grounds do you think you can form an alliance with me?"

"Just because you are about to attain the Hunyuan Dao Fruit?"

Hearing this, Yunzhongzi did not get angry, but instead laughed suddenly, saying lightly, "Fellow Daoist is indeed qualified to say these things."

"However," he sat up straight, stared at Minghe Laozu, and began to laugh.

"Does fellow Daoist not want to solve the problem of Demon Ancestor Luo Hou? Or is it that fellow Daoist is willing to continue to stagnate in this realm, not daring to take even half a step beyond Hunyuan?"

Once these words were spoken, a brilliant light suddenly burst forth in Minghe Laozu's eyes, and a deep, hidden killing intent was on the verge of erupting.

He truly did not expect that this Hongyun could have such a thorough understanding of his situation.

By all logic, very few people knew this.

As for the killing intent, it was because Yunzhongzi's words struck directly at his sore spot.

In fact, only a very few people knew that as early as the ancient times, he, Minghe, could have attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit.

But he did not dare.

Just as Hongyun said, he could clearly step into Hunyuan with a single stride, yet he did not dare to cross the line by even half a step.

The reason lay in Luo Hou.

This true Demon Ancestor of heaven and earth was an existence who had once contended with the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

It was also a secret that only a few people knew: he was actually a former minor disciple of Luo Hou.

He was an existence who had received his full mantle.

This was also the reason why his cultivation tended toward the Demon path, and the race he created—the Asura—was also called the Demon Race by all living beings.

It was also almost unknown to anyone that,

as early as when Ancestor Hongjun first attained Hunyuan and opened his palace doors to preach the Dao, he, Minghe, was already a Great Divine Ability holder above the Daluo realm.

And this was thanks to the inheritance of Luo Hou.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

Expecting Luo Hou, this true grandmaster of the Demon path, to be some kind of loving master who cared for his disciples was simply wishful thinking.

At first, he was completely unaware, and it was only after becoming a Great Divine Ability holder that he realized he had long since fallen into the trap set by his "good master."

Once he attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit, he would immediately encounter an inexplicable misfortune, just like a pig or sheep waiting to be slaughtered—once fattened, it would be killed for its meat.

This was also the reason why he, a person of the Demon path, went to listen to Ancestor Hongjun preach the Dao.

He just wanted to see if his "good master's" old rival had any solution.

Unfortunately, after listening to the preaching three times, and even asking Ancestor Hongjun for advice in private, he still could not truly solve the problem of his own existence.

He only realized a 'Blood God Son' divine ability, which he used to delay the time for the hidden danger to erupt.

That's right, the famous 'Blood God Son' divine ability, which claimed to have 480 million Blood God Sons, the Great Divine Ability of "the Blood Sea does not dry, Minghe does not die," was not used to refine the Blood Sea.

Or rather, the act of refining the Blood Sea was not for the sake of "the Blood Sea does not dry, Minghe does not die," but to disperse his own power.

While delaying his entry into Hunyuan, he could accumulate more foundation.

It sounded like something that would really make people hate him.

It made it seem as if the Hunyuan Dao Fruit was something he could pick just by reaching out his hand.

But this is the truth.

With the hidden hand of Luo Hou, plus the fact that he was truly blessed by heaven and uniquely enjoyed the entire Blood Sea of Honghuang, the Hunyuan gateway that ordinary people could hardly see had been within his reach since the ancient times—yet he simply dared not push open this gateway.

Every time his power accumulated further and he wanted to try, he sensed that once he attained the Hunyuan Dao, some inexplicable misfortune would befall him.

Perhaps he would become the vessel for his good master's return to the world, directly transforming into an existence like a response body or an avatar, losing his self; or perhaps he would be directly devoured by his good master, turning into fuel for cultivation;... and so on, anything was possible.

But he was certain that no matter which possibility it was, it would not be a good thing.

For this, he had made quite a lot of effort, yet it was still to no avail.

This included back then when he kicked someone while they were down, snatching the Hongmeng Purple Qi from the hands of the original body before him, which was also to see if this thing could be of any use to him.

Otherwise, he would not have cared for this thing.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi is indeed profound and can allow one to attain the position of a Hunyuan Saint. But a Saint is Hunyuan, yet Hunyuan is not necessarily a Saint. Although Hunyuan cannot compare to the authority of a Saint in Honghuang, it is much freer and more at ease than a Saint—he, who could step into Hunyuan in one stride, did not want to be shackled by that Saint position.

So, how did this fellow Hongyun know? A look of suspicion arose in the eyes of Minghe Laozu.

Houtu? Jieyin or Zhun Ti? Or Nuwa?

Or Yuanshi Tianzun?

"How on earth did you, old ghost, know?"

Facing the faint light in the other's eyes, Yunzhongzi was calm and composed, without any worldly aura, and said: "Fellow Daoist Minghe, never mind how I know; just ask yourself if you want to escape your imprisonment?"

Facing the temptation in Yunzhongzi's words, Minghe Laozu sneered: "Do you have a way?"

Although he did not know if that old thief Hongjun was truly helpless against the hidden hand his good master had planted in him, or if he simply did not want to care about the life or death of a Demon path practitioner like him.

But over these years, he had been on very deep friendly terms with Houtu, and also had close dealings with Nuwa.

These two goddesses, one is the wielder of the Earthly Dao, an existence that became Hunyuan on its own without needing Hongmeng Purple Qi, and the other is the Dao companion of the transcendent Xihuang, possessing the hidden hands left behind by Xihuang to assist in cultivation.

With Hongjun having fled to Chaos and his whereabouts unknown, and the old thief Luo Hou suppressed and sleeping in an unknown place in Honghuang, they could be called the two strongest in the current Honghuang.

They far exceeded other Hunyuan Saints by who knows how many levels.

And these two had no way to deal with the hidden hand planted in him by Luo Hou. He did not believe that Hongyun would have any solution.

It was also his fault for having eyes but failing to recognize Mount Tai back then, misjudging the situation and not anticipating that Xihuang would be so stunningly talented, and thus not associating much.

By the time Xihuang succeeded in transcending, it was already too late.

It was just that this person did not follow the standard procedure of becoming Hunyuan for a period of time before transcending in Honghuang.

Instead, after the Lich War, he attained enlightenment in one moment, all worldly burdens and locks were removed, becoming Hunyuan in one step and entering transcendence in two, the entire process completed in one go.

He simply did not leave any time for others to ask for advice before he transcended and left.

Otherwise, he estimated that he would have long since escaped his imprisonment and attained the Hunyuan Dao! How could he have kept lurking in the Blood Sea? Yunzhongzi, this avatar of Hongyun Daoren, could not help but shake his head and laugh at Minghe's questioning.

"I have disappointed you, Fellow Daoist—things that even the two Goddesses cannot do, I, an old bone who has yet to attain the Hunyuan Dao, naturally cannot do either!"

Ignoring the darkening complexion of Minghe Laozu, Yunzhongzi said with a smile: "But having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy, right?"

"Are you threatening me?"

The faint color in Minghe Laozu's eyes faded, replaced by a cold, chilling light; even knowing that Hongyun was painting a big picture, he had never been this angry.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare—"

Yunzhongzi waved his hands repeatedly and said: "I just want to say, with me, a future Hunyuan, plus that junior of mine who carries the legacy of Xihuang, the help to you, Fellow Daoist, should not be insignificant, right?"

Minghe Laozu withdrew the cold light in his eyes; such a proposal was indeed not bad.

With Fang Longye as the key, as long as it is used properly, he could even connect with all the Hunyuan Saints of Honghuang; wanting to solve Luo Hou and escape his imprisonment would no longer be a pipe dream.

What's more, there was also a future Hunyuan like Hongyun as a bonus.

"Now, shouldn't you invite me to your Blood God Palace for a cup of tea? This current situation is hardly the way to treat a guest."

Seeing Minghe Laozu's expression soften, clearly moved, Yunzhongzi could not help but tease.

Minghe Laozu snorted coldly, though he could not let go of his pride for the moment, he still reached out and waved, gently brushing aside time and space.

As if thin gauze were being removed, the scene deep within the Blood Sea was revealed in its entirety.

One could see a towering Dao Palace, with purple and blue light hanging down, shining brilliantly; it was precisely where Minghe Laozu usually cultivated and received guests—the Blood God Palace.

Accompanying the emergence of the Blood God Palace, in an instant, tens of thousands of blood lotuses crowded and grew, forming a rainbow bridge, with red mist swirling and fragrance condensing in the air.

It extended all the way to where the Blood God Palace was located.

"Please!"

Xiniu Hezhou.

Fang Longye naturally did not know that in order to form an alliance with Minghe Laozu, and incidentally mixed with the intention of causing trouble, Hongyun Daoren had arranged another marriage for him.

At this moment, he was carrying Yang Chan, the two of them disguised as a mortal couple, strolling in the Daughter Kingdom.

Walking all the way west, the harvest had been meager.

However, not long after he left Wuzhuang Guan, he suddenly realized and had some expectations for this, so he had nothing to be annoyed about.

When it comes down to it, more than half of the named monsters in Journey to the West were creatures belonging to powerful figures; they were all well-connected and used their positions to sponge off the Tribulation Luck and merit.

At this time, the Journey to the West had not yet begun.

Kui Mulang was still in the Heavenly Palace teasing the palace maids of the Pixiang Hall, Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao were still watching the furnace for Laojun, and the Green Lion, who no longer had his former majesty, was still being humiliated under the crotch of Puxian.

Niu Mowang probably hadn't even met Iron Fan Princess yet, and Hong Hai'er, who played with fire, was nowhere to be seen! He did not know what was going on with the Jinghe Dragon King either; anyway, he had just met his youngest son, Tuo Longguai, last time, and if he really wanted to go to the Black Water River to be a monster, he would have to wait another six or seven hundred years.

The three monsters of Chechi Kingdom, who were devoted to the Dao, also did not know which corner they were hiding in; anyway, he had not seen these three fellow disciples at Zhongnan Mountain.

Even walking all the way here, he hadn't even seen the country of Chechi. It was probably not even established yet!

Jinlin Dawang, who liked to eat young boys and girls, was still being kept as a pet by Guanyin, and it was not yet time for him to go to the Tongtian River to be a monster.

Laojun's green ox was also still tied up in Doushuai Gong, and the Lianhua Dong of Pingding Shan was still just an inconspicuous little hill, with not many monsters, just some small fry.

Walking all the way here, he had only collected a few small cats and kittens; one was Baigu Jing, who was still cultivating in seclusion at Baihu Ling, and the other was that old turtle in the Tongtian River.

However, it was still a bit too early.

Baigu Jing, who would later be able to spin Tang Seng around in circles and give Sun Wukong a headache, had only just gained sentience at this time and was incredibly naive.

As for that old turtle, let alone that; according to the original text, it had cultivated for over one thousand three hundred years and still had not taken human form, being utterly dull and foolish.

Fang Longye also probed it a bit, and its aptitude was truly abysmal.

It could only be said that he had come too early.

His previous plans were now half-ruined; if he really wanted things to be as he had envisioned, he would likely have to wait until after Monkey caused Havoc in Heaven.

However, Fang Longye did not intend to give up halfway, planning to continue the rest of the journey no matter what.

Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, after all!

Traveling in all directions still has its benefits; at the very least, it can broaden one's knowledge and allow one to see different scenery.

Not to mention anything else, isn't the Daughter Kingdom right before his eyes a different kind of scenery? In his past life, as a lecher, he had long admired the Daughter Kingdom—hmm, to be precise, people call it Xiliang Guo.

It is just that because this country is peculiar, one sees all around either long skirts trailing on the ground, or silk skirts surpassing lotus flowers, or hairpins swaying, or delicate fragrances assailing the senses; walking on the streets, big and small, everyone is a woman.

Precisely because of this, Xiliang Guo is also called the Daughter Kingdom of Xiliang, claiming that farmers, scholars, artisans, and merchants are all women, and fishers, woodcutters, farmers, and herders are all in red makeup.

What made Fang Longye click his tongue in wonder the most was that, for some unknown reason, these women in the Daughter Kingdom each possessed the ability of eternal youth.

Looking around, the oldest-looking ones were merely middle-aged women, possessing a unique charm.

In any case, in this Daughter Kingdom, there were no unattractive ones; whether young matrons, young maidens, or little girls, each one had a beautiful face and was a feast for the eyes.

If not for Yang Chan being by his side, Fang Longye would have wanted to abduct everyone in this Daughter Kingdom, from top to bottom, and indulge himself thoroughly.

(End of this chapter)