Chapter 322: A Spar That Stops at the Limit; The Birth of a Treasure Has Its Opportunity

Tie Shan really did not guess wrong; Yang Chan truly did know the purpose of her coming to Cuiyun Mountain.

As for how she knew—it was not that she was truly more formidable than Niu Mowang, nor was it because she possessed some divine calculation or investigative ability beyond that of ordinary people.

It was purely because she also possessed an item related to the Innate Plantain Tree in her hands.

It was not an Innate Banana Leaf, but a stalk of acquired Banana Wood.

The Innate Plantain Tree, when all is said and done, is the first Banana Wood of the Honghuang, and it inherently carries the mission of propagating offspring.

Or rather, propagating offspring and bringing numerous Banana Woods to the Honghuang is the true mission of the Innate Plantain Tree.

As for producing Innate Spiritual Treasure, that is merely a secondary or even incidental value.

Therefore,

unlike the ordinary Banana Wood of the mundane world, long before the Banana Leaves had even grown, the Innate Plantain Tree began to bear fruit in batches.

These fruits were either ignored by all, falling to become mud, or eaten by birds and beasts to increase their Dharma. But without exception, they all left seeds behind.

Drifting to all corners of the Honghuang.

It can be said that all the Banana Wood in this world originates from the Innate Plantain Tree, it is just that their relationship is too distant.

But this acquired Banana Wood in Yang Chan's hands is different; its relationship with the Innate Plantain Tree can be called a second-generation offspring.

Now, regarding this Innate Plantain Tree, it is not as if no one else discovered it again after Minghe Laozu and Taiqing Laozi.

Among them was Nuwa.

However, at that time, the remaining two Banana Leaves had not yet matured, and furthermore, she calculated that a fellow traveler had already visited, so she only plucked one batch of innate bananas.

Some of these innate bananas were used as fruit in a platter to satisfy her appetite, while others had their seeds extracted to propagate acquired Banana Wood.

In the long passage of time, in her spare moments, Nuwa selected the best from the best of these acquired Banana Woods and cultivated several types of top-tier acquired Banana Wood.

Although they do not count as innate, in terms of value, they do not lose to ordinary Innate Spiritual Root.

And the one in Yang Chan's hands is one of them.

It is precisely because of this connection

that she, like Tie Shan, could also sense the Heavenly Secrets related to the remnant roots of the Innate Plantain Tree and discern the true purpose of her coming to Cuiyun Mountain.

Come to think of it, at first, Yang Chan was truly unaware; even after stepping into Cuiyun Mountain, she did not immediately notice anything unusual.

On one hand, the acquired Banana Wood in her hands is indeed not as closely related to the Innate Plantain Tree as the Banana Fan in Tie Shan's hands.

But on the other hand, it is not unrelated to the fact that her heart was hung on Fang Longye, causing her to be neglectful and insensitive to other matters.

One can only say, that is love~

……

Boom—

In the starry sky beyond the domain, Fang Longye and Shituo Wang had already fought for no fewer than several thousand rounds purely by martial arts, yet no victor had emerged.

One is a traveler from beyond the heavens, his body infused with creation, holding the Panlong Spear, his might unparalleled; the other is a peerless great demon, the future Great Sage Who Moves Mountains, who did not fall behind in the slightest when facing Fang Longye.

It can be described as evenly matched, neck and neck.

Boom, the aftershocks spread, and wherever they reached, there were scenes of the starry sky collapsing everywhere.

Of course, if one really had to say.

Fang Longye was still a cut above. After all, he is only a Taiyi Loose Immortal, yet he could fight Shituo Wang, a Taiyi True Immortal, to a draw.

And even win~ Look, gradually,

the two's struggle finally had a winner.

Bang! A strike landed, slamming into Shituo Wang, sending him flying directly, crashing into several primordial stars in a row, unable to stop.

The remaining force directly annihilated these primordial stars until nothing was left, and even space was twisted, collided, and annihilated under this aftershock.

Shituo Wang steadied his body, his Dharma circulating rapidly to recover from his injuries, and at the same time, he leaped out of the arena and conceded, "As expected of the Young Lord of the Dragon Clan, this King admits defeat!"

Fang Longye's Panlong Spear was poised to strike, its cold light flickering, but seeing Shituo Wang concede, he had to put it behind his back and stop.

There was no unhappiness on his face from having his offensive interrupted; instead, he laughed heartily: "The Lion King is too kind! I merely relied on the advantage of my divine weapon and Spirit Treasure~"

He held the Panlong Spear, in silver helmet and silver armor, reflected in the halo, looking heroic and spirited, yet his demeanor was very magnanimous.

Shituo Wang also laughed heartily and complimented: "Forgive my previous lack of insight; among the new generation of dashing figures in this world, I fear Yuanlong is the leader!"

Both sides knew clearly why they were fighting, and naturally, it was a contest that stopped at the limit.

Shituo Wang would not reveal all his trump cards for Niu Mowang. Fang Longye would not deal any heavy blows or play at a fight to the death just because Niu Mowang instigated Shituo Wang.

That's right, Yang Chan could see that Shituo Wang's provocation was instigated by Niu Mowang, so how could Fang Longye not see it?

Otherwise, he would not have displayed all his Spirit Treasures when fighting Shituo Wang.

It was to show his strength to Niu Mowang, to let this bull king, who is easily muddled by beauty, wake up.

He, Dragon Lord Yuan, is not someone to be trifled with.

As for why he didn't just turn hostile and have a fight with the old bull? Well~ he is currently not really a match for Niu Mowang.

Don't look at this old bull as if he is muddled by lust; his strength is not weak at all. No, to be precise, he is very strong.

Strong to an boundless degree within the Taiyi Realm.

Just looking at the lineup that subdued this unruly bull in the original Journey to the West is enough to see a glimpse of it.

It can be said that Fang Longye's current strength is really not enough in front of Niu Mowang.

Let alone Niu Mowang, even Shituo Wang—don't look at how he won, but if one really had to say, it was indeed a bit of an unfair victory.

His words just now were truly not self-deprecating; fighting Shituo Wang was indeed relying on the advantage of his divine weapon and Spirit Treasure.

Relying solely on his own strength, he, a Taiyi Loose Immortal, could not beat the Taiyi True Immortal Shituo Wang.

Talking about relying purely on martial arts? Just this set of Jiaolong Armor on his body gave Fang Longye a huge advantage.

One can only say that the demon kings who could become sworn brothers with Niu Mowang, Sun Wukong, and the others are definitely not ordinary people.

Because dragons do not dwell with snakes.

They are not on the same level and would never swear brotherhood, especially for Demon Kings with eccentric personalities; this is even more true.

Of course, although both sides shook hands and made peace, turning hostility into friendship, no one mentioned the Sunset Divine Arrow that Fang Longye had collected.

Both of them had a tacit understanding and avoided talking about it.

Fang Longye did not say he would return this trophy to Shituo Wang, and Shituo Wang would not shamelessly go and ask for this Sunset Divine Arrow.

In any case, "every debt has a debtor, every grievance has a source."

All of Shituo Wang's losses would naturally be paid for by that Dali Bull Demon King in Cuiyun Mountain.

At Cuiyun Mountain, Fang Longye and Shituo Wang returned hand in hand, the two of them chatting and laughing, looking like they had become friends through a fight—"Haha—"

Seeing the two return, Niu Mowang, as the host, let out a hearty laugh and went up to greet them.

"What an eye-opener! The sparring between you two was truly a case of meeting one's match and encountering a worthy opponent; it was truly an eye-opener—"

He paused, then looked solely at Fang Longye and said, "I hope you do not mind, fellow Daoist. Previously, when I was discussing fellow travelers of the world with brother Shituo, I mentioned you a few times, saying you are a rare romantic figure of this generation, which made brother Shituo keep it in mind."

"Today, seeing that you are indeed a hero, brother Shituo could not help himself; seeing a talent he admired, he went down to spar with you a few times. Fearing you might refuse, he spoke somewhat disrespectfully, and I hope you will not take offense."

He patted his chest with a thumping sound and said, "If you have any further dissatisfaction, just say it. I, this old brother, will make amends to you on behalf of brother Shituo—"

"So that's how it is."

Fang Longye was noncommittal; such polite remarks were just meant to be listened to. However, he did not show anything on his face.

It was Niu Mowang's gesture of taking the blame that made him understand why his reputation in Xiniu Hezhou was so good—even having Shituo Wang, this future Great Sage Who Moves Mountains, as a younger brother.

Regardless of whether this Dali Bull Demon King was truly sincere or just acting well, this magnanimity, heroism, straightforwardness, and sense of responsibility were indeed very much to the taste of demons.

Naturally, he was very popular.

No wonder this Niu Mowang, having not been in Xiniu Hezhou for long, had already gained a reputation for generosity and righteousness, attracting so many great demons at the Golden Immortal level to join him.

Before one has overwhelming strength, personality, methods, and so on are indeed very important, allowing one to be like a fish in water and handle things with ease.

After taking the blame,

Niu Mowang then invited Fang Longye and Shituo Wang to take their seats, set up stone tables and jade desks, and summoned maidservants of all kinds to come and go.

Soon, a banquet was fully arranged.

Smoke curled up three feet high, and the delicacies on the plates—things that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and swim in the water—were all there, complete in color, aroma, and taste.

They toasted and drank with everyone, enjoying themselves to the fullest.

Afterwards, he arranged lodgings for everyone to rest.

"You mean, that Tie Shan came to this Cuiyun Mountain to hunt for treasure?"

Bamboo leaves cast clear shadows, and there was rain beneath the rocks.

Three or five clusters of banana trees hung before the small window, their greenness enticing.

Inside the cave chamber, in the center of the pool, lay a coral tree, its branches spreading out in colorful patterns, reflecting the light of the pearls hanging from the dome.

It made the entire space look magnificent.

After arriving at the lodging arranged by Niu Mowang, Yang Chan did not hide it and told Fang Longye about her discovery.

"Could that be fake?"

Yang Chan sneered, "Just a vixen, she could only fool that stupid bull—"

Having already used her methods to conceal everything beforehand, she did not fear others hearing and directly began to mock Tie Shan.

"A remnant root of the Innate Plantain Tree, no wonder—"

Fang Longye's eyes blinked; the light from the coral tree shone on his face, and his brows were furrowed in thought.

No wonder in Journey to the West, this place was called Banana Cave. It seems it wasn't just renamed after Tie Shan married Niu Mowang.

I fear it is also because the remnant root of the Innate Plantain Tree once hid here.

"I remember that in the Flame Mountain calamity of Journey to the West, Niu Mowang and Tie Shan had a so-called 'fake fan' in their hands; using it to fan Flame Mountain was not only ineffective, but it also backfired, like adding oil to a fire."

Fang Longye's eyes grew brighter, and he thought to himself: "Could that 'fake fan' be the Lesser Yang Essence Leaf from the two Banana Fans hidden here?"

"In Journey to the West, was that why the two of them met? It's just that without my interference, that lucky old bull came and got both the person and the treasure?"

He rubbed his fingers, feeling a sense of excitement.

An indescribable excitement.

It is no wonder he felt this way; these were two Innate Spiritual Treasures! Who wouldn't covet them?

Never mind the talk that these two Innate Spiritual Treasures couldn't compare to the Merit Spiritual Treasure in his hand.

Who told him that, until now, he didn't even have one Innate Spiritual Treasure in his hand?

Those who don't have them want them even more.

Seeing him remain silent for a long time, Yang Chan couldn't help but say sarcastically, "What are you thinking about? Don't tell me you're reluctant to snatch this slut's things?"

"Could it be that she really is your little lover?"

"Nonsense!"

Fang Longye came back to his senses, pulled Yang Chan over, gave her rear a few hard smacks, and laughed loudly, "Do you still dare to question your husband?"

"Ah! You jerk!"

In the following days, whether it was Fang Longye, Yang Chan, or Tie Shan, all were very peaceful, waiting for Niu Mowang to establish his residence and career.

As it turned out, this remnant root of the Innate Plantain Tree was currently in a mysterious state; one could only sense it, and it lacked a catalyst to truly manifest in the world.

And whether it was Tie Shan or Yang Chan, the Heavenly Secrets they sensed all indicated that this catalyst was precisely Niu Mowang establishing his residence and career.

When the time came, heaven knows if there would be any eye-catching commotion, so they naturally had to conserve their energy to deal with any emergencies that might arise.

After all, the two women only had a sense for this treasure and had some karmic connection to it; that did not mean this treasure was destined for them alone.

Otherwise, the one who most deserved this opportunity should have been the local host, Niu Mowang.

Yet clearly, up until now, Niu Mowang has remained completely unaware, having spent these past few days busy running about for the establishment of his Cave Abode.

Finally,

on this day, the sky was clear and bright.

It was the perfect day for establishing his Cave Abode.

Within Cuiyun Mountain, pavilions had long been erected and refined chambers arranged; fragrant snow fell in abundance, bamboo leaves cast shade, all to entertain the guests who had already arrived to offer their congratulations.

Many of them were already occupied by people.

Niu Mowang had wide-ranging social connections, so naturally, there were no shortage of friends coming to congratulate him, and the scale of the Cave Abode establishment was quite grand.

There were also many demons who heard the news and came running to sponge off the food and drink, or perhaps with other intentions.

However, establishing a Cave Abode is, after all, meant to lay the foundation for a faction and spread one's reputation so as to recruit more subordinates, so naturally, he would not mind such things.

It did not matter if they came to sponge off the food and drink, as long as his reputation was spread abroad.

Of course, those who generally came just to sponge off the food and drink were not very strong, basically just some minor demons who had not amounted to much.

Naturally, they could not expect to enter the Yuhua Cave, nor would anyone serve them; they could only eat and drink on the periphery and amuse themselves.

Some were better off, able to eat and drink within Cuiyun Mountain, while others could not even ascend Cuiyun Mountain and could only eat wine and meat outside the mountain gate to have some fun.

Only those with sufficient strength, even if they had no invitation and came uninvited, could be seated in the main seats and become honored guests.

As for Fang Longye, Yang Chan, and the others, they were naturally the most honored among the honored guests, arranged by Niu Mowang among the most distinguished group of guests in Yuhua Cave.

"This is troublesome now!"

Deep within Yuhua Cave lay a spiritual lake spanning several hundred acres, its water clear and bright, deep green like dark pigment, with strange lotus flowers planted inside.

A single stalk grew four leaves, looking like tassels on a canopy drooping in pairs, which was very beautiful.

The immortal lotus seeds were like crystal, each one plump and refracting light, the fragrance they diffused spreading for over ten miles, lingering without dispersing, like smoke and clouds.

On a floating corridor connecting the water, the banquet was arranged to perfection, and over twenty honored guests had already arrived.

They gathered in twos and threes, chatting.

There were immortals, demons, gods, Buddhist, and even Fang Longye's four convenient fathers-in-law—the Sea Dragon King of the Four Seas.

One could only say that Niu Mowang truly had wide-ranging social connections.

"This is troublesome now!"

Just as Fang Longye was marveling at Niu Mowang's wide-ranging social connections, Yang Chan's expression turned ugly.

"That stupid ox actually invited his sect elders~ the key is that it's this person!"

Fang Longye followed Yang Chan's gesture and looked at a female immortal not far away.

(End of this chapter)