Chapter 382: True Immortal Danxia, The Fire-Tending Daoist

Now, after Hu Qiuyue successfully transformed into a Nine-tailed Fox, her appearance became even more moving; that heart-hooking charm made Fang Longye's fingers twitch with desire.

He could no longer be bothered with his previous plan to enter secluded cultivation, so he pulled her in and they spent a long time in a blur of passion.

After a most hearty and unrestrained battle,

he finally left the drowsy beauty behind, gave a few instructions, and slipped away to begin the secluded cultivation he had planned from the start. Deep within Longying Cave, golden palaces and jade towers stood, with treasure pavilions everywhere.

Wanling Palace was situated among them, with an inexplicable, murky aura permeating the surroundings, shifting between reality and void.

The entire Dao Palace was filled with purple and green divine light, crisscrossing and weaving together to derive incredible hexagrams that slowly descended from above. From time to time, they collided, emitting mysterious heavenly sounds, while golden flowers bloomed and released a fragrant scent.

Fang Longye sat upright in the hall.

After calming his heart and focusing his spirit, he turned his gaze inward and discovered that after the intense battle with Hu Qiuyue, his cultivation had actually made significant progress.

"This Dual Cultivation method is truly a wonderful thing; it really makes one unable to extricate oneself." Fang Longye opened his eyes, his gaze filled with joy.

To be able to enjoy pleasure while easily increasing one's cultivation—how many things in this world could be more blissful than this path? Of course, one must have a good cauldron.

That he could make such progress was entirely due to Hu Qiuyue's bloodline transformation this time, coupled with the fact that her Myriad Wonders Exquisite Profound Dao Body had also reached completion. "However,"

Fang Longye shook his head and muttered to himself, "The little fox's cultivation is still too low."

If Hu Qiuyue could have the cultivation of a Taiyi True Immortal—no, even just a Taiyi Loose Immortal,

he would guarantee that, relying on her current Nine-tailed Fox foundation and the completed Myriad Wonders Exquisite Profound Dao Body, he would absolutely be able to reach the perfection of the Taiyi True Immortal realm.

It was a pity the little fox was only a Golden Immortal.

As for her, after this, she should be able to advance to the Taiyi realm very soon. After all, whether it was the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* or the secret method of the 'Myriad Wonders Exquisite Profound Dao Body', both were proper Dual Cultivation secret methods, not extraction methods.

It was impossible for it to benefit only one person; even the cauldron would receive benefits.

"So, am I the cauldron, or is she the cauldron?" Fang Longye couldn't help but complain.

"Speaking of which, Qingli has been in secluded cultivation for so long, she should be close to reversing to the Innate state, right?"

Fang Longye suddenly thought of Qingli.

It was shortly after his marriage that Qingli had entered secluded cultivation, seeking progress in the 'Heavenly Demon God-Slaughtering Art' in order to reverse to the Innate state.

By now, several years had passed.

Calculating the time, it should be about right.

Hmm, he wasn't worried that Qingli would fail to reverse to the Innate state; before she entered seclusion, he had prepared sufficient cultivation resources for her.

Various Innate Spiritual Objects, quite a bit of essence blood from various Innate and Acquired exotic species, and various remains and corpses from the ruins of that previous battlefield, and so on.

He had even taken the Corpse Soul Ridge from before, and in a spirit of not wasting anything, used his methods to strip the entire territory from the earth, shrink it, and bestow it upon Qingli. With so many resources for the secret method to refine and improve, even if Qingli couldn't achieve the foundation of a Xiantian Shengsheng, becoming a top-tier Innate living being was no problem.

As for the Tribulation she would face later, with the feedback gained from their occasional Dual Cultivation, passing it shouldn't be a problem either.

"Once Qingli successfully reverses to the Innate state, she should be able to start advancing to Taiyi."

Fang Longye calculated in his heart.

Just like he had before, once his Innate Yuanlong body was formed, the Taiyi Loose Immortal realm was achieved in one step.

After some consideration,

Fang Longye gathered his thoughts and turned to look at the Merit and Luck on his person, murmuring:

"I wonder if refining all of this Merit and Luck will push me to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm."

He saw that his entire spiritual platform was filled with light invisible to the naked eye, with layers of clouds flowing, showing reddish-gold inside and purple-green outside, shining brilliantly.

The clouds suddenly sank, accumulating into water waves, circle after circle... The entire sea of consciousness was filled with cloud light and water vapor, surging back and forth. It was nothing else but the Merit and Luck he had accumulated over these years, including the portion of Brahma-sect luck he had intercepted a while ago. Originally, he estimated this Merit and Luck would allow him to reach perfection as a Taiyi True Immortal, but it would fall short for a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

However, after these years of Dual Cultivation with Yang Chan and the others, his cultivation progress had made significant strides, making this Merit and Luck seem quite abundant.

Of course, whether it could support him to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, Fang Longye could not be entirely sure. Shaking his head,

Fang Longye stopped overthinking and buried his head in cultivating with the help of the Merit and Luck on his person. At the same time,

most of his consciousness crossed the vast space and descended onto his Divine Dao clone far away in the Heavenly Court.

……

Heavenly Court, Shuiyuan Shengjun Mansion.

A small pavilion in the heart of the lake.

The eaves were upturned, and the design was simple and ancient.

Windows opened on all four sides, with lake stones set outside—rugged and delicate—and bamboo leaves spread out around, blending beautifully.

Fang Longye's Divine Dao clone wore a Golden Crown and was draped in the exclusive immortal robe of the Water Origin Holy Lord, sitting before the window, blowing in the breeze, drinking tea, his posture detached from the world.

Opposite him was an old man with silver-white hair, a spirited expression, and a Daoist robe; behind him, colorful rays of light faintly formed the shape of a tripod furnace, standing on three legs.

From time to time, the lid of the tripod would rise, wafting out bursts of pill fragrance that permeated the surroundings, and even heavenly talismans would condense and fall to the ground, turning into rich vitality.

Green arcs of light collided, crackling and popping.

Just looking at the phenomena, one knew how accomplished the old man before him was in alchemy; he certainly had a knack for it.

Of course he had a knack for it; this old man came from Taishang Laojun's Doushuai Gong. Although he was only a fire-tending Daoist, who could look down on a fire-tending Daoist under Taishang Laojun?

If nothing else,

just being influenced by what he saw and heard was enough for this old Daoist to possess impressive attainments in alchemy.

Therefore,

don't look at the fact that this old Daoist was only a fire-tending Daoist in Taishang Laojun's Doushuai Gong, with a cultivation of barely a Taiyi Loose Immortal, nearly at the bottom of the Taiyi realm.

But outside, in the Heavenly Court, he held the rank of True Immortal and the title of Danxia True Immortal.

One must know that in the Heavenly Court, many Taiyi True Immortals, and even Taiyi Golden Immortals, might not necessarily have the status of a True Immortal.

But there was no help for it,

who told him to come from Doushuai Gong! This background was a dimensionality-reduction strike to ordinary people.

When it concerned a Hunyuan Saint, let alone a mere fire-tending Daoist, even a dog, if it had any connection to a Hunyuan Saint, would immediately be treated with importance by others.

"Water Origin Holy Lord,"

The old man wore a warm smile, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze. He looked at Fang Longye, his voice even carrying a hint of pill fragrance, and said, "I shall have to trouble you to look after my nephew from now on!"

As the Water Origin Holy Lord, Fang Longye naturally had the right to establish his own mansion and offices.

He had been the Water Origin Holy Lord for some time now, and had been gradually recruiting personnel, slowly building up his own exclusive mansion—naturally, this led many to flock to him, eager to join his ranks.

One should not underestimate these positions within his mansion.

He was the Profound Mystery Disaster-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord, and his status as a Water Official in the Heavenly Court was second only to his direct superior, the Water Official Cave Yin Great Emperor—naturally, the official positions in his mansion would not be minor roles without rank.

Furthermore, there is no wall in the world that does not leak; his tacit agreement with the Jade Emperor was not an unknown secret.

Those with connections and backgrounds all knew that he was the undisputed next Cave Yin Great Emperor.

The position of Water Official Cave Yin Great Emperor, currently vacant in the Heavenly Court, had long been held in reserve for him.

As the common saying goes, "No merit is greater than following the dragon to save the sovereign." While one might not encounter a chance to save the sovereign, the merit of following the dragon was right before their eyes, was it not? If one viewed the Water Official Cave Yin Great Emperor as the lord of a dynasty, then the Profound Mystery Disaster-Relieving Water Origin Holy Lord was equivalent to a Crown Prince. His mansion was equivalent to an Eastern Palace; joining his mansion at this time could certainly be considered becoming a minister of the prince's residence.

The future rewards would naturally be far from small.

With a hundred percent return, it would be strange if people did not flock to him. Pulling strings and using back doors were common human nature, and the Heavenly Court was no exception.

And so,

the Danxia True Lord before him was exactly this.

"Haha, rest assured, your nephew will absolutely not suffer any grievances here."

Facing the request brought by Danxia True Lord, Fang Longye naturally responded with a chuckle.

Immediately following,

he paused and said half-jokingly, "Even if I do not consider your face, Danxia True Lord, I must consider the face of your medicinal pills."

"Haha! If the Holy Lord needs any medicinal pills, just let me know when the time comes."

Danxia True Lord naturally knew Fang Longye was half-joking. He patted his chest and said with a laugh, "Even if I lack the strength to refine the immortal pills the Holy Lord desires, compared to others, I believe I still have some connections. Whether it is making introductions or seeking them out, I am still of some use."

"You are too modest, Danxia True Lord! If even you, coming from Doushuai Gong, only have 'some connections,' then there is no need to speak of others in this regard."

Fang Longye shook his head and complimented him.

"However,"

after the compliments,

he changed the subject and said bluntly, "True Lord, you also know that although I have already established my mansion, the Shuiyuan Shengjun Mansion is newly founded and requires capable people to show their talents."

The implication was that while he would look after him, if that nephew of his was truly hopeless, then he should not blame him for being heartless. Upon hearing Fang Longye's words,

Danxia True Lord was not annoyed; he remained smiling, with the composure of someone who had everything under control.

He nodded in agreement:

"That is indeed true. The Holy Lord's mansion is newly founded and is certainly a good place for people to show their talents. Otherwise, I would not have let that boy Chixuan come to serve under the Holy Lord."

This Danxia True Lord was quite confident in his nephew's abilities! Fang Longye naturally heard the meaning in his words and couldn't help but think to himself. Immediately, Fang Longye said no more and leisurely picked up his teacup to drink. After all, whether it was a mule or a horse, one would know once it was taken out for a run.

Danxia True Lord also stopped speaking on this, picked up the teapot, and poured water, unhurriedly.

He naturally had confidence in his nephew; although he did have some shortcomings, such as a fiery temper and an arrogant nature, there were almost no other flaws besides these.

The former was caused by Chixuan's own attributes and cultivation techniques, and the latter was a common trait among many second-generation descendants, which was not strange.

And all in all, these were of no great consequence.

Yes, in the Heavenly Court, Danxia True Lord's nephew Chixuan was indeed not among the most outstanding of his peers, but who told him to have a good uncle?

This single point could make up for everything.

Even Fang Longye had no alternative view on this; he himself was a beneficiary of connections, so he could not be strict with others while being lenient with himself. In fact, ever since Danxia True Lord came to make his request, Fang Longye had already decided that as long as Danxia True Lord's nephew Chixuan was not completely hopeless and was worth using, he would keep him.

Cultivating immortality is just like navigating the world of martial arts; it has never been just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and worldly wisdom. Therefore,

being an official in the Heavenly Court is no different from anywhere else; personal ability is important, but background is even more important.

Otherwise, there would not be more and more second-generation descendants able to rise to power.

Fathers pass to sons, sons pass to grandsons, and grandsons pass it down further; descendants upon descendants, endlessly.

If not for this,

in the vast Honghuang, possessing boundless Chaos and unimaginable resources, how could there still be distinctions between immortals, Buddhist, humans, the wise and the foolish, the noble and the base?

Even setting aside the share occupied by those few Primordial Supremes, if the rest were truly spread out, it would be enough for all living beings in Honghuang to be like dragons.

Of course,

saying is one thing, but Fang Longye did not have that level of enlightenment. All he wanted to do now was to take and consume as much as possible; why should he care about the life or death of others?!

……

After reaching an agreement with Danxia True Lord,

following some tea tasting and idle chatter, Danxia True Lord rose to take his leave, and Fang Longye naturally offered polite words to urge him to stay.

The old Daoist waved his hand upon hearing this and smiled:

"The Holy Lord has many busy affairs, so please stop there. I only visited while I had some free time, and I do not have much time to stay at the Holy Lord's place."

"Oh, is that so?"

Fang Longye also rose, and while seeing him out, he followed his words and asked casually:

"I wonder what the True Lord is so busy with?"

Danxia True Lord stroked his beard and said, "The Holy Lord also knows that I am a fire-tending Daoist in Doushuai Gong, specifically tasked with watching the furnace for Laojun. I only move about the Heavenly Court when I am free during my rotation."

"And so,"

"it will soon be my turn to be on duty again."

"That is a good job, True Lord!"

Fang Longye smiled and complimented him.

"Haha!" Since it concerned Taishang Laojun, Danxia True Lord did not humble himself. "It is indeed a good job, it is just that each rotation is a bit long!"

He walked to the entrance of the mansion, turned to face Fang Longye, and smiled in greeting: "I am afraid it will be five hundred years before I see the Holy Lord again."

"Sage Monarch, please stay your step; this poor Daoist shall take his leave!"

"True Monarch, travel slowly~"

……

Fang Longye saw True Monarch Danxia out of his own residence, returned to the pavilion in the heart of the lake to sit peacefully, and began to ponder~

Regarding this True Monarch Danxia, whether he had appeared in the previous life's Journey to the West, and what his identity might be, he did have some faint guesses~

If he remembered correctly,

In Journey to the West, when the Scripture Seeking group encountered the tribulation of Flame Mountain, there was an Earth Deity of Flame Mountain who not only offered vegetarian meals but also gave advice to help Monkey and the others~ And that Earth Deity of Flame Mountain also came from Doushuai Gong, being the Daoist who watched the furnace for Laojun.

At that time, Sun Wukong no longer recognized this Daoist, and it was only when he introduced the origins of Flame Mountain that he casually mentioned his own connection to Monkey.

Fang Longye naturally remembered the original text of Journey to the West, where the Daoist said to Sun Wukong: "You do not recognize me either. Originally there was no such mountain here; because five hundred years ago, when the Great Sage caused Havoc in Heaven, he was captured by the Manifest Sage and pressed before Laojun, who placed the Great Sage inside the Eight Trigrams furnace. After refining, when the cauldron was opened, you kicked over the furnace, and a few bricks fell out; there was residual fire inside, which transformed into Flame Mountain here. I was originally the Daoist who guarded the furnace at Doushuai Gong. Because Laojun blamed me for failing to guard it, I was demoted here and became the Earth Deity of Flame Mountain."

"Five hundred years~"

Fang Longye picked up a crystal-white teacup; inside, the tea leaves were tender green, reflecting on the surroundings in a faint glow. As he sipped and tasted slowly, his expression was unreadable.

The Havoc in Heaven had long since ended!

Could it be that this True Monarch Danxia is that very unlucky fellow who was implicated by Monkey and demoted to the lower realm!

(End of this chapter)