Chapter 387

Longying Cave, Wanling Palace.

Rainbow light burst forth in all directions, auspicious colors formed clouds, and golden flowers and beaded curtains descended from the void, scattering gracefully. Fang Longye's consciousness returned from the void to his true body, sitting quietly on the Cloud Couch. His eyes were slightly closed, and above his crown, his Aura swirled, rising and falling.

After a moment of introspection, his heart was filled with joy.

After achieving the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, everything about him had been tempered by the "Yuanlong Dao," undergoing mysterious changes and becoming many times stronger.

A short while later,

Fang Longye opened his eyes. His pupils were incomparably brilliant, and the entire palace seemed to come alive.

"The Taiyi Golden Immortal realm is finally attained!"

Fang Longye let out a breath and smiled.

However, he quickly restrained his smile. It was merely the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, nothing to be complacent about; it was just another beginning. He was still far from opening the gates of the Daluo! "What I must do next is find ways to hone myself, seize opportunities and fortunes, and continuously accumulate my foundation in order to push open the gates of the Daluo."

This process would certainly not be easy, simply because there were many monks but little gruel; there were too many competitors, and opportunities and fortunes were no longer as easy to obtain as before.

A Taiyi Golden Immortal was considered a person of status anywhere; no one could ignore them, and it was no longer possible to develop in obscurity.

Even if Fang Longye were just an ordinary person without so many entanglements of fate, he would still enter the sights of various major powers after achieving the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.

At the level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal,

Everything, including all past deeds, personality, interpersonal relationships, divine abilities and spells, Dharma Treasures, and so on... would all be dug up.

Carefully examined, studied, scrutinized, and summarized—he would be like a transparent person, with no secrets to speak of.

This was only for an ordinary Taiyi Golden Immortal, let alone Fang Longye, a "person of great fortune" who had long since entered the sights of various immortals, gods, and mighty figures.

There were already those who were keenly watching him.

Even though Fang Longye was entangled in fate and was not easy to provoke in any respect, there were significant benefits to be gained from being on good terms with him.

But no matter who wanted to build a good relationship with him in hopes of future returns, it was impossible to always smile and yield the fat meat at their mouths to others—or rather,

In the past, his strength was low, and it actually didn't cost much to build a good relationship with him. Whether it was mighty figures or some immortals and gods, the things they used to build a connection with him were merely insignificant items to them.

It did not damage their foundations at all.

But now it was different.

After all, he was now a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and the things he currently needed were not items that could be easily parted with, even for a Daluo.

To put it bluntly, he had grown to a certain point, and the resources required for his further cultivation had greatly increased. In his future cultivation, it would be inevitable that he would hinder or encroach upon the original interests of some middle-to-upper-level figures.

The attitudes of those Taiyi Golden Immortals and even Daluo who could have previously built a good relationship with him would naturally change compared to before.

With interests at stake, especially in the face of opportunities and fortunes, there were many monks but little gruel; when it was time to compete, no one would go soft, regardless of whether you had an extraordinary background!

Whatever background, whatever backing, whatever retaliation—in the face of the Great Dao, all of it was not worth mentioning! Those who could cultivate to the Taiyi Golden Immortal or even Daluo level were all people of firm will. Perhaps they would retreat, compromise, or assess the situation, but they never lacked the courage to draw their blades against one another. Even if there were compromises and retreats, that was the product of weighing the pros and cons after a confrontation; it was impossible for them to hand everything over just because someone had a big background, strong backing, or an extraordinary origin.

"Fortunately, I have known about several opportunities and fortunes for a long time."

Or rather,

Long ago, he had already determined what he needed to do in his next stage of cultivation after ascending to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, as well as some targets from which he could seek fortune.

For instance, the physical origins of the nine sons of the Ancestral Dragon, the Cuiguang Two Instruments Lamp in the hands of that old Lao Jiao from the East Sea, and the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle in the hands of the Golden-Winged Great Peng... and so on, there were quite a few.

Seizing any one of these would be enough to play a significant role in his cultivation and accumulate a solid foundation for attaining the Daluo.

For a moment, thoughts surged in Fang Longye's mind.

Although many of these treasures were still in the hands of others, he did not care at all and continued to scheme for these good things in his heart...

Xiniu Hezhou,

In a Human Race kingdom, where the imperial palace was located, palaces and pavilions were connected, towers faced one another, and it was exquisitely beautiful. The lush greenery above was adorned with gold and cyan colors, brilliant and eye-catching.

Yet at this moment, a monster was having a meal in this Human King's imperial palace.

One could see this monster suspended in mid-air, its drooping wings like clouds, with a Golden-Winged Great Peng head, star-like eyes, and leopard-like pupils. With a single spread of its wings, clouds and water followed; its momentum was astonishing.

Its blood-red mouth opened wide, emitting a shocking suction force, continuously devouring the living beings in the palace, eating with great satisfaction. This was Xiniu Hezhou, where monsters ran rampant and ate people at every turn; even the imperial palace of a kingdom was so helpless.

Therefore,

Although the ancestral land of the Human Race in Nanzhan Buzhou showed no signs of the extraordinary and the humans and gods were separated, making it difficult to have large-scale contact with immortals, monsters, gods, and Buddhist figures, it could still be considered a paradise on earth compared to Xiniu Hezhou.

But I digress; let us return to this monster.

This monster was none other than the younger brother of the Buddhist Kong Xuan, the Golden-Winged Great Peng who had once almost taken Fang Longye's life.

Having been obstructed by others and failing to capture Fang Longye and Long Xuan, he had returned to Lingshan Shengjing in frustration after causing a scene in the East Sea.

However, he had always been perverse in nature and addicted to eating humans; asking him to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures like those bald donkeys on Lingshan would be worse than killing him.

Therefore, even though he was grounded by his brother Kong Xuan, he would still sneak down from Lingshan from time to time to come to the Human Race kingdom to have a meal.

What kind of meal? Naturally, it was eating humans!

And so,

Of all the many people in the entire imperial palace, it hadn't been long, and he had almost eaten them all.

Only a few people remained, hiding in corners, shivering like chaff; their legs were so frightened that they were soft, and they sat on the ground, unable to get up.

Some timid palace maids and concubines had tears streaming down their faces, but they dared not cry, fearing that their hiding would attract the attention of the monster king.

They could only cover their mouths, their small faces flushed red.

Yet, they did not know,

All of this was in vain. The Golden-Winged Great Peng was not an ordinary beast; he naturally had divine sense to scan everything, so how could he not see them? This Dapeng Bird was merely teasing them for fun! What he loved most was to give others a glimmer of hope and then completely destroy it.

That kind of fear and despair, where the heart is dead, gave him the most pleasure. The Golden-Winged Great Peng had eaten most of the people in the palace and was preparing to tease these survivors hiding in the corners.

Suddenly, his heart stirred as he sensed something, and his face turned gloomy. He said coldly:

"Hmph! Which thieving dog dares to covet my treasures again? Could it be that hateful little thief from the Dragon Clan? Was the lesson from last time not enough for you?"

It was because Fang Longye's evil thoughts had arisen at Cangmang Mountain, and the Golden-Winged Great Peng, backed by the big shot Kong Xuan, naturally felt it in his heart. Although Fang Longye had a Golden Finger to help him conceal the Heavenly Secrets, the Golden Finger was not omnipotent.

Originally, he and the Golden-Winged Great Peng already had a significant causal entanglement.

Plus, the means left on his younger brother by Kong Xuan, a figure who was not a Primordial but was as good as one, were naturally extraordinary.

(Coveting and Reaction)

A warning naturally arose in the heart of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, allowing him to perceive some clues.

Although it was very vague and he only faintly sensed that someone else had set their sights on his Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle, he was unclear on the specifics. Yet, there were few people nowadays who dared to covet his treasure, and combined with certain circumstances in reality, he naturally identified Fang Longye as the target of his suspicion.

Hmm, to be precise, the primary target of his suspicion.

After all, the Golden-Winged Great Peng also knew in his heart that he had indeed been somewhat ostentatious over these years, and his cheap elder brother was not invincible in the world. Aside from that little thief of the Dragon Clan, it was not impossible for others to be secretly coveting his treasure.

For a moment,

The Golden-Winged Great Peng's mood turned extremely foul, and he had no heart to continue toying with the ants below; he reached out his claw directly and grabbed the people hiding in the nooks and crannies.

One bite each, swallowing them clean.

Immediately, his body swayed, transforming into human form, and he landed slowly in the empty imperial palace, finding a palace at random and walking straight inside.

He arrived at the throne in the hall and sat down, the veins on his forehead throbbing incessantly; clearly, his anger was burning.

"Hoo—"

He exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi to calm his mood.

"Wanting my Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle—"

After holding his breath and focusing his mind, the Golden-Winged Great Peng waved his hand, and before his eyes, in the void, light hung down and shadows wove together, revealing an illusory scroll.

In the image, purple and green mists swirled; it was clearly a profound space, though it was unknown where it was.

Inside, a treasure bottle stood there, continuously swallowing and spitting out something, while the Heavenly Luck and Earthly Qi at the base of the bottle gathered to outline an array, nourishing this treasure bottle.

This treasure bottle had natural patterns, ancient and profound; it was none other than the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle.

Every instant, it swallowed Creation Spiritual Essence from an unknown place to temper itself.

"Great Master Xuantu!"

Upon seeing this treasure of his, the Golden-Winged Great Peng could not help but gnash his teeth.

No other reason,

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that his Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle had suffered heavy damage.

And the one who caused this heavy damage was none other than that high disciple of Taiqing, Great Master Xuantu.

As mentioned before,

The Golden-Winged Great Peng was originally born from the Yin and Yang Two Qis, so what suited him best was naturally the Yin and Yang Great Dao.

It was only because of Kunpeng Ancestor that his original status and Heavenly Luck were seized, leaving him with less creation and fortune, and he encountered a Calamity not long after he was born.

By the time he recovered, the Yin and Yang Great Dao had already been occupied by Taiqingdaodetianzun.

What kind of perverse temperament did the Golden-Winged Great Peng have? How could he endure this grievance?

It was just that,

He could not beat Taiqingdaodetianzun to begin with, and after Taiqingdaodetianzun became a sage, he could beat him even less; seeking revenge by knocking on his door had become a pipe dream.

With no other choice, he had to settle for the next best thing and sought out Taiqingdaodetianzun's disciple—Great Master Xuantu—intending to take revenge.

Who would have thought that Great Master Xuantu was not to be trifled with.

As someone who could be favored by Taiqingdaodetianzun, his talent was beyond doubt. In short, after a battle, the Golden-Winged Great Peng suffered a great disaster.

Not only did he encounter a Calamity and lose half his life, but his personal Spirit Treasure—the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle—also encountered a Calamity, its origin severely damaged.

With its origin damaged,

The Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle not only lost its ability to actively attack, such as collecting or swallowing people, but could only be placed in one spot to hold people.

Moreover, the 'Size Manipulation' it originally possessed also lost its effect, becoming incomparably heavy, making it very inconvenient to carry or use.

This was no simple heavy damage.

After all, that was a matter from the Middle Ages.

Yet to this day, the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle had not been able to fully recover after so many years and was currently still being nurtured in an unknown location.

It was evident how severe the damage was back then.

It was no wonder that the Golden-Winged Great Peng could not help but gnash his teeth and curse Great Master Xuantu the moment he saw his Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle.

"No matter who it is,"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng examined the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle far away in an unknown location, reached out to withdraw the scroll before him, and with cold eyes, said: "As long as you dare to covet my Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle, I will fight you to the death!"

Did they really think he didn't know the value of the Yin and Yang Two Qis on his body? With that fellow Kong Xuan as a precedent, how could he not be extra vigilant about this?...

Deep in the East Sea,

In an unknown space, the sun and moon hung high, reflecting a clear universe, with rainbow-colored water light permeating, suffused with an ancient and vicissitudinous Aura that lingered for a long time.

Throughout the entire space, it was empty, with only a magnificent and extraordinary bronze palace situated within.

Ancient, vicissitudinous, and vast,

Countless thunders permeated the surroundings, with lightning bolts of a thousand shapes and forms moving back and forth, even condensing into ancient thunder spirits.

With thunder-god faces, flesh wings growing under their ribs, and holding iron hammers, they rode on flying beasts of no less than a thousand zhang, cruising about.

An endless stream of thunder water came from all directions, deep and dark, yet silent.

That Lao Jiao who once pulled the carriage for Di Jun was sitting on a Cloud Couch in the middle of the palace, examining an ancient treasure lamp in his hand.

The lamp was over half a foot tall, its entire body suffused with purple and green mists.

Two lamp wicks burned into two points of flame, intertwined together, shining brilliantly, as if they were coiling snakes, presenting a lamp flame that seemed to be a fusion of Yin and Yang.

This treasure lamp was none other than the Cuiguang Two Instruments Lamp that Fang Longye had been thinking about—only, unlike its usual calm state, the lamp flame was jumping violently, and the outer edge of the flame had even sprouted a crimson halo—at a glance, it gave one a shocking feeling.

"What exactly is the Calamity?"

Relying on the refined top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Cuiguang Two Instruments Lamp, this Lao Jiao could feel an unspeakable crisis approaching him—but that was all! No matter how he calculated, he could not calculate anything, and his heart only became increasingly uneasy.

In fact, it was not just the Golden-Winged Great Peng and that East Sea Lao Jiao who once pulled the carriage for Di Jun,

Other people targeted by Fang Longye for the treasures in their hands also sensed his malice to a greater or lesser extent.

It was just that none of it was that clear.

It might even just be a sudden alarm in the heart; as for the specific reason, it was fundamentally impossible to deduce or know~

It felt a bit like a monk unable to touch his own head.

(End of this chapter)