Chapter 322: Golden Branches and Jade Leaves

Top of Fire Persimmon Mountain.

Magma boiled, flames raged.

The Lava Immortal Palace was like a lonely island, being covered by layers upon layers of beast tides.

The magic hands unleashed by Meng Kui surrounded the Nascent Soul-level Fire-Walking Snake and Flame-Treading Lizard, fighting continuously.

The Fire-Walking Snake and Flame-Treading Lizard hissed continuously, burning through or tearing apart the magic hands.

The Nascent Soul-level Demon Ape, however, ignored the magic hands and focused on attacking the Lava Immortal Palace.

Boom!

Under the attack of the Fire-Melting Demon Ape, the Pointing Platform collapsed into countless fragments.

It roared triumphantly, feeling the pleasure of revenge from the destruction of the Lava Immortal Palace.

Deep in the clouds and smoke.

Meng Kui's face was calm, his gaze deep.

The attack points of the Fire-Melting Demon Ape were guided by him through means such as magic hands. Compared to the Fire-Walking Snake and Flame-Treading Lizard, the Demon Ape possessed higher intelligence. Therefore, in Fire Persimmon Mountain, the Fire-Melting Demon Ape could often command other beast groups and was a royal family.

However, in the end, they were still demonic beasts, not demonic cultivators.

Demonic cultivators have opened their wisdom and are no different from ordinary people.

The demonic beast Demon Ape was complacent and never imagined that it had been used by Meng Kui.

The Nascent Soul-level attack, falling into the Lava Immortal Palace, was suppressed to the Jin Dan level.

Jin Dan-level cultivators like Zhu Zhen had already ascended into mid-air, constantly intercepting powerful attacks to ensure the safety of the mechanical buildings.

However, their numbers were still too few compared to the offensive. Numerous attacks fell into the inner circle of the Lava Immortal Palace, causing mechanical buildings to suffer varying degrees of damage, and even collapse completely.

While fighting, Zhu Zhen actively searched for the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon.

So far, he hadn't discovered any place with unusual defensive forces.

However, he did discover that the beast tide was about to spread to the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest.

This allowed him to see the turning point for completing Zhu Xuanji's entrustment!

Deep in the clouds and smoke.

Meng Hu's gaze pierced through the long sky, observing the entire battlefield.

The fighting spirit in his heart was also burning continuously like the flames filling his vision, making him eager to move.

"Taiqing Palace, Taiqing Palace... why haven't you appeared yet?"

Rumble...

The Nascent Soul-level clash shook the entire Fire Persimmon Mountain.

Every head-on collision made the desk in front of Zhu Hou tremble accordingly.

He subconsciously looked toward the top of Fire Persimmon Mountain, and Zhu Xuanji's appearance flashed in his mind: "I don't know how Ji is doing over there."

He smiled slightly, then put aside the slight worry in his heart: "If Ji still can't do it, who else in our Zhu family royal family can?"

"The child of the past is now the pillar of our Zhu family."

"Time flies..."

Zhu Hou couldn't help but recall the scene of him teaching the young Zhu Xuanji.

Royal Capital.

On the desk, there were sixteen Enlightenment Diagrams laid out.

Zhu Hou pointed at them one by one, asking Zhu Xuanji to state the content he had comprehended from each diagram.

Zhu Xuanji answered fluently.

Zhu Hou felt very satisfied and praised: "Xuanji, you have the Golden Eye talent; this talent is best at seeing through the essence. Therefore, comprehending the Enlightenment Diagrams, you can often see truths that the masses cannot see."

"Plus, you are also smart and have good comprehension; comprehending these Enlightenment Diagrams is the best way for you to cultivate."

The young Zhu Xuanji raised his small face: "Clan Uncle, my Golden Eye is so strong, why is it only a superior talent, not a super one? Are super talents also called Immortal Talents, and are they all stronger than my Golden Eye? Hmph, I don't believe it!"

Zhu Hou laughed: "The level of talent is only relative. Are super talents always stronger than inferior talents? Not necessarily; it depends on the specific situation."

"The so-called levels are just what we have summarized. Perhaps one day, we will find a better way to use the Golden Eye talent, which could raise the grade of the Golden Eye to super."

Zhu Xuanji asked: "How to develop talent? Clan Uncle, I heard that you just need to use it continuously."

Zhu Hou shook his head: "Always using it is not the essence of developing talent."

"Little Ji, before answering this question, I must first ask you: what does cultivation mean?"

Zhu Xuanji didn't think and blurted out: "Cultivation means learning the true principles of heaven and earth through practice."

Zhu Hou nodded: "Not bad. The rising and setting of the sun and moon, the birth, death, prosperity, and decline are the principles of the operation and birth-death of all things in heaven and earth."

"It is precisely because we have learned and mastered these principles that we cultivators can break free from the shackles of the mundane, continuously increase our lifespan, and possess magical powers that transcend ordinary people."

Speaking of this, Zhu Hou pointed to the Enlightenment Diagrams on the desk: "These Enlightenment Diagrams are recorded by cultivators proficient in painting, who recorded certain principles of heaven and earth through this method."

"You know about true scriptures, right? Those true scriptures are the principles of cultivation techniques understood by cultivators proficient in calligraphy, recorded for others to understand."

"In this world, all talents are actually a part of the principles."

"Some talents contain more principles and are easy for us to use, so we classify them as superior talents. Conversely, they are inferior."

"The reason the Golden Eye is classified as a superior talent is because it contains many principles, but its application is limited to assistance."

"Using the Golden Eye often allows one to see through the essence of things, but the results of this ability are also severely affected by the cultivator's own knowledge and cognition."

Seeing Zhu Xuanji a bit dejected, Zhu Hou comforted him again: "Although talents are divided into levels, they are just a starting point. In the long run, it still depends on the cultivator's own development."

"If you can understand the principles contained in the talent and master them, you can promote the talent into a divine ability!"

"Whether it is a divine ability or a talent, they are powerful means that can help cultivators fight across levels."

"Of course, it is not just talents that can be turned into divine abilities. The essence of divine abilities is the understanding and mastery of Dao and principles."

"An ordinary spell can also allow a cultivator to study the principles within it and then promote it to a divine ability."

"All of these Enlightenment Diagrams you see have the possibility of being promoted to divine abilities."

"Last time, I asked you to choose carefully from these Enlightenment Diagrams and choose the main direction for your future cultivation. What is your choice now? Little Ji."

Zhu Xuanji didn't hesitate and pointed to two of the Enlightenment Diagrams: "Clan Uncle, I choose these two."

Zhu Hou took a closer look: "Hmm, not bad."

"If you study these two diagrams deeply, it is very likely that you will master two martial dao divine abilities, namely the Golden Mountain Stance and the Jade Pillar Posture."

"Why did you choose them?"

Zhu Xuanji showed a look of longing and told Zhu Hou that he had read many romance novels and often fantasized about becoming an unparalleled fierce general who could roam the battlefield, serving the country with loyalty and effort.

And the standard equipment for those fierce generals was these two divine abilities.

Zhu Xuanji: "When I was very young, I heard teachers say that our Southern Bean Kingdom royal family lacks fierce generals. In many situations, we have to rely on body cultivators from other families. If I can cultivate them, our Zhu family will have our own fierce generals."

"Good child, good child." Zhu Hou praised, "Being able to think for the overall situation, you have awareness."

"Since that's the case, I might as well make a move and seek a royal divine ability for you to protect yourself."

Zhu Xuanji was curious.

Zhu Hou answered for him: "This is an official dao divine ability, named Golden Branches and Jade Leaves. It can be cultivated individually or applied to others for protection."

"Whether it is the person cultivating it or the cultivator to whom the divine ability is applied, they must be members of the nobility, royal family, imperial family, or imperial clan."

"The current Great Ancestor of our Zhu family has mastered this divine ability."

"Since you chose the Golden Mountain Stance and the Jade Pillar Posture, then the Golden Branches and Jade Leaves divine ability is most suitable for you."

"In the future, if you gather three divine abilities in one body, they will complement each other, and their power will skyrocket."

"If you can master them and integrate the three divine abilities into one, you can even be promoted to a level above divine abilities!"

Lava Immortal Palace.

Turning Point Secret Pavilion.

The Five Qi Torrent submerged Zhu Xuanji, followed by the full-force Milk Butterfly Lady, erupting with quasi-Jin Dan-level offensive power.

The five-colored mysterious energy dissipated, revealing a majestic posture that stood unmoved!

The Milk Butterfly Lady's offensive created countless space fragments, seven-colored and brilliant, dense and numerous, but not a single one invaded Zhu Xuanji's body.

At this moment, Zhu Xuanji's body had expanded to over nine feet, his muscles bulging, but wrapped in a black-edged red robe, forming a martial dao outfit.

He was like a pillar supporting the sky, standing proudly.

His whole body was surrounded by golden energy, with mountain peaks vaguely appearing. And at this very moment, on the mountain peaks, a forest of trees grew out.

Each tree was a golden branch and jade leaf, swaying in the wind, gold and jade striking each other, the crisp sound of ding-dang ringing out endlessly.

Official Dao Divine Ability—Golden Branches and Jade Leaves!

"Three divine abilities?!" Ning Zhuo and the others were all shocked.

Zhu Xuanji turned around slowly, his voice like a bell: "Ning Zhuo, you have disappointed me too much!"

"I led you to the right path, yet you still chose the wrong path, and are in cahoots with demonic cultivators."

"You have failed Li Leifeng, failed my expectations, and even more failed your family."

Speaking of this, Zhu Xuanji spread his arms and swept across, and in an instant, the wind howled.

Wherever his arms reached, the seven-colored fragments disintegrated completely and dissipated in an instant.

Seeing this scene, Yang Chanyu's pupils shrank fiercely, thinking: "Are you kidding? This is a quasi-Jin Dan-level formation, and it was disintegrated so easily?!"

The Milk Butterfly Lady's face turned pale, and she said directly to Ning Zhuo: "Physician, let's run! This person is too fierce!"

How to run?

Ning Zhuo smiled bitterly; after he pushed the door and entered, he couldn't run anymore.

He was also within the range of the official art Closed Gate.

The more critical the situation, the calmer Ning Zhuo felt in his heart.

He revealed a smile, his gaze sharp, looking at Zhu Xuanji without fear: "Lord Zhu, you have no evidence, so don't slander me casually."

"This time, I am competing openly with you for the Lava Immortal Palace for the sake of my family!"

"The reason I helped the people of the Unempty Gate is just vertical and horizontal alliances, just a dispute of interests."

"This is precisely my active response to the Recruitment Order issued by the Monarch."

Zhu Xuanji's face sank, and he reprimanded: "Sharp-tongued and glib-tongued."