Chapter 131: Fang Qingxue Takes the Field! Ninety‑nine Divine Powers!

Chen Zheng guessed correctly; the news about the Land of the Five Elements was indeed leaked by his son Meng Shaobai to Jiu Ding Xuan.

Meng Shaobai's only condition was to have Jiu Ding Xuan spread the news, so that the more people know, the better.

Jiu Ding Xuan also exerted the power expected of one of the three great merchant guilds, using its branches across the Great Xuan Empire to disseminate the Land of the Five Elements news throughout half the empire in a short time.

Even some major powers have learned of it.

For example, the Feather Ascension Sect received first‑hand information, not from Jiu Ding Xuan but from Meng Shaobai.

At this moment, in the council hall of the Feather Ascension Heavenly Palace, many great Elders gathered together to discuss important matters.

An elder stroked his beard and laughed, "When Meng Shaobai returned, he shared the secret of the Land of the Five Elements; he is a loyal good disciple of our Feather Ascension Sect and will be richly rewarded in the future!"

This elder is called Elder Medicine King, Dan Yangzi's direct superior, responsible for the supply of elixirs to hundreds of thousands of inner and outer disciples, effectively holding the lifeline of "food".

An elder dressed in a star‑patterned robe praised, "Meng Shaobai is indeed impressive; at fourteen he already possesses eight‑fold divine powers, which would be rare even in ancient times. His fortune and strength surpass even Chen Zheng's."

This elder is called Elder Star Constellation, a person who observes outer space, channels stellar energy, and maintains the operation of the Feather Ascension Heavenly Palace, almost ready to step into the Longevity Secret Realm.

Among the major forces of heaven and earth, the group that excels at using stellar power is naturally the Star Cluster Sect, though other forces also possess divine powers that draw on stellar energy.

Elder Transmission, however, had a different view, shaking his head: "Meng Shaobai may not be comparable to Chen Zheng. Though Chen Zheng is older, his feats—slaying Wan Luo, scaling the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder to its summit—are beyond what Meng Shaobai can match."

Jiang Rourou's eyes flashed with strange light: "If Chen Zheng cultivates a bit longer, he will surely surpass Meng Shaobai, even surpass Hua Tiandu, and may become another exquisite Immortal Lord in the future."

"That's true; Chen Zheng has an invincible bearing."

"That's mistaken; Meng Shaobai emerged safely from the wild temple, receiving the favor of the Five Elements Spirit Root, so his fortune is certainly beyond Chen Zheng's."

The great Elders each spoke up; some thought Meng Shaobai's fortune was good.

Others believed Chen Zheng's combat power was strong.

Both sides bristled their beards and glared, and the argument erupted.

"Enough. Whether it's Meng Shaobai or Chen Zheng, or Fang Qingxue and Hua Tiandu, they are all good disciples and key to the flourishing of our Feather Ascension Sect," said the youthful Elder Heavenly Punishment, waving his hand to halt the dispute.

The Elders all nodded.

Hua Tiandu, deep and seasoned, moves deftly between the Feather Ascension Sect and the Taiyi Sect, balancing both, exuding a sect‑leader's aura.

Fang Qingxue is the reincarnation of the Lightning Mother, possessing a top‑grade Dao instrument, and is also highly valued by the three saints of the Feather Ascension Patriarchs, leaving no room for comparison.

Chen Zheng's combat power is staggering, his tactics ruthless; even the Taiyi Sect does not intimidate him. He is regarded as the fiercest killer in the sect, secretly revered as senior brother by many disciples.

As for Meng Shaobai, a teenage prodigy with proud, unbending spirit, he is like a young dragon.

Any force that possesses any one of these disciples is a sign of great prosperity.

The Feather Ascension Sect already has four such figures; it will be hard for it not to thrive.

Yet there is a drawback.

As the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers.

If the four fight each other, bloodied and broken, it will become a serious problem.

This drawback has already manifested: Hua Tiandu and Chen Zheng are like water and fire, unable to coexist.

Fang Qingxue might even side with Chen Zheng to jointly oppose Hua Tiandu.

That's a headache.

It is comforting that Meng Shaobai shows no sign of fighting the other three, which eases many worries,

Seeing the Elders' worried faces, Elder Heavenly Punishment added, "Their cultivation is still low; we old ones can keep them in check for now. Moreover, the Supreme Patriarch sits above, so they won't cause trouble. Let's first discuss the immediate matter: who will lead the expedition to the Land of the Five Elements?"

The Land of the Five Elements is a perilous region created by an extramural Buddhist sect from ages long ago.

It seals countless demons, as well as the Five Elements Spirit Root that suppresses them.

The Five Elements Spirit Root is an extremely rare treasure, constantly emitting the five elemental qi of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, virtually inexhaustible.

A Shentong Wu Chong cultivator who absorbs enough Five Elements qi can, within one or two years, use Five Elements divine powers to forge a Five Elements Life Sigil, accelerating cultivation dozens of times faster than ordinary practice.

Therefore, the great Elders decided to send a group of true‑lineage disciples and Elders of Shentong Wu Chong to explore the Land of the Five Elements.

However, the place is exceptionally dangerous; even the wild jungle at the entrance of the Land of the Five Elements poses great safety hazards, so strong companions are required.

"Hua Tiandu is busy reorganizing the sect, Jia Lan is in seclusion… hmm?"

As Elder Transmission had just spoken, a burst of celestial music suddenly rose from the minor celestial realm above the Feather Ascension Heavenly Palace.

The great Elders hurriedly looked up and saw massive golden qi spreading across the sky, coalescing into golden rainbows that spanned east, west, south, and north.

Standing on the rainbow was a peerless beauty in white clothes brighter than snow, surrounded by countless celestial beings, with dragons, phoenixes, and qilins dancing—none could approach—indeed Fang Qingxue.

A golden core floated above her head, dazzling and radiant, illuminating heaven and earth and eclipsing the great sun's brilliance.

"Golden Core! Fang Qingxue has already cultivated to the Seventh Level of divine power, the Golden Core Realm, so quickly!"

"One‑eight, two‑eight, three‑eight… three‑eight twenty‑four! Upon achieving the Golden Core, she possesses as many as twenty‑four divine powers!"

The great Elders were all startled, counting the divine powers contained in Fang Qingxue's Golden Core; they came in groups of eight, totaling three‑eight twenty‑four types!

Ordinary Golden Core cultivators consider mastering more than ten divine powers already impressive.

For example, Jia Lan has only fifteen divine powers, and Ling Xiao only fourteen.

Wan Luo is dead; let's not even mention him.

As for Chen Zheng, the freak who has ninety‑five divine powers at Shentong Wu Chong, the Elders are unaware of it.

Moreover, the more divine powers a cultivator has before reaching the Golden Core, the harder it is to condense the life‑origin Golden Core.

Thus, ordinary cultivators only practice Five Elements divine powers, first forming a Five Elements talisman, then later transforming into a Golden Core; after attaining the Golden Core, they can cultivate other powers.

However, those who achieve the Golden Core using only the five basic divine powers can never enter the Longevity Secret Realm.

Because the more divine powers one has, the richer the qi, and at the moment of entering the Golden Core realm, the body, magical power, and even lifespan undergo a massive transformation.

Yet divine powers cultivated after the Golden Core cannot transform qi into the body nor increase lifespan.

Shentong Wu Chong in the Celestial‑Human Realm grants a lifespan of eight hundred years.

The Seventh‑Level Golden Core realm can give a lifespan of over a thousand years, or up to nine thousand nine hundred ninety‑nine years, depending on the number of divine powers.

For instance, Fang Qingxue now, with twenty‑four divine powers achieving the Golden Core, has a lifespan of at least three thousand years.

This is very rare in the cultivation world, no wonder the great Elders felt surprised.

"Since Fang Qingxue has achieved Golden Core, let her lead the sect's true disciples and Elders to explore the Five Elements Land." Transmission Elder suddenly proposed.

"That's good, it can avoid Fang Qingxue creating conflict over Chen Zheng and Hua Hua Tiandou Du."

The Heaven Punishment Elder and others nodded.

The matter was thus decided.

Not only the Ascension Sect, but other sects such as the Star Gate, Heaven-Reaching Sword Sect, Linglong Blessed Land, Pill Cauldron Sword Sect, etc., the Ten Immortal Dao Sects, and even people from the Seven Veins of the Demonic Path were also discussing the Five Elements Land, each sending disciples and Elders.

Especially Wan Gui Immortal Island and the Taiyi Sect, having learned from Meng Shao Bai's message that Chen Zheng would also go to the Five Elements Land, they dispatched powerful experts, carrying supreme treasures, vowing to utterly exterminate Chen Zheng, smash his bones and scatter his ashes!

On the other side.

In Xuanhuang City, inside the Yihe Palace, Chen Zheng used part of the resources provided by Prince Yi to train in the Great Collapse Technique and Great Slaughter Technique, bringing his divine abilities to ninety-seven kinds, and then set off with Prince Yi.

He did not fly himself.

Instead, he closed his eyes and nurtured his spirit inside a golden war chariot provided by Prince Yi, pulled by a nine-headed, scale-armored, icy exotic beast, traveling across the heavens.

Prince Yi, like a coachman, directed the beast from outside the chariot, driving for Chen Zheng.

It is worth mentioning that this golden war chariot is a supreme treasure, purchased by Prince Yi gritting his teeth on the spot from the Heavenly Dao Pavilion, specially prepared as Chen Zheng's mount for travel.

To purchase this chariot, he spent a full 160 million White Yang Elixirs.

Even though he is a prince enfeoffed by the Great Xuan, possessing many industries bestowed by the imperial family, making him tens of times wealthier than many true disciples of sects at the same realm, he still could barely afford it.

But he saw it clearly: as long as he pleased Chen Zheng, future support would bring huge profits.

It would also greatly benefit him in his struggle with other princes for the throne.

"Twenty-fourth Brother, are you also going to the wild jungle to find the entrance to the Five Elements Land? But when did you willingly degrade yourself to become a chauffeur driving for others?"

Prince Yi drove the golden war chariot, crushing the void, and just as it exited Xuanhuang City, a mocking laugh suddenly came from afar.

Standing to the side, watching.

Next, a man wearing a yellow robe, with eyes like an eagle and bearing a heroic aura, appeared with over ten cultivators, blocking the chariot's path.

Upon seeing the heroic man, Prince Yi's face sank, and he coldly said: "Eighteenth Brother, whom I serve as charioteer is none of your business. You had better look after yourself; the wild jungle is full of dangers, so don't die in there."

"Ha ha."

Behind the heroic man, a thin, goat-bearded old man let out a sharp laugh and said arrogantly: "With me, the Qingyang Old Ancestor, protecting Prince Sa, how could there be danger? It's Prince Yi who didn't bring the useless lot from Xiao Yue Mountain along—could it be that he fears I, the old ancestor, will wipe them out and leave the prince a lonely widower?"

Hearing this, Prince Yi's face turned grim.

This Qingyang Old Ancestor utterly disregarded him as a prince, being utterly presumptuous.

However, he did not erupt, fearing that arguing with the Qingyang Old Ancestor and others would disturb Chen Zheng inside the chariot and delay his journey to the wild jungle.

He prepared to drive the chariot around the crowd.

"Wait."

Eighteenth Brother Prince Sa showed no intention of letting Prince Yi leave, gazing curiously at the carriage compartment, he asked Chen Zheng inside: "Sir, what exalted person are you? Why not come out and meet me, and join my service? Rest assured, no matter how much salary Twenty-fourth Brother gives you, I will offer double."

The Qingyang Old Ancestor, however, shook his head and sneered: "Your Highness, the person inside the carriage sees you and does not bow; at a glance he is just a hiding‑head, showing‑tail nobody—how could he be any exalted person? Your Highness is destined to be disappointed."

Hearing this, Prince Yi, who had not taken Prince Sa's attempt to recruit Chen Zheng seriously, finally changed color.

This Qingyang Old Ancestor actually dared to say Chen Zheng is a hiding‑head, showing‑tail fellow—truly he does not know death.

He was about to rebuke when Chen Zheng's indifferent voice came from inside the carriage: "Things worse than reptiles, instead of hiding in the mountains to cultivate, you come out to show off, barking madly here—your end can only be death."

"You're the one who will die!"

The Qingyang Old Ancestor's hair stood on end with rage.

He is an Ancient Giant, renowned in the cultivation world, honored as the Ancestral Master, constantly revered by countless free cultivators—when has he ever suffered such verbal humiliation?

He immediately trembled all over, emitting a flawless, round aura from his body; his five fingers flicked, condensing five azure pearls in his hand.

This is his Qingling Thunder Pellet Art, cultivated over many years, condensing pellets with gang qi; once detonated, it can shatter magical treasures and blast Chen Zheng's flesh into mud.

Unfortunately, his Qingling Thunder Pellet Art had not yet been released when he noticed a platinum‑colored sword qi flash out from inside the carriage, its light boundless, its speed beyond imagination—countless times faster than his thought—directly crossing the void to slash into his brow.

"..."

The Qingyang Old Ancestor's body stiffened, split into two halves, with blood and intestines spilling out from both sides, splashing in the air and falling downward.

Only his natal golden core flew into the carriage.

"What?"

"The Qingyang Old Ancestor…… died…… died?"

Prince Sa and his retinue showed eyes of shock bordering on despair, nearly falling headfirst from the air.

They couldn't have been mistaken, could they?

The Qingyang Old Ancestor is a Golden Core elder who has lived for over a thousand years!

He didn't even have time to face the enemy, let alone self‑detonate his golden core, and was instantly killed?

How could this happen?

Could the person inside the carriage be a Tenfold Divine Ability expert, or even an Eternal Giant?

"Leave all your treasures on your bodies, then kowtow three times, and get lost."

The carriage interior again transmitted Chen Zheng's indifferent voice, unquestionable, startling the shocked Prince Sa and his retinue.

"Kowtow? I……"

Prince Sa trembled, his lips moving as he wanted to say he was a prince of the Great Xuan, son of the Xuan Emperor, hoping to use this status to make Chen Zheng wary.

But in the end he did not say it.

He had a premonition that if he uttered even half a 'no', his fate would be no better than the Qingyang Old Ancestor's.

He had no choice but to obediently produce a supreme treasure from his person, over a hundred million White Yang Elixirs, hand them over like the others, kowtow, and slink away in disgrace.

"Let's go."

Inside the carriage, Chen Zheng flicked his hand, and the treasures left by Prince Sa and his followers flew into his palm, which he refined together with the Qingyang Old Ancestor's natal golden core, while at the same time ordering Prince Yi outside to hurry on.

This Green Goat Elder's Golden Core holds only thirteen divine abilities, seven of which were cultivated after attaining Golden Core, far inferior to Jia Lan and Ling Xiao, pathetically weak, not adding much mana to him, but instead raising his divine abilities to ninety‑nine.

Yes, young master.

Prince Yi respectfully accepted the order, driving his war chariot completely away from Xuanhuang City, then passing through Longwu City, Hui Zhen City, and hundreds of other cities, finally leaving the territory of the Great Xuan Empire, before which a barren, uninhabited forest appeared.

That is the boundless barbaric jungle stretching who‑knows‑how many hundreds of millions of li, within which dwell terrifying demon beasts, immensely powerful natives, and the Barbarian Wilderness Demonic Sect, one of the seven veins of the Demonic Path.

It is said that after the ancient Three Sovereigns' great war against the divine race, someone established in the barbaric jungle an empire even larger than that of Great Xuan, as well as hundreds of thousands of colossal temples.

But for unknown reasons, that vast empire suffered a catastrophe overnight, with hundreds of billions of its population perishing and its cities collapsing into the river of history, leaving only numerous temples behind.

Many cultivators have ventured into the temples seeking treasure, but most became trapped there; even those who luckily escaped would meet misfortune.

It is said that even the Great Emperor Huangquan, while alive, never dared to explore the barbaric wilderness temples, for he had calculated that they contained an unnamed danger.

Thus many cultivators regard the barbaric wilderness temples as forbidden grounds, dare not set foot lightly, and in ordinary times they do not even come to the barbaric wilderness.

But today, however, many people have entered the jungle.

As Prince Yi approached the jungle in his chariot, he had already seen several waves of people rushing in.

He did not hesitate, driving his golden war chariot forward into it, pressing onward.

One after another, ancient temples, deserted old cities, vast relics and the like sped past beneath the chariot.

After an unknown duration of travel, Prince Yi finally located the temple marked on the map and plunged into it.

The hall of this temple is immensely vast, and at its deepest point stands a gate representing the five colors of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

"Young Master Chen, that gate should be the entrance to the Five Elements Realm, we……" Prince Yi's expression brightened, and he was about to ask Chen Zheng whether to enter the gate.

Suddenly, a resentful voice echoed in the hall: "Chen Zheng, do you know how much humiliation you brought upon me on the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder? During this time I have been mocked by others—how have I endured it? It's all your fault, you wretch deserving of ten thousand deaths; I will take your dog's life to wash away my shame!"

(End of chapter)