Chapter 184: Exquisite Immortal Lord: I

According to rumors, the deeper the cultivation of the True Demon Ten Thousand Calamities Unbreakable Body, the more robust the flesh becomes, eventually becoming ageless, immortal, indestructible, and inexhaustible.

However, as the flesh grows stronger, the cultivation of the Calamity character causes calamity qi to arise within the body.

This calamity qi is not ordinary qi, but a myriad of different calamities.

Such as literary calamity, martial calamity, Dao calamity, heavenly calamity, human calamity, final calamity, initial calamity, demon calamity, immortal calamity, divine calamity, fierce calamity, qi calamity, ash calamity, color calamity, and so on.

In short, all calamities in the world are contained within the True Demon Ten Thousand Calamities Unbreakable Body, endless and infinite, calamities within calamities, cycling repeatedly, like waves in a sea of suffering—one wave has not yet subsided when another strikes.

Even the supreme Immortal King has calamities.

The Everlasting Gate of Eternal Life also has calamities; otherwise, no malignant tumors would arise within it.

Thus the terror of calamities is evident.

The more Calamity characters one cultivates, the more various calamity qi accumulates inside the body.

For example, Chen Zheng's ten cultivated Calamity characters include "Ming," which is the Dark Calamity, and "Pao," which is the Cannon Calamity; each character spawns its corresponding calamity qi, repeatedly assaulting his flesh.

If the various calamity qi are not dispelled in time, when cultivating dozens of Calamity characters, Chen Zheng's internal calamity qi may reach a peak, then burst like a dam breaking, unstoppable, shattering his flesh.

Therefore at that moment, he needs the Three-Life Stone to absorb the massive calamity qi stored within, to unclog the dam and resolve the crisis.

The Three-Life Stone contains the hidden Three-Life Dao, capable of transmuting any worldly calamity qi so that it not only fails to harm Chen Zheng but also nourishes his flesh, making it stronger.

Attaining immortality from among the calamities is the true profundity of the Three-Life Stone.

Of course, the Three-Life Stone's function is not limited to absorbing and transmuting calamity qi; it is also an invincible treasure.

That will not be elaborated here.

Chen Zheng has not further studied the Three-Life Stone for now; he left the thirty‑second underground world and, accepting the generous invitation of the Zuma Sect Leader, arrived at the supreme sanctuary of the Zuma Divine Cult, the Cloudtop Heavenly Palace.

The Cloudtop Heavenly Palace is magnificent and grand, far more imposing than the Ascension Palace, floating amid endless seas of clouds, overlooking the vast earth as if it were the Celestial Emperor's palace.

Seen from outside, one can notice that this grand palace does not float in midair but rests upon a branch of an ancient tree.

The ancient tree is colossal, standing at the very center of the Zuma Great World, its whole body jet‑black, with dense foliage; its trunk and leaves appear forged from black iron.

This tree, like a pillar that upholds the heavens without ever collapsing, is called the Zuma Divine Tree; legend says that in antiquity a miraculous seed fell from a celestial rift pierced by the World Tree, drifted into the Zuma Great World, and after countless years grew to this size.

"Brother Chen, your method of slaying the Elephant Heaven, unafraid of the Saint Elephant King's majestic bearing, is truly admirable; I raise a cup to you."

"A peerless hero like you, Brother Chen, will have his name echo across the entire Three Thousand Great World within ten years; we also raise a cup to you!"

Inside the Cloudtop Heavenly Palace stands a massive long table laden with celestial fruits and spirit wine, even the flesh of Ancient Celestial Dragons and phoenixes, all cooked into delicacies for all to enjoy.

One by one, the Supreme Elders of the Zuma Divine Cult sit at the edges of the table, showering Chen Zheng—who sits between the Zuma Sect Leader and the Exquisite Immortal Lord—with boundless enthusiasm and constant compliments.

In major sects of the Xuanhuang Great World such as the Ascension Gate and the Star Gate, the number of Supreme Elders is generally just over a hundred; the Taiyi Gate may have a few more, three to four hundred.

But the Supreme Elders of the Zuma Divine Cult far outnumber any sect in the Xuanhuang Great World, numbering over five thousand; there are countless Fifth and Sixth Rank Immortals, hundreds of Seventh and Eighth Rank Immortals equivalent to the three Ascended Saints, and even four Ninth Rank Void Immortals, all one after another offering wine to Chen Zheng.

"Your praises are misplaced; I could slay Elephant Heaven only by luck."

Chen Zheng behaved modestly, accepting all the toasts without refusal, drinking several more cups.

The wine's name is unknown; it contains countless celestial herbs and even a trace of the Dominating Yang Qi, one of the three thousand primordial qi of the celestial realm. Its alcoholic and medicinal potency is overwhelmingly tyrannical, far more robust than any immortal pill; even a primordial titan would be knocked unconscious after a single sip, while a Supreme Elder becomes tipsy after ten or eight cups.

Yet Chen Zheng kept drinking tens of thousands of cups, yet remained as if untouched—his face stayed unflushed, his heart unmoved—causing many Supreme Elders of the Zuma Divine Cult to admire him even more.

"Brother Chen, your capacity is impressive; I raise a cup to you as well," the Zuma Sect Leader laughed heartily, raising his cup to clink with Chen Zheng's.

At the same time, with his other hand he pushed a jade box before Chen Zheng; it is made of the rare Heavenly Fragrant Warm Jade, which prevents the essence of items placed inside from leaking and isolates them from divine thoughts.

"What is this, Leader?"

Chen Zheng drained his cup in one gulp, looked at the jade box before him, and wore a puzzled expression.

The Zuma Sect Leader merely smiled without speaking.

The Exquisite Immortal Lord took a delicate sip, poised gracefully, glanced at the jade box, and a faint smile appeared on the flawless face: "Open it and you'll see."

Following the instruction, Chen Zheng reached out and opened the box; inside lay ten jet‑black fruits about the size of longan, looking utterly unremarkable, like ten black lumps.

"Are these Zuma Divine Fruits, ten at once!"

Many Supreme Elders of the Third to Sixth Rank Immortals, upon seeing the black lumps in the jade box, were startled, then their eyes filled with envy, to the point that saliva seemed about to drip.

It should be known that the Zuma Divine Fruit is the fruit of the Zuma Divine Tree, which blooms every three thousand years, bears fruit every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to mature.

These three three‑thousand‑year periods amount to nearly ten thousand years, longer than the lifespan of 99.9% of cultivators with divine powers; moreover, only three thousand fruits can be harvested at a time, making them extremely rare, and the Zuma Divine Cult's stock is scant.

Furthermore, the Zuma Fruit, also called the Hundred‑Dragon Ten‑Thousand‑Lifespan Fruit, grants any Supreme Elder who can endure its tyrannical potency a hundredfold of Ancient Celestial Dragon power and an extra ten thousand years of lifespan, far surpassing the marvel of countless immortal pills.

Normally, only Supreme Elders who have achieved great deeds receive a Zuma Divine Fruit as a gift from the Zuma Sect Leader, underscoring its rarity.

Now, the Zuma Sect Leader has, in one go, presented ten Zuma Divine Fruits to Chen Zheng.

If Chen Zheng consumes these ten fruits, he will gain a thousand Ancient Celestial Dragon powers and ten × 10⁴ years of lifespan, surpassing the magical strength of Third and Fourth Rank Immortals and extending his lifespan even further.

This is comparable to the power and lifespan of a Fifth Rank Immortal in the Creation Realm, naturally making many Supreme Elders of the Zuma Divine Cult enviously burn with desire.

But envy is useless; Chen Zheng is such a figure, and they are merely what they are—nothing can compare.

All Supreme Elders know clearly that they cannot even match a single hair of Chen Zheng.

They also think the Zuma Sect Leader's act of gifting ten fruits at once was wise; they would do the same in his place.

If the Zuma Divine Cult does not seize this chance to befriend Chen Zheng now, once he truly matures, seeking friendship will no longer be easy.

Some even exaggerate: miss this chance, and later they will never be able to reach Chen Zheng.

"So these are Zuma Divine Fruits. Thank you, Sect Leader, for your generous gift; I accept them."

Chen Zheng bowed to the Zuma Sect Leader in thanks, smiling as he took the jade box containing the Zuma Divine Fruits.

Lifespan is secondary; he already has over thirty thousand years of lifespan, which is not lacking—what he lacks is magical power.

Ten Zuma Divine Fruits happen to fill the gap of his insufficient magical power.

As the saying goes, it is impolite not to return a favor.

Chen Zheng paused briefly, then flicked his robe sleeve, and two jade scrolls fluttered from the cuff toward the Zuma Sect Leader.

"Brother Chen, what is this?" This time the Zuma Sect Leader was puzzled, not knowing Chen Zheng's intention.

Chen Zheng also smiled without speaking, simply raised his cup to drink, and clinked it with the Exquisite Immortal Lord beside him.

Zuma Sect Leader forced a bitter smile, caught two jade scrolls amid the puzzled gazes of numerous Supreme Elders, opened them, and instantly his eyes flashed with brilliance, exclaiming in surprise, "So these are the two Three Thousand Dao!"

"Oh? What kind of Three Thousand Dao did Daoist Chen give the sect leader that could move him so?" Beside the Zuma Sect Leader, a Supreme Elder of Virtual Immortal rank leaned in curiously, and upon seeing, his pupils dramatically contracted as he exclaimed, "This is the Taiyi Sect's sect‑defining ultimate art Great Catastrophe Technique, and also the Feather Ascension Sect's Great Yin‑Yang Technique!"

"What? The Great Catastrophe Technique and the Great Yin‑Yang Technique? Those are among the top ten of the Three Thousand Dao, whose power is comparable to our Zuma Divine Cult's combined five Three Thousand Dao forming the Zuma Myriad Gods Great Immortal Technique!"

"Daoist Chen actually gifted these two great arts to the sect leader? With these two great techniques, our Zuma Divine Cult's strength will surely ascend another level!"

"Daoist Chen, you are too generous; little sister offers you a drink…"

The numerous Supreme Elders of the Zuma Divine Cult debated eagerly, their shock and excitement evident in every word.

No one expected that their sect leader, after losing a wager with the Exquisite Immortal Lord, would obtain the coveted Great Catastrophe Technique from Chen Zheng.

He also gifted a Great Yin‑Yang Technique.

That wager was a bargain to lose!

In an instant, each Supreme Elder bowed solemnly to Chen Zheng, rising to offer a toast.

The banquet was bustling with merriment.

Not until the next morning did everyone disperse from the Cloud‑Top Heavenly Palace.

Chen Zheng and the Exquisite Immortal Lord, accompanied by the women of Linglong Blessed Land, as well as Xuan Sha and Huang Meng, departed the Zuma Great World under the farewell of the Zuma Divine Cult's senior leaders.

Space and time shifted; in the blink of an eye, Chen Zheng returned once more to the Xuanhuang Great World, to the familiar Sumeru Golden Summit.

"Chen Zheng, this is the Zuma Myriad Gods Great Immortal Technique you won from the Zuma Sect Leader; integrating it into my primordial spirit can boost my magical power considerably."

Upon returning to the Sumeru Golden Summit, the Exquisite Immortal Lord smiled warmly at Chen Zheng, raised a graceful hand, and the great Zuma deity materialized from his palm, soaring toward Chen Zheng.

"Great Immortal Technique?"

Chen Zheng lifted his hand and seized the Zuma deity, feeling its overwhelming power; delighted, he bowed and thanked, "Thank you, Exquisite Immortal Lord."

What is a Great Immortal Technique?

It is the combination, via secret arts, of several—up to dozens—of Three Thousand Dao, that constitutes a Great Immortal Technique.

Of course, this does not mean a single Three Thousand Dao is weaker than a Great Immortal Technique formed from many; after all, each Three Thousand Dao is a manifestation of the Dao, containing boundless transformations and infinite possibilities.

Even if a cultivator becomes an immortal, attains the Great Luo Dao, or even becomes a near‑omnipotent Heavenly Sovereign, they may still not fully master a single Three Thousand Dao.

In the end, it all depends on the practitioner themselves.

Which is stronger, the Three Thousand Dao or the Great Immortal Technique? That is a matter of personal opinion.

But Chen Zheng does not concern himself with who is stronger; to him, only divine skills cultivated by others for him are good divine skills, otherwise they're just a roadside lump.

The Zuma Myriad Gods Great Immortal Technique that the Exquisite Immortal Lord gave him is a cultivated one, which, once merged into his spirit, can instantly become his own and enhance his magical power.

This trip to the Zuma Great World was not in vain; he not only reached the Ninth Level of Divine Skill, but also obtained a cultivated Great Immortal Technique and ten Zuma Divine Fruits, which, once digested, will cause his magical power to surge dramatically.

Comfortable.

He believes it won't be long before he can ascend to the Feather Ascension Sect to take revenge on Wu Mingkong and the others.

That day at the Star Cluster Gate, the Demon‑Slaying Great Immortal Deng Ao was about to seize him and take him to the Taiyi Sect to atone, surely on the orders of that old dog Wu Mingkong.

"Still calling me Exquisite Immortal Lord?" The Exquisite Immortal Lord raised an eyebrow upon hearing Chen Zheng's address.

Chen Zheng was a bit bewildered by the words.

If not Immortal Lord, what should he be called?

Could it be that he should be called…

He glanced at the azure strands the Exquisite Immortal Lord had tied to his finger last time, and fell into contemplation.

Qiu Xiyu happened to see the azure strands on Chen Zheng's finger, and, shocked yet worried, thought inwardly, "The Supreme Master has wrapped the Ten‑Thousand Calamity Fate Thread around Chen Zheng's finger; could he be the one destined for her? Indeed, only someone like Chen Zheng could match the Supreme Master. Yet Chen Zheng already has Jia Lan and is ambiguously involved with Fang Qingxue; the future primary consort will surely be Fang Qingxue. Given the Supreme Master's temperament, she likely cannot accept being a secondary."

The Exquisite Immortal Lord, seeing Chen Zheng's confusion, smiled and said, "You are already one of my Linglong Blessed Land's people; from now on I appoint you as Acting Master, overseeing all affairs of Linglong Blessed Land. Tomorrow I will hold a grand ceremony to announce it to the world, so you should address me as Master."

"I know you have established a foundation on the Land of Five Elements, with your own forces and Chi Yuan Demon Lord guarding you, making it safe. Yet Chi Yuan Demon Lord is about to break free from there and won't protect you for long. Bring those subordinates from the Land of Five Elements to our Linglong Blessed Land; here, no one can touch you."

At the end, the Exquisite Immortal Lord's eyes showed a hint of pride, as if, with her present, no one in the entire Three Thousand Great World could harm Chen Zheng in the slightest.

Chen Zheng thought for a moment, shook his head then nodded, bowed and said, "Master, the Acting Master and the grand ceremony can be set aside; I'm habitually lazy and unwilling to manage or trouble myself. Just give me the title of Supreme Elder. As for moving to Linglong Blessed Land, that's fine; I'll go back, make some preparations, and bring people over."

The Exquisite Immortal Lord's words were apt; the day Chi Yuan Demon Lord breaks free is near, and his junior brother harbors a deep hatred for the Buddhist sect, constantly seeking trouble, so there may be little time left to guard him and his forces.

Moving to Linglong Blessed Land is just right.

Even if the Exquisite Immortal Lord is not within a sect, no one dares to come knocking for trouble.

Having said that, he prepared to activate the Six‑Word Mantra Talisman to return to the Land of Five Elements for cultivation, bringing Righteous Qi Peak, Jia Lan and others along.

But at that moment, a female Elder flew in from afar, landing on the Sumeru Golden Summit, and bowed to the Exquisite Immortal Lord, reporting, "Supreme Master, the War Dragon Dao Lord of the War God Star Realm has been kneeling at our sect gate, unable to rise, wishing to see you. He accuses Daoist Chen of crippling his son's limbs and cultivation, demanding that you seize Daoist Chen and hand him over for punishment; otherwise he will die kneeling at the gate."

"Then let him die kneeling," the Exquisite Immortal Lord replied indifferently, utterly disdainful of the War Dragon Dao Lord's petty complaint.

"The War Dragon Dao Lord has arrived?"

Chen Zheng's divine thought radiated outward, sweeping toward the Linglong Blessed Land's sect gate, where he saw an elderly man kneeling outside, his expression icy, his eyes filled with unparalleled hatred and murderous intent, clutching a dying human staff—he was the one whose son, Zhan Ming, Chen had crippled before heading to the Zuma Great World.

"The War Dragon Dao Lord, at least, is a Fourth‑Level Immortal of Longevity; dying kneeling is wasteful. How about I escort him away so he doesn't soil the gate?" Chen Zheng's gaze shifted to the Exquisite Immortal Lord as he spoke.

The Exquisite Immortal Lord seemed to understand his intention, gave a slight nod, indicating permission.

As soon as she nodded, Chen Zheng extended a massive hand, covering the sky, and seized at the gate, capturing both the War Dragon Dao Lord and Zhan Ming in his palm.

"Which great being seeks to seize me? Release me; I want to see the Exquisite Immortal Lord to avenge my son…" the War Dragon Dao Lord roared in Chen Zheng's palm, thrashing wildly.

But in the next instant, the voice was cut off, and the flame erupting from Chen Zheng's hand instantly refined both the War Dragon Dao Lord and his son Zhan Ming.

(End of Chapter)