Chapter 480: Transformation, Human Sentiment

It was not yet noon; the blazing sun had only just risen in the east, filling the sky with clouds, its light glittering brilliantly, dazzling the eyes, like a gilded painted scene, magnificent beyond words.

When Chen Hang slowly retracted his sword light and reached the peak, several strange birds resting on the ancient pine were startled, flapping their wings noisily and flying far away, leaving only a few scattered feathers clinging to the branches, which the wind soon carried gently down from the ten-thousand-zhang green mountains.

“At midday, pluck a blue lotus flower from the peak?”

Chen Hang recalled the final words left by Kongkong Daoist in the Yearly Punishment Lands, a thoughtful expression rising on his brow.

He now stood at the highest point of Fish Lake Mountain.

Looking around, he saw only a few gnarled ancient pines hanging over the cliffs, rising and falling in strange, irregular shapes; beneath his feet, fine grass spread like a carpet, unknown exotic species reaching up to his knees, emitting an unusually sweet and crisp fragrance.

The reason those strange birds had gone to such trouble to fly here and rest on the peak was perhaps because the grass here tasted sweet, like honeyed nectar.

Chen Hang glanced down briefly and saw dense claw marks on the ground—large ones as big as winnowing baskets, small ones comparable to human palms, bustling together like a crowded market.

Though the peak’s heights did harbor some vitality, they were not utterly barren.

Yet the blue lotus flower Kongkong Daoist had spoken of remained utterly unseen.

“Is it because midday has not yet arrived?”

Chen Hang mused inwardly.

He shifted his thoughts, ceased further speculation, and simply stood still on the peak, gazing down at the scenery beneath the clouds.

Mountains stood like jade, all eyes filled with green; flocks of phoenixes and cranes flew through the mist, their clear, melodious cries echoing like a dream.

As one of the famed peaks within Hongjing Heaven, even though repeatedly ravaged by calamitous fires and far diminished from its former glory, Fish Lake Mountain’s scenery far surpassed ordinary sights; coupled with the rare Yuanzuo Wangzhi herbs abundant here, it was a truly precious blessed land of immense value.

Deep within the mountains lay a vast, boundless lake.

White mist rose like steam from its center; emerald rocks and azure peaks flickered in and out of the shimmering waters, as if they had stood thus for millennia, and would continue to do so forever.

As Chen Hang fixed his gaze, he saw the lake vaguely resembled a giant palm—as if a colossal hand had crashed down from heaven and smashed this shape into the earth.

“Opposites clash, fate is vast and obscure…”

Chen Hang sighed softly, then withdrew his gaze, standing motionless in place, patiently waiting.

And he did not wait long.

Several hours later, as the sun quietly reached the zenith, pouring down countless golden rays of radiant light, dazzling and brilliant.

At that moment, standing atop the peak, Chen Hang felt a buzzing in his skull, a sudden dizziness and bewilderment—as if someone had struck the back of his head with a jade ruler and shouted sharply.

In his haze, he saw brilliant light erupt before him, as if a thousand suns had risen together, illuminating this place.

Perfect, pure, filling all space!

Faintly, he heard the ringing of cymbals, the chanting of sutras—

But in an instant, that solemn, Buddha-like aura of enlightenment and teaching shattered violently.

In its place came a thunderous roar, boundless beyond speech or thought, devoid of any sign or omen, immeasurable, unfathomable!

The rolling thunder rolled from an unnamed end, piercing through the river of time, finally reaching the present world and entering his ears.

The familiar, overwhelmingly fierce yang energy—capable of shattering ten thousand eight thousand realms—made Chen Hang shudder; he snapped back to his senses, his mind returning to clarity.

“Taiyi Divine Thunder!”

Chen Hang abruptly lifted his head.

In his line of sight, a blue lotus flower as large as a cart wheel had quietly bloomed atop the peak, unseen until now.

It stood only a few zhang away from Chen Hang; a mountain breeze brushed past, carrying a faint, exquisite fragrance.

Though the blue lotus had now taken form, since it was still fifteen minutes before midday, it remained insubstantial, hazy and indistinct.

When Chen Hang reached out to touch it, he grasped only a breeze.

In that instant, a sudden clarity surged within Chen Hang’s heart.

He knew that if he stepped forward and plucked the fully manifested lotus, an earth-shattering transformation would follow immediately, stirring up an overwhelming commotion that would shake the ten directions.

“Then…”

Chen Hang pondered, pointed into the air, and suddenly sent forth a sword light; then he made no further move, waiting quietly for the final moment.

Shortly after, in a deep valley of Fish Lake Mountain.

Lu Rong, who had been silently cultivating and refining his abilities, suddenly sensed something.

He rose, opened his mouth, and swallowed the deep crimson cloud above his head, sealing it back into his chest and abdomen; then he reached out, grasping firmly the sword light Chen Hang had sent.

After reading the spiritual message embedded in the sword light, Lu Rong did not hesitate; he immediately formed a spell and summoned back the Blood Spirit he had previously dispatched.

“I just found a high-quality Yuanzuo Zhi herb and hadn’t moved yet—what now?”

A mass of blood flame plummeted from the sky, exploding violently and igniting the surrounding trees; from the roaring flames stepped a Blood Spirit with Lu Rong’s exact face, frowning as he spoke:

“How many have you gathered?” Lu Rong asked.

The Blood Spirit said nothing, raised his hand, and sent a streak of light flying toward him.

Lu Rong caught it and saw within it over a dozen Yuanzuo Zhi herbs, large and small, all of superior quality, brimming with spiritual energy; he nodded and stored them all deep within his Purple Mansion.

Seeing this, the Blood Spirit frowned slightly, voicing a long-suppressed question:

“You’ve already obtained Yuanzuo Wangzhi. As far as I know, with such a rare external herb aiding you, combined with your own cultivation, you have more than enough to suppress the backlash from the Six Desires Demon True Light.

If so, why are you still gathering these external herbs? Don’t tell me you plan to sell them—your wealth makes such merchant dealings unnecessary.”

Since he had plundered the memories of Xiao Lingji’s beloved male favorites, Lu Rong had been determined to obtain the Yuanzuo Wangzhi on Fish Lake Mountain; the Blood Spirit, who lived alongside him, was well aware of this.

The Six Desires Demon True Light was one of the supreme great arts of the Blood River Sect, its key lying in the “Heart Seal.”

Once a cultivator overcame countless obstacles and successfully formed the Heart Seal, he could draw upon the forces of desire and attachment in heaven and earth, greatly amplifying the power of the art, making it formidable!

Without the Heart Seal, the Six Desires Demon True Light was merely an ordinary immortal art, unremarkable and lacking distinction.

The Blood Spirit had assumed Lu Rong sought Yuanzuo Wangzhi to suppress the backlash from using the Six Desires Demon True Light.

After all, Lu Rong was only a Golden Core cultivator; even if this art was famed throughout the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, using it effortlessly would inevitably bring backlash.

But now Lu Rong had obtained Yuanzuo Wangzhi—though only about eighty percent, it was sufficient for his use.

So why persist in gathering Yuanzuo Zhi herbs? What was his true intent?

“Yuanzuo Zhi is rare even in Xudu Heaven, a unique product of Hongjing Heaven. All things have yin and yang, all matters have opposites. On the surface, this herb clarifies the spirit and suppresses wandering thoughts—but reverse it…”

Lu Rong flipped his palm and explained calmly to the Blood Spirit:

“Isn’t it an excellent herb that fuels demonic thoughts?”

The Blood Spirit stared in shock for a moment, then asked: “You didn’t seek Yuanzuo Wangzhi to suppress the backlash of the Six Desires Demon True Light?”

“Who said this was for the Six Desires Demon True Light?”

Lu Rong glanced at him, calmly replying:

“The Xudu Great Elixir—this transformation, I intend to claim it. If so, I must develop additional methods, keep more options open.

Just like the blood parasite I secretly planted inside Xiao Lingji during our duel—there’s no sign yet, but when she next engages in union, ha!”

The Blood Spirit was still pondering Lu Rong’s intent, but Lu Rong had no patience to explain further; he waved his hand and coldly ordered:

“We must prepare now. A great change is coming to Fish Lake Mountain soon—if we don’t move, attracting the attention of the demonic cultivators afterward will be troublesome.”

The Blood Spirit, confused, asked:

“Change? What change? What could possibly happen here? Where did you get this information?”

“Chen True Person just sent word—he has already forewarned us.”

Lu Rong glanced around, though puzzled, he gave the order:

“Let’s go!”

…

…

The sky was clear, the pines whispered like waves.

After flying for some time, Lu Rong finally halted atop a small hill—this was near the edge of Fish Lake Mountain; another dozen miles ahead would bring them to the mountain’s array barriers.

Seeing Lu Rong take out a crimson magic bell, chant spells, and secretly activate it in the air,

the Blood Spirit, who had been frowning in confusion all along, could no longer hold back and asked what Chen Hang’s message had conveyed.

Seeing Lu Rong respond only vaguely, the Blood Spirit’s face showed irritation, then suddenly his eyes darted, as if he’d realized something; he chuckled strangely:

“You’ve known Chen Hang for only a few days, and you’ll be his rival at the Dan Yuan Assembly—how can you trust him so completely? Don’t you suspect he’s found his own transformation and is deliberately sending you away?

But then again, this is good!”

“If such a ridiculous trick truly came from Chen True Person, then he’s not worthy of Lu’s regard.”

Lu Rong sneered dismissively:

“And what exactly is good about it?”

“I think with Chen Hang’s abilities, if he survives, he’ll inevitably challenge Ji Fakai—the scion of the clan—for the position of Jade Jade Dao Disciple… and if he wins, we’ll have forged ties with a Jade Jade Dao Disciple—or even the Jade Jade Sect Master!”

“Do you think I can’t control the Blood River?” Lu Rong chuckled.

“No, no—I mean…”

The Blood Spirit grinned wickedly, his greed unmasked:

“Can the Jade Jade Sect Master command the Cosmic Thunder Pool?”

Lu Rong said nothing, gazed deeply at the Blood Spirit, then finally spoke:

“You’ve got a fine plan.”

The Blood Spirit was an entity of utmost yin and filth, naturally able to absorb all turbid yin spiritual energy to enhance wisdom and cultivation.

After being nourished by countless turbid energies, Lu Rong’s Blood Spirit could now read Dao texts and cultivate arts independently—even among Golden Core cultivators, his abilities were formidable.

Yet solitary yin cannot give birth, solitary yang cannot grow.

Though such spiritual creations as the Blood Spirit advanced rapidly, in later stages they inevitably became blocked by yin malevolence and demonic miasma, unable to easily open the gates of the Dao, trapped for tens of thousands of years in a minor realm until their lifespan ended.

The Blood River Sect’s solution was to use an extreme yang treasure to refine the Blood Spirit anew, shedding its old form and gaining a new body.

Thus, cultivating yin and yang in harmony, balancing primordial qi, naturally attains the essence of the Two Polarities, removing that barrier.

The intricacies and difficulties of this process shall be set aside for now.

There are countless supreme yang treasures in the world, naturally differing in quality; the caliber of the supreme yang treasure chosen will directly affect the ultimate potential of the Blood Spirit Child.

Lu Rong knew that the previous Sect Master of the Blood River Sect had borrowed the “Pure Jun Imperial Edict” from the Huangji Heaven, using it to transform his Blood Spirit Child into a divine entity, harmonizing with nature and far surpassing all other Blood Spirit Children of his generation!

There were even rumors that the previous Blood River Sect Master had vanished after a journey beyond the heavens, forcing the three World-Regulating Ancestors—who rarely manifested—to select a new Sect Master.

This was because, during his transcendence and tribulation crossing, the previous Sect Master had been suddenly betrayed and attacked by his own Blood Spirit Child, losing both his body and immense magic power, merely serving as a vessel for another’s gain.

Lu Rong naturally did not lightly believe such absurd rumors.

But this indirectly reflected that a Blood Spirit Child refined by a powerful supreme yang treasure had become extraordinarily formidable—capable of breaking free from its life-blood pact and turning against its master; such marvels defied ordinary logic!

Although the Pure Jun Imperial Edict was powerful,

compared to Yu Yuchen’s Cosmic Thunder Pool, it was still far inferior…

Lu Rong was aware of the hidden treacherous intentions of his own Blood Spirit Child, but he paid them no mind; after a few fleeting thoughts, he turned his attention to the distant blue sky, frowning slightly.

Upon receiving Chen Hang’s message, Lu Rong had secretly taken precautions and immediately packed up, leaving the spot.

Yet the change he mentioned had yet to show any sign—what exactly was happening?

As Lu Rong focused his gaze, he unwittingly reached midday.

Far away, as Chen Hang reached out and plucked the fully manifested blue lotus flower, Lu Rong felt a sudden, crushing pressure in his chest, his breath nearly stifled.

“What is this?”

Lu Rong’s pupils shrank; he immediately activated the protective treasure bestowed by his sect.

The next instant, a deafening roar erupted, followed by trembling earth and shaking mountains—as if half of Mo Wu Continent were quaking in unison!

Countless peaks collapsed and shattered, rocks rained down like hail, and murky vapors surged from the earth, carrying thick plumes of fire and smoke!

This commotion lasted for the duration of an incense stick, until a ten-thousand-zhang pure light shot upward, piercing the void, vanishing into an unknown direction.

All noise gradually faded, and heaven and earth returned to silence…

“What the hell was that?!”

Huang Xiong, who had rushed over and was now gaping in shock, trembled as he pushed aside the smoke.

He saw that the center of Fish Lake Mountain had sunk deeply inward, as if hollowed out by invisible hands; his heart ached with despair.

“Has heaven fallen?!”

Huang Xiong felt his scalp go numb.

Just as Huang Xiong and the other demonic cultivators were shaken, unable to hold their composure, and fretted over how to report this upward, agonizing over their fate—

Elsewhere, in an unnamed dharma realm.

As the pure light slowly faded, Chen Hang’s vision cleared; he first saw, in the far distance, a monk and a Daoist seated opposite each other—the monk to the west, the Daoist to the east.

The monk’s face was obscured by Buddhist light, indistinct.

The Daoist wore the Yu Yuchen Daoist robe, crowned with a blue lotus hat, his face faintly smiling, eyes tightly shut, utterly motionless.