I'M ACTUALLY A CULTIVATION BIGSHOT

by Kideo11

The Immortal Dao is ethereal, and Immortals are hard to find. Li Nianfan had descended into the cultivation world as a mortal. After learning that he has no hope in cultivation, he only wants to live a peaceful life. However… The dog he adopts becomes a demon king of a generation when it sees his poems and paintings. It manages to suppress an entire world. The tree he plants be

3. Chapter 201 - 300

Chapter 201

Silence.

Everyone fell silent.

When everyone wanted to gasp, their gasps were stuck in their throats and unable to come out. They were stunned.

Insights?

What a familiar term.

The woman thought everyone was stunned by her. Instantly, she was delighted. She said, "Actually, don't be too shocked. I can easily eat six of these big Spiritual Fruits. Since I like it too much, I only have one left. If the road between the Immortal Land and Realm was open, I would've saved some for you. After all, this is more beneficial for you than me."

Yao Mengji snapped back to reality and instantly looked amazed. "Wow! Nice!"

Zhou Dacheng agreed, "Who would've thought that it'd be such a wonderful fruit. It's so hard to imagine! It's so hard to believe!"

The acting skills they had to master since meeting the expert had finally been put to use.

As expected, one would not be able to get away without acting.

Even Qin Manyun looked shocked. She shook her head humbly and said, "This is too expensive. I can't take it."

"This is nothing. I'm your ancestor. Since I'm giving it to you, just keep it." The woman smiled.

It was nice getting to be noble in front of the youngsters and leaving them with a precious heirloom before dying. She did it to leave a good impression in the Immortal Realm as an Immortal.

"Right, the lower the realm, the more beneficial the fruit. You might get an Epiphany if you're lucky. Why don't you have a bite now and show me if you can? Who knows, you might be able to Cross Tribulate within a thousand years," the woman said with anticipation.

"It's not so good..." Qin Manyun looked at Yao Mengji.

Yao Mengji's face changed. He said, "Mistress, there's no hurry. I think the most important thing now is to think of a way to cure you."

"As I said, it's impossible! I'm an Immortal. Even the best Elixir in the Immortal Realm wouldn't do much for me." The woman waved her hand and said, "I'm merely a woman who's about to be dead. Can't I see how much the fruit would help my younger generation? Don't you want me to die a peaceful death?"

Yao Mengji said while biting his tongue, "Mistress, I have something that might be able to help you..."

"Nonsense!" the woman exploded. "How disrespectful! Do you want me to die sooner by pissing me off? My good Manyun, don't mind your teacher. Hurry up and take a bite. Show me how well it works!"

Qin Manyun nodded her head awkwardly. She slowly opened her mouth and put the fruit into her mouth.

The fruit was sweet and sour. There was no seed in it as well. She finished it in three mouthfuls.

Everyone stared at Qin Manyun, especially the woman whose eyes were burning. She started imagining how Qin Manyun would be affected in no time, making a strange face. It would show them how cool the gift she had given them was.

However, nothing happened.

"Hmm?" The woman frowned. She looked at Qin Manyun suspiciously.

Qin Manyun was under pressure. She even closed her eyes, trying to pretend as if she was having an Epiphany. However...nothing happened.

The fruit did have some Insights. However, after spending so much time with Li Nianfan, getting Insights was as easy as having a meal. Compared to those, the Insights contained in the fruit were nothing. It merely induced a small reaction, not an Epiphany.

"What happened? Why did nothing happen?" The woman was confused. Her jaw dropped. She looked anxious.

Her phantom flickered. It was already on the verge of breaking.

She was so frustrated that her phantom almost disappeared.

This was equivalent to sending someone a branded bag and then mistaking it for a basket. It was frustrating!

So very frustrating!

The woman was panting as she said, "No way. I must hang on. If not, I can't die in peace."

Yao Mengji said hastily, "Mistress, please, don't panic. You might not believe what I'm going to say next, but we've been eating quite a lot of fruits containing Insights. That's why it's less effective on us now."

"Eating quite a lot?" The woman was shocked. She then shook her head and said, "I don't believe you. Mengji, don't you make up lousy lies like this. It merely shows how ignorant you are! You sound like a joke!"

Qin Manyun said, "Mistress, it's true. That's how I managed to reach the late-Yuan Ying realm."

The woman still shook her head as she spoke with conviction, "I'm a pig if I believe what you say!"

Yao Mengji took a deep breath. His face was very serious when he said, "Mistress, to be honest with you, we met a...Saint in the Immortal Realm."

The woman looked at Yao Mengji blankly. Then, she laughed as if she was looking at an idiot.

She said, "Mengji, just because I'm dying, you decided to tell me a joke from the Immortal Realm?"

"Mistress, I know you won't believe me but what I'm saying is true!"

Yao Mengji looked at the woman and said in excitement, "Now's not the time to explain. What I want to know is, would the honey from Golden Bees do you any good?"

"Of course!" The woman's eyes sparkled. She could not help saying, "Honey from Golden Bees has healing powers. It can heal wounds. If there's enough of it, not only can it heal my illness, it'll even improve my health," she said in a hopeless tone, craving for it.

Those were Golden Bees! They were not only rare, they were also a very deadly species.

One had to have both luck and skill to attain their honey.

Very difficult! Extremely difficult!

However...

Yao Mengji smiled. He stood up tall as he said in a mysterious tone, "I have some!"

The woman frowned with suspicion. "Mengji, when did you become like this? You keep lying. Aren't you ashamed?"

"Mistress, you can decide whether to believe me or not after I show it to you." Yao Mengji's lips curled up. As if he was about to perform, he said, "Now, I hope Mistress is ready. Stay calm as I bring out the honey of the Golden Bees!"

"Nice act. Bring it out. I'm waiting."

Yao Mengji warned, "Mistress, I'm not kidding you. If you faint out of excitement, it'd be your loss."

The woman answered impatiently, "I'm doing fine. Feel free to bring it out!"

Yao Mengji made a gesture and a bottle appeared in his hand. As he uncovered the lid, a sweet fragrance drifted into the air.

The woman was not expecting much but suddenly, her face froze as her eyes fixated on the bottle.

"This... This..."

Her eyes widened. She wished she could glue her eyes to the bottle.

The honey inside the bottle was swirling around like it was alive.

Gasp!

"Honey from the Golden...Golden Bees. It really is from the Golden Bees!" Her body jumped from the extreme shock.

Meanwhile, her phantom shook vigorously. She was on the verge of breaking.

She raised her hand. Instantly, the bottle flew into her hand.

"Oh no, I'm fainting. I don't have the time to hear you explain. Call me back in five days."

Just as the phantom was about to vanish, her voice resonated in the air, "Oh right, as your Mistress, I feel obliged to warn you. You're not young anymore. You need to learn to control your urges. Your body essence is so weak because you've been having too much fun!"

Yao Mengji was baffled.

'I used it all up to summon you!?

'What's wrong with women? What's wrong with their thinking?

'Sigh, I didn't even get anything for summoning my ancestor. I even lost a jar of honey.

'My ancestor's a thief. My loss!'

Chapter 202

Five days had passed in the blink of an eye. After meditating and nourishing his body, he had finally regained some energy.

Although his eyes still sunk into their sockets, the dark circles were no longer as dark.

He straightened up and got ready to spit out blood again.

He took a deep breath...

He bowed. Spat blood. Lit incense. Summoned.

Luckily he was able to endure it even though he was shaking a little.

Vroom!

The ancestry stone lit up. This time, it glowed brighter. Thick Spiritual Qi rushed in from all directions.

Quickly, it turned into a swirl, increasing the overall intensity of Spiritual Qi at the Linxian Palace. All the disciples benefited from it as it sped up their cultivation. They all turned to look at the ancestral hall in shock.

They could see that the Spiritual Qi surrounding them had condensed into mist, gravitating toward the ancestral hall. The air felt sacred. Flower petals were even falling dreamily from the trees.

The disciples went crazy, their eyes burning with excitement.

"Our ancestors! The Ancestor of the Linxian Palace is coming!"

"An Immortal! And Immortal!"

"We're finally in touch with the Immortal Land? My Linxian Palace is so cool!"

Inside the ancestral hall, the Spiritual Qi was so dense and petals were falling in the air. There was even a hint of floral fragrance. The ancestry stone was shining so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

The phantom of a noble, elegant woman gradually appeared. There were even some clouds surrounding her. The special effects were on point.

The woman's eyes were filled with fear. She glanced around coldly and said, "Mengji, is there a problem in the Linxian Palace that made you summon me?"

Yao Mengji, "..."

'Didn't you ask me to summon you? You're so good at acting!

'Also, didn't you eat my honey from the Golden Bees five days ago? What're you doing now? Care to tell me why you're acting as if nothing happened?

'I'm not going to lie. Your acting skills will do you good in front of the expert.'

People like Qin Manyun's lips twitched. It seemed like those of higher cultivation realms and age had some weird ticks.

In comparison, the expert's ticks on pretending to be an ordinary man seemed rather normal now.

Yao Mengji bit his tongue. "Yes, Mistress. There's something I'd like to report to you. We met an expert in the Immortal Realm."

The woman's face remained unchanged. "Oh? There's an expert in the Immortal Realm? Tell me about it."

With that, Yao Mengji told her everything he knew from head to toe.

The more she listened, the more shocked she looked. Finally, she gasped.

She was not pretending. She genuinely gasped from shock.

"This is hard to imagine. So shocking!" 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The woman's face was full of shock. Although she knew a powerful existence appeared in the Immortal Realm, she thought it was just the tip of an iceberg. After listening to what Yao Mengji said, she realized how powerful this existence was!

"A Saint! At least a Heavenly Saint!" Her heart thumped and her face flushed red as her body shivered with excitement.

Since her Immortalization, she had not been able to make any connections with the bigshots. She was surviving on her own, living a sad life. Perhaps this was a turning point for her to live a better life?

Great! She was getting richer!

Yao Mengji saw his Mistress drifting off. He gently coughed and could not help reminding her, "Not long ago, the expert rewarded us with a bottle of honey from the Golden Bees and the egg of a Firefinch Demon."

"An egg of a Firefinch Demon? That's so unbelievable! These things are worshiped by the Immortals. They're rare treasures even in the Immortal Land." The woman's tone remained calm and unperturbed as she continued, "Mengji, what does the Firefinch Demon egg look like?"

'The main point was the honey of the Golden Bees!

'Being an Immortal doesn't mean you suddenly have selective hearing!'

Yao Mengji's face twitched. With that, an egg appeared in his hand. "This."

The woman waved her hand and the Firefinch Demon egg instantly appeared in front of her. Her pupils dilated while her body shivered. Even her phantom was shaking, signifying how excited she was.

However, she still had to look composed on the surface. She commented calmly, "Good egg! There's Spiritual Qi spinning and glowing in it. It's indeed an egg of the Immortal bird. It's hard to get a hold of such an egg, even for an Immortal like me."

As she spoke, she had already kept the egg in her bag with a calm face. "This is too precious. It might be unsafe for you to keep it. It's safer for me to keep it for you."

Yao Mengji's face darkened. His lips twitched as he said, "Mistress, I can take care of an egg."

The woman's face turned serious. She said, "Nonsense! This isn't an ordinary egg. You keeping an egg like this is like a three-year-old by the street holding onto a Spiritual Stone. You might get killed for that! As your Mistress, I definitely wouldn't want such tragedies to happen."

Yao Mengji's scalp was itching. He said, "Gu Changqing from the Azure Ville visited the expert with his Grandpa, Gu Yuan. They gave the expert a Firefinch Demon and the expert was very pleased."

"What?" The woman's face changed. "The old man Gu Yuan made a move before us? How silly of you! Why didn't you summon me earlier? Being the first to please the expert is crucial!"

Yao Mengji's scalp became itchier.

'Don't you have any idea why I wasn't able to summon you?'

The woman waved it off. "Whatever. It's too late to blame you. We can only try to make up for it."

Yao Mengji said, "We've taken too many rewards from the experts. That's why I summoned you. I was hoping we could give the expert some treasures."

"Of course we have to give him some treasures, and it needs to be the finest treasure!" The woman went deep into thought.

She was thinking fast.

She was not doing so good herself. How would she find any treasure?

Many of her treasures were used up when she tried to save her life previously. She was even poorer now compared to her time in the Immortal Land. What could she give?

The most precious thing she had was the fruit, and yet, it was merely an ordinary fruit in the eyes of the expert. Even her descendants looked down on it. How embarrassing!

Wait, where did Gu Yuan find a Firefinch Demon? She had not seen him for so many years. He was doing so well now?

Yao Mengji pestered, "Mistress, I heard the Immortal Land has countless precious treasures. Do you have anything to give the expert?"

"Cough, cough. If it's a precious treasure, I'll need to put some effort into preparing it. Why would the expert appreciate some ordinary treasure?" the woman said with a solemn face. "We can't rush these things! Give me some time to prepare it in the Immortal Land. Alright, we'll call it a day. I have to go now. Bye."

Instantly, the phantom disappeared and the glow that illuminated the room died off.

"Mistress, Mistress! At least leave us with something!" Yao Mengji called out.

As expected, he did not receive any response.

Instantly, he started to doubt his life.

'I spat blood and essence to summon you. Now that I'm weak, what do I get in return? You took my Golden Bees honey, and now you've taken my egg, too. You didn't even leave me with a fart! Is that how you steal from your descendants?'

Chapter 203

In the ancestral hall, they fell silent for a long time.

After pausing for a moment, Qin Manyun asked weakly, "Teacher, is Mistress...gone?"

Yao Mengji looked around and said, "She should be gone now."

"Sect Master, I mean no offense but our Mistress is..." Zhou Dacheng said in a low voice filled with suspicion, "...she stole from us!"

Another long silence...

The Big Elder said, "Dacheng's right!"

"So bad!"

"We're so unlucky to have such an ancestor!"

"Life's already hard enough. Now it's even harder!"

"Look outside. The disciples still look excited. They think our ancestor's very powerful! They want to worship her!"

"Sigh, a bunch of ignorant people."

...

"Alright, stop talking," Yao Mengji said.

"Knowing my ancestor, if she had anything of value, she would've flaunted it to us right away. It's apparent that she's not doing so well herself in the Immortal Land. Let's not talk about it. Life's hard enough."

Yao Mengji continued, "The reason why our standards are high is mainly due to us meeting the experts. Therefore, we must maintain our connection. Since the honey from the expert saved our ancestor, we should go over to thank him, regardless if the expert predicted it or not."

The Big Elder said, "Mengji's right."

Zhou Dacheng nodded and said with a worried tone, "Of course, we have to thank him. Now we need to think of what to bring him."

Yao Mengji frowned. "Manyun, your understanding of him is good. Help me think of what to give him?"

Instantly, everyone was deep in thought.

"The expert's way beyond our realms. Even the most precious thing to us is ordinary to him. If we don't have the ability, we don't have to think of giving him fancy things." Qin Manyun analyzed the situation little by little, layer by layer. "We can decide by thinking about what the expert likes, his interests, and needs. The most important key is sincerity!" 𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The Big Elder agreed, "Manyun's right."

Everyone fell into another long silence.

"Interest wise, the expert seems to really like wild meat..."

Yao Mengji mumbled to himself. Suddenly, a flash appeared in his eyes. He cried out, "That's it! Wild animals! Manyun, do you remember the last time we visited the expert and how he wanted to eat the Firefinch Demon? In the end, he didn't eat it because it started laying eggs! The expert seemed rather unsatisfied!"

"Yes, yes!" Qin Manyun nodded. "The expert must've been disappointed! Let's bring a wild animal over. But, what animal? It must be good enough to show our sincerity

She started analyzing again. She asked, "Teacher, you said the expert used a boar to help you pass your Cross Tribulation. Does this mean that the expert's in contact with the demons around him?"

Yao Mengji nodded. "Most likely. After all, Miss Daji's a nine-tailed fox, so it's not surprising for her to be in contact with the demons around them."

"During my last trip, I heard that there have been demons and demonic spirits all over the Southern Mountain area. It seems that the Sky Boar King's gathering demons in preparation to take the throne of the deceased Silver Moon Demon King. They're about to attack," Qin Manyun said with a cheerful tone, her eyes sparkling. "If they attack, they'll surely disturb the expert's peace. They might even harm the demons around the expert!"

Yao Mengji became excited again. He said, "The Sky Boar King is a demon at the peak of the Combination realm, very close to Cross Tribulation. The demons under him shouldn't be taken lightly. Even if we fight them together, it might take some effort...but the harder it is, the more sincere we are!"

Qin Manyun smiled and said, "We can't keep waiting for the expert's hint. We have to be intuitive to his needs. This is called improvement! A gift like this would be able to impress the expert. It'll show him how much we care!"

The smile on the Big Elder's face bloomed like a flower. He nodded hastily, "Mengji and Manyun's right!"

Zhou Dacheng was already in the air. He said, "What're you all waiting for? Hurry up. We need to kill this Sky Boar King!"

The others gradually flew up into the air and joined him. "Let's go, let's go!"

...

In the deep end of the forest at the Southern Mountain.

Demon Spirits were all over the area, engulfing the entire forest. Due to this, the sky had turned rather dark. The forest, ground, river, and even the sky were filled with demons looming around as if it was an army base of demons. It made one's scalp itch in fear.

A Wild Boar Demon stood at the peak of the mountain. Its fur was spiky like a sword, exuding a deep aura of demonic spirit. It glared at the demons below him with power and authority.

Its voice sounded like thunder as it growled, "Everyone, I've gathered you all here today to prepare for our attack on the Silver Moon Demon King's territory. We're taking over all the demons there to secure my throne!"

"All hail the Boar Demon King! All hail the Boar Demon King!"

"Ha-ha, the stupid Silver Moon Demon King eagle died mysteriously. I even thought of making soup with its body at some point!" the Boar Demon King scoffed coldly. "I got lucky!"

It laughed wildly and glanced around. "I heard there isn't just a nine-tailed fox, but there's also a seven-tailed fox. Is that true?"

The demons shifted around nervously. Only a few small demons went forward. "To answer the Boar Demon King's question... After the death of the Silver Moon Demon King, we ran over here to serve you. There is indeed a seven-tailed fox. We took part in catching it."

"Oh? Ha-ha-ha! Very well!" The Boar Demon King's eyes flickered. "As the saying goes in our family, the demon king deserves a nine-tailed fox! It'll become my wife in no time! Listen up. Attack the Fallen Immortal Mountain, catch the seven-tailed fox alive!"

"Attack the Fallen Immortal Mountain, catch the seven-tailed fox alive!"

"Attack the Fallen Immortal Mountain, catch the seven-tailed fox alive!"

...

Screams filled the air.

Meanwhile, countless orbs of light raced toward the sound. They did not even have to look around much. They raced toward all the screaming.

"As expected, you're planning to attack the Fallen Immortal Mountain. I won't forgive you. I'm here to take your lives"

A sound struck down from above. Qin Manyun and the rest were waiting in the air above the forest. Each of them had an instrument in their hands. They were about to play a song.

"Hmm?" The Boar Demon King's eyes narrowed. Its voice was extremely cold when it said, "What do you mean? I don't know you. Why don't we mind our own business?"

Yao Mengji scoffed coldly, "Ha-ha, your thinking is very dangerous, so you must die!"

The Boar Demon King was agitated. "How dare you! Do you think I, the Boar Demon King, can be easily bullied?"

"Cut the nonsense! We've reserved your boar meat!" Zhou Dacheng could not hold back any longer. His five fingers strummed the instrument.

Dong!

Instantly, the sound washed over them like a wave, drowning all the demons below.

"How dare you!"

The Boar Demon King let out a boar howl and turned into its original form. It had black skin and was very muscular. Its two long, thick fangs were sharp and glowing.

It jumped into the air and howled in a low voice, "Demons, kill them all!"

Instantly, the music became more fierce as lights flashed in the air. Demon Spirits were all over the place. The scene was chaotic.

The shocking and surprising battle started without any warning.

In the forest, the surrounding trees were instantly flattened. Even the weaker trees a hundred miles from them were blown away.

Half an hour later, Yao Mengji and the rest carried a big wild boar in their hands. They turned into orbs of light and flew toward the Fallen Immortal Mountain...

Chapter 204

In the forest, a bunch of small demons watched their king being carried away. They were shaking in terror.

Life was so unpredictable!

Who would have thought that the Boar Demon King—who was still so powerful a moment ago—would be killed and carried away in the next moment

It seemed that a bigshot had his eye on its meat. It would be turned into a dish in no time.

The small demons shivered. The Immortal Realm was too scary.

...

Early in the morning the next day.

Yao Mengji carried the Boar Demon King to the foot of the Fallen Immortal Mountain. Qin Manyun was by his side.

Qin Manyun asked with concern, "Teacher, are you sure you don't need to rest?"

"No need!" Although Yao Mengji looked tired, he waved his hand nonchalantly. "If it wasn't for my weakened essence, I wouldn't even need to fight the Wild Boar King with you all. Visiting the expert's an important matter."

The two of them were about to walk up the hill. However, they halted when they looked in the opposite direction.

Two figures were walking toward them gradually.

Qin Manyun narrowed her eyes and said in a low voice, "Teacher, this man's the scholar who preaches 'Journey to the West'. He claims to be an expert student of the expert."

Yao Mengji's face changed color. Instantly, he marched over and said with a friendly tone, "What a coincidence! I'm Yao Mengji, the Sect Master of the Linxian Palace. Nice to meet you two."

When Zhou Yunwu first saw Yao Mengji, he pitied him as he thought Yao Mengji was a lonely old man since he was so skinny that his bones were showing.

However, when he heard that he was the Sect Master of the Linxian Palace, Zhou Yunwu almost jumped.

Were all Sect Masters so weak? Perhaps he fought some bigshot demons and all his essence was sucked away. How sad!

When he saw the huge furry wild boar on Yao Mengji's shoulder, Zhou Yunwu understood right away.

This wild boar must have been a female boar!

"Greetings from Zhou Yunwu, the Prince of the Xia Kingdom." Zhou Yunwu remained calm as he greeted Yao Mengji. He introduced, "This is my military adviser, the future Nation Master of the Xia Kingdom, Meng Junliang."

"So, you're the Prince of the Xia Kingdom." Yao Mengji nodded as a friendly gesture.

He did not care much about the kingdom of the ordinary people. So he did not know him. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Qin Manyun said to Meng Junliang, "Greetings to Senior Meng, we will meet again."

Meng Junliang corrected, "Miss Manyun, as I've said, don't call me Senior."

"I'll call you Mr. Meng, then." Qin Manyun smiled. She asked, "Are you here to visit Mr. Li?"

"Yes," Meng Junliang nodded. He did not speak much.

Zhou Yunwu sighed and said, "There's a plague in the Xia Kingdom. I came here to seek help from Mr. Li."

"What? There's a plague in your area, too!?" Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji frowned at the same time.

So, it reached the Xia Kingdom as well?

A plague befalling upon a kingdom was scary! Due to the dense population, it could spread easily. If they did not stop it from spreading, it would end horribly.

"Yeah, since yesterday morning. I sensed something was off, so I rushed here with Junliang right away. I wonder how it's doing right now," Zhou Yunwu said with a worried expression.

Yao Mengji asked curiously, "What brought you here to seek help from Mr. Li?"

Zhou Yunwu answered, "I sought help from Mr. Li once. He said to look for him if the plague happens."

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun exchanged a look. Instantly, they looked at Zhou Yunwu differently.

Who would have thought that the Prince of the ordinary people would be taken seriously by the expert?

Why would the expert make such a chess move? Perhaps he was bored and wanted to entertain himself?

As for the ability of the expert to cure the plague, they did not doubt it at all.

Yao Mengji smiled and said, "What a coincidence. Let's go together."

With that, the four of them got closer. They laughed and talked as they went up the mountain. Just as they were about to reach the four-part architecture, Yao Mengji's face changed as he looked toward the forest.

A boar was hiding, looking at him with terror in its eyes.

Instantly, Yao Mengji gave it a friendly smile. He walked over slowly, "So, it's my brother boar. I wasn't able to thank you for saving my life the other day."

The wild boar instantly jumped in fear, its body shivering as it screamed anxiously, "Don't come near me!"

It stared at the wild boar that was draped over Yao Mengji's shoulder. Its terrified eyes were getting wider.

"Oh my god! It's really the Boar Demon King!" The Wild Boar Demon shivered. It turned over and shot into the forest.

'That old man's too scary. Meeting him isn't a good sign.

'The last I met him, I almost died from getting struck by lightning.

'This time around, he's even carrying the Boar Demon King on his shoulder!'

It was the Boar Demon King! The strongest boar ever! Its ultimate idol and goal!

Now, its idol was dead and was being carried around on the old man's shoulder. It was an attack to its eyes. To the boar, this was very terrifying!

He killed the best of boars!

'This old man's definitely the killer of boars! I must stay away from him!'

Yao Mengji looked at the back of the Wild Boar Demon. He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Whatever, let's continue going up the mountain."

It did not take long before the four-part architecture appeared in sight.

Qin Manyun walked in front. "May I know if Mr. Li's home?"

Click!

The door swung open.

Li Nianfan saw the wild boar on his shoulder right away. It was hard to miss it.

Yao Mengji smiled. "Mr. Li, here's some wild meat. Hope you'll accept this."

Li Nianfan smiled. He did not refuse it. "Yo, this wild boar's huge. It must be a demon! Must've taken some effort!"

Qin Manyun smiled. "Just a small boar. It didn't take much effort."

"Thanks," Li Nianfan laughed. "You brought your own food. I think you're all waiting for me to cook it, right?"

Boar meat was a good ingredient. Obtaining good wild boar meat was rare. He used the previous wild boar as a lab rat. Hence, he did not get to eat it. At that time, he thought it was a shame that he was not able to eat it. Who would have thought that Yao Mengji would bring him another one? How thoughtful!

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun smiled. Of course, they wanted to stay for the meal, but admitting it right away did not seem right. Yet, turning down the offer was too harsh on themselves. They could only smile awkwardly.

However, watching the reaction on Li Nianfan's face, they were delighted. As expected, the key was to be able to read the expert's mind. It was apparent that the expert was satisfied!

With that, Li Nianfan's eyes landed on Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang. He called out, "It's you guys!"

Of course, the scholar made quite an impression on him, but why would Zhou Yunwu befriend this scholar?

However, it was not too much a surprise for the scholar to have met the Prince.

Meng Junliang and Zhou Yunwu greeted him in unison, "Sorry to bother you, Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan could not help asking with curiosity, "Scholar, long time no see. Are you still chasing after longevity?"

Chapter 205

Meng Junliang answered politely, "Mr. Li, no I'm not. There's no such thing as longevity in the world."

"Oh?" Li Nianfan raised his eyebrows. He looked at Meng Junliang with a suspicious look.

Did he figure it out?

"Everything in the world develops according to their paths. From birth to illness and death, from sunrise to sunset, many things happen in every given second, along with thousands of changes. Paths exist in thousands of ways. Every path exists, except for the path to longevity!"

Meng Junliang thought Li Nianfan was testing him, so he answered seriously. "I've walked past many places and seen many things that I've never seen before. Even Immortals aren't guaranteed to live on forever. To me, I think the key to living is to be able to adapt to the changes in life."

Li Nianfan paused slightly. This guy was quite capable of becoming a philosopher. His way of thinking was indeed quite provoking.

Li Nianfan then looked around to find that Zhou Yunwu and the other two were looking quite stunned and shocked.

Even the two cultivators, Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji, were stunned. They looked as if they were caught up in their thoughts, thoroughly inspired.

However, since Li Nianfan was merely an ordinary man in this Immortal Realm, he would not let go of any chance to impress the others. After all, he was trained by the System for five years. He did know a theory or two to sound impressive.

He said, "How much do you know about the world?"

Meng Junliang could not help saying with a hint of pride, "I've grasped almost three quarters of the world."

Li Nianfan could not help shaking his head. He tried his best not to laugh out loud.

Three quarters?

'You'd be so wise if you could grasp even a quarter of it! Ignorance does make one fearless.'

Zhou Yunwu spoke for Meng Junliang, "Mr. Li, although Junliang knows the theory, he lacks experience. Therefore, he's now the Nation Master of my kingdom. This is so that he could have a better understanding of the world."

"Knowing how to apply your theory in real life is an improvement." Li Nianfan smiled faintly. "However, it's not so easy to grasp the truth of the world."

He took a step and picked up a yellowing leaf from the ground. He asked, "Do you know how the leaf tells us it's Autumn?"

Meng Junliang said without hesitation, "The leaf turns yellow and falls off from above so we know it's Autumn."

Li Nianfan continued asking, "So, do you know why the leaf turns yellow? Or why does it turn green?"

Meng Liangjun frowned. "Because...it's Autumn?"

Suddenly, he fell silent.

The leaves turned yellow, so it was Autumn. It was Autumn, so the leaves turned yellow. Why did it seem redundant?

However, Li Nianfan continued asking, "And so, do you know how to turn a leaf green in Autumn?"

Meng Junliang could not speak. This was against the law of nature.

Li Nianfan looked at Yao Mengji. He asked again, "Mr. Yao, do you know?"

After a moment of thinking, Yao Mengji answered, "If it's ordinary wood, I could cast a wood-drying Autumn spell on it."

Li Nianfan smiled. "You don't need to cast a spell. As long as you understand the reason, any ordinary man can do it."

He paused for a while before continuing in a rather emotional tone, "The so-called law of nature... Once you understand its path and use it the right way, any ordinary man can achieve impossible things."

Law of nature...law of nature...

Besides Meng Junliang, even Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun were stunned. Their brains were buzzing loudly as if they were woken up abruptly and were pushed off a cliff. The realization hit them.

They felt as if a new way of understanding was laying in front of their eyes, as if a huge truth of nature was right in front of them. Yet, they could not touch it.

What Li Nianfan said might as well be the truth of all existence!

If the cultivators could grasp this truth, then...

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun exchanged a look and suddenly, they had goosebumps all over.

This was similar to having grasped the Truth. When one has grasped the Truth, even a single thought could cause changes in the world!

So terrifying. The realm of the expert was beyond imagination!

"I'm a frog in a well." Meng Junliang sighed. He then bowed to Li Nianfan and said, "I've learned a lot after listening to you. Although you didn't accept me as your student, to me you'll always be my teacher. I'll always call myself a student of yours. Please, don't fault me for that."

"Whatever." Li Nianfan waved it off. He felt good after showing off.

Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji were so impressed. They said, "Mr. Li's words are so inspiring. It's so well-said!"

Was that known as conquering one with knowledge?

To Li Nianfan, it was just science.

'Explaining basic science in this Immortal Realm really impresses the cultivators. Perhaps I'm the first person to transgress to this realm.'

"Sir," Zhou Yunwu walked over.

He bowed deeply as a grand gesture and said, "Please, Sir. Please, save my Xia Kingdom."

Li Nianfan hastily helped Zhou Yunwu up. He said, "Mr. Zhou, please, stand up. What happened?"

Zhou Yunwu said hastily, "There's a plague in my kingdom. I came here hoping Mr. Li could visit us."

"So soon?" Li Nianfan was surprised. He heard about the plague only a few days ago, but it had already spread to the Xia Kingdom?

"Don't panic, Mr. Zhou. As I said, I'll take care of this." Li Nianfan thought for a moment. Then, he asked, "When did it start?"

"We noticed it yesterday morning," Zhou Yunwu said with a worried face. They had just overcome the banditries. Now, they had to deal with a plague.

Li Nianfan frowned. "We can't wait any longer."

The plague seemed serious, so of course, it was better to contain it earlier. If not, it would just get harder to cure it even if he knew what to do.

He looked at Yao Mengji and said in an embarrassed tone, "Mr. Yao, Miss Manyun, I..."

It seemed that he could not eat boar meat today.

Yao Mengji was as understanding as ever. He could tell right away what Li Nianfan was trying to say. He said hastily, "Mr. Li, we were just about to go over and have a look. Since the plague's getting serious, why don't we bring you over to speed up the traveling process?"

Li Nianfan nodded. "Thank you."

Quickly, Li Nianfan froze the boar in the freezer, brought Daji along with him, asked Blackie to watch the house, and followed Yao Mengji over.

With Yao Mengji taking the lead, the traveling did speed up a lot. It only took them an hour before a huge city appeared in sight.

Calling it a city did not do it justice. The layout of the area made it seem more like a country. 𝒍𝙞𝙗𝒓𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The city walls were double the height of the Fallen Town, and much thicker, too. Along the walls, there were watchtowers stationed not far from one another. Some soldiers were standing guard, exuding an air of authority. The whole scene gave off a whole different vibe from the Fallen Town.

Chapter 206

The Fallen Town was like a peaceful city. Everyone lived in peace without having to live in fear of attacks and war. The Xia Kingdom was different. There was a palace built in the middle of the city with soldiers patrolling every corner. There were even military camps by the corners of the city.

However, it seemed that the Xia Kingdom was not doing so well. Looking from above, one could see many citizens fleeing the Xia Kingdom. The border seemed crowded, almost chaotic.

Li Nianfan and the other five landed on an unnoticeable corner of the Xia Kingdom. With Zhou Yunwu taking the lead, their arrival was smooth.

Walking along the street, one could see many anxious faces. Most people had shut themselves inside their houses, with the occasional wailing heard from time to time.

"Go away!"

In front of them, two guards were walking quickly while carrying a middle-aged man. Everyone looked at him in disdain, trying to avoid him.

Li Nianfan looked over and instantly saw a red mark on the man's neck.

The red mark was big, bloody, and red. Even a glance of it induced fear in the people.

Li Nianfan looked at it and understood right away. That was definitely the plague. Plagues usually spread from animals, since their hygiene was poor. If the people did not disinfect often, it made it easier for viruses to spread around. Therefore, plagues were quite common.

Looking at the symptoms, the plague was likely to have spread through flies. In the Immortal Realm, there were many species. Although Li Nianfan did not know exactly what caused it, as long as he performed the right treatment, most plagues could be fought off by the people's immune systems.

Li Nianfan had started thinking of treatment methods in his head. As long as he mixed some herbs to maintain the body's immune system, after some time, the immune system would be able to fight the virus naturally.

In the ancient times of his previous realm, there were many cases of plagues. In this Immortal Realm, there were many herbs that were more effective than those in his past realm. The immunity of the people here must be higher, so it would not be too difficult to cure them. 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Zhou Yunwu said, "Sir, this is an idea given by Junliang. The scariest part of the plague is its speed of transmission. Therefore, once we isolate the infected people, the spread can be contained."

"Coming up with the idea of quarantine is something," Li Nianfan nodded. Then, he shook his head. "However, this thinking is too simple. You need to know that the infected will spread the virus wherever they go. If we don't disinfect the places they've been to, the healthy ones are still at risk of being infected. Also, the two soldiers there didn't even wear gloves. They'll get infected as well."

Virus?

Disinfect?

Everyone was confused. They had a question mark on their faces.

They could not help exchanging looks with one another. After that, they all let out a sigh of relief and felt much better.

Everyone was just as confused as one another.

It was not that they were stupid. It was just that the expert was using technical terms!

Li Nianfan shook his head. Whatever. He was in a different dimension now. There was no need to explain.

After walking a few more steps, everyone was forced to stop. They saw an elderly man chasing after two soldiers. "Stay there! Let go of my son!"

A man was struggling to get away from the soldiers who were dragging him.

The two soldiers seemed impatient. They pushed the elderly man onto the ground and scoffed, "We'll kill those who try to stop us from doing our mission!"

Just as they raised their legs, the elderly man clung to one of their legs and said, "Please, don't go. Don't go!"

Just as the soldier was about to kick the elderly man away, a voice rang in the air...

"Stop it!" Zhou Yunwu scoffed fiercely as he marched toward them and helped the elderly man back on his feet.

The two soldiers were instantly shocked. They greeted hastily, "Your Highness."

Zhou Yunwu jeered with a serious face, "How dare you do this to our people? Have you forgotten the military law?!"

A soldier answered, sounding as if he was wronged, "Prince, this man's infected by the plague. We're just trying to isolate him from the rest."

Zhou Yunwu frowned. "That doesn't mean you're allowed to use brute force!"

"Prince, Prince!" The elderly man called out excitedly. "There are only the three of us left in the family. Once Ah Niu is gone, it's just me and a four-year-old grandson. How are we going to survive? Ah Niu cannot go!"

Just as Zhou Yunwu was put in a difficult position, Li Nianfan added, "Old man, have you thought of the consequences of keeping your son? If he stays, you're not the only one who will get infected. Even your grandson will be infected, too. At that point, you all won't be able to live for long. If he stays, it's hurting everyone. If he leaves, he'll be a hero!"

The elderly man's mouth was wide open. He was speechless.

The man said, "Dad, let me go."

The elderly man looked at his son with despair. He said in a hoarse voice, "Everyone knows that once you're taken away, you won't make it back. They will burn the bodies instantly!"

LI Nianfan said, "Old man, don't worry. I can guarantee that your son will be fine and the plague will be cured."

The elderly man looked at Li Nianfan with anticipation. He grew even more excited as he asked in a trembling voice, "You're an immortal?"

The surrounding crowd looked at Li Nianfan in anticipation. Someone even tiptoed to take a peek at him.

"No." Li Nianfan shook his head. "I'm merely an ordinary man, but I can help!"

The elderly man's excitement instantly disappeared. He called out in despair, "You're a liar! How can an ordinary man save my son?"

The surrounding people shook their heads and sighed. Their faces were full of despair.

Li Nianfan frowned as if something was blocked in his heart. He felt uncomfortable.

Yao Mengji saw the change of look on Li Nianfan's face. His heart sank a little. After a moment, he pointed at the infected man and cast a spell.

Instantly, Spiritual Qi flowed into the man's body and the red mark on his neck vanished.

"Immortal! He's an Immortal!"

Everyone was shocked. They looked excited. They all fell on their knees and worshiped Li Nianfan. "Please, we beg you, Immortal. Please, save us! Immortal, please, save us!"

Meanwhile, a group of ordinary men dressed in black walked over. A man scoffed, "Wrong! He's not an Immortal!"

His tone was harsh. He looked confident and convincing.

"He's obviously a disciple of the Lord Demon God! Look at this elderly man. He's as bony as a skeleton with a lack of Yang essence in him. Would an Immortal look like this? He must be the disciple of the Lord Demon God! The Lord Demon God has sent his disciples to save us!" the man said as he knelt on the ground. The men behind him followed and knelt as well. "All hail to the Lord Demon God! We believe in the Lord Demon God. We believe in longevity! Please, bless us, Lord Demon God!"

The surrounding crowd passionately cheered their new slogan, "Bless us, Lord Demon God!"

Yao Mengji's face instantly darkened. His lips twitched. He was fuming!

If it was not for his last trace of rationality, he would have burned all these people to death!

Li Nianfan saw it, too. He could not help shaking his head with a hint of sadness.

How ironic!

These ordinary men would rather believe in Immortals or Demons instead of...believing in another fellow ordinary man!

Since they were born in the Immortal Realm, they had neglected their own value and capabilities.

Perhaps he had only come across two ordinary men who would not give in to the Immortals. One was Zhou Yunwu. The other was Meng Junliang.

Li Nianfan took a deep breath. He said to Zhou Yunwu suddenly, "Prince Zhou, perhaps you're right. It's time for ordinary men to...make some changes!"

Chapter 207

Li Nianfan did not emphasize his words, but it sounded like an explosion to his audience!

Vroom!

Especially to Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun. They felt their scalps itching and their heartbeats racing.

The expert had...a motive?

Normally, the expert did not care about anything. Even so, they were still able to get massive opportunities from the gap between his fingers!

Now...the expert was no longer unperturbed?

Imagine how big this opportunity would be!

It must be beyond their imaginations! Very terrifying!

They could not help fixing their gazes on Zhou Yunwu. So much envy was oozing out of them that they longed to replace him.

'Dude, do you even realize?'

'You're in luck! You're about to get so lucky!'

Qin Manyun could not help saying, "Teacher, I suddenly envy the ordinary people."

Yao Mengji sighed and said bitterly, "Me, too."

"Actually, we should've guessed this would happen," Qin Manyun said with a thoughtful and complex look. "The expert has been living in the realm as an ordinary man all along. Of course, he'd treat the ordinary men differently. Furthermore, we've neglected the expert's name all this while."

"Li...Nianfan..."

Yao Mengji's pupils dilated. He did not dare to speak his full name. He merely thought about it briefly in his mind. Instantly, he felt so blessed. "Exactly! Ordinary men have always been the majority in the realm. Since the expert feels for the ordinary men, it makes sense for him to get involved. It took us so long to realize the most crucial part! How foolish of us!"

Qin Manyun took a deep breath and said in a serious tone, "It seems we'll have to change our relationship with the ordinary men from now on. Especially with the Emperor of the ordinary kingdom!"

Even though Zhou Yunwu was still a Prince, after spending some time with him, there was no doubt that he had the potential to become the Emperor!

Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang were feeling even more excited!

Their faces flushed red and they were shivering all over.

They felt like a kid who finally earned the approval and support of his parents after having made a big decision.

They wanted to cry...

Zhou Yunwu said, almost crying, "Sir, do you think I have the right idea?"

"The ordinary men rely too much on the Immortals. They don't trust technology nor medical research. They don't strive for improvement and lack creativity. They muddle on blindly without having any goal. They're incapable of overcoming hurdles!" Li Nianfan sighed. He finally concluded, "They...need to be enlightened!"

Meng Junliang and Zhou Yunwu were very moved but guilty at the same time. The expert was indeed an expert. His words were so well put!

They bowed to Li Nianfan in unison. They said humbly, "Sir, please, guide us!"

"Me? I'm not interested." Li Nianfan shook his head. Although he was moved, he had no interest in causing more troubles for himself. He smiled and said, "Isn't this both your dreams? One dreams of ruling the ordinary, the other dreams of preaching to the others. You two may lead the enlightenment."

As Li Nianfan spoke, Meng Junliang and Zhou Yunwu felt their shoulders sinking from the weight that was placed on their shoulders. Somehow, some changes were made in the world.

Meng Junliang sought advice. "May I ask, how would you lead them?"

LI Nianfan said, "Let's go, I'll teach you."

Everyone walked with him to the deep end of the palace anxiously. They were not only guarded by soldiers. Yao Mengji also used his divine consciousness to keep a close eye on their surroundings.

Everyone had a feeling that what was about to happen today would turn the world upside down!

Li Nianfan did not explain right away. He took out a pen and paper. Then, he wrote down a prescription and handed it to Zhou Yunwu. 𝓁𝘪𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝘰𝑚

He said, "Follow this prescription to boil the herbs. This will be able to help them fight the plague."

Zhou Yunwu accepted the prescription with a pair of trembling hands. He almost could not believe this was happening.

Everyone else was stunned as well. If they did not know that Li Nianfan was no ordinary man, they would not have believed him.

The plague that caused so much death in the Immortal Realm could be easily fixed with a piece of prescription?

"Thank...thank you," Zhou Yunwu read the prescription hastily. He saw that many of the ingredients were common herbs that could be easily found. There was no need for Spiritual Herbs, not even rare herbs. These were all common herbs in the Immortal Realm, some were even treated like wild weeds!

Speaking of elixirs, it was naturally sought-after here. They claimed to be able to detox, strengthen, or even Immortalize one's body. It was linked to many imaginations.

As for normal wild weeds, they all had a bitter taste. Some even assumed they had poison in them. Thus, many people were uninterested in them.

Everyone looked at Li Nianfan in disbelief. "This...this..."

"Every being works against one another. There's nothing that's the strongest nor the weakest. As I said, once we understand the reasoning behind things and can see through the materialistic composition of things, many problems can be solved."

Li Nianfan paused for a second. He then continued, "The ordinary people now lack a preacher."

"Thank you for your teaching," Zhou Yunwu said politely. Instantly, he passed on the prescription for them to prepare the herbs.

Meng Junliang said, "Sir, could you please tell us the reasoning behind things?"

"Didn't you walk all over the world and claim to understand the reasoning behind things? You don't even know about this?" LI Nianfan mocked him. Then, he said, "I'll tell you all a story."

"A long time ago, before humans were more civilized, there was a man named Divine Farmer. He had seen all the sufferings in the ordinary realm and saw how many people were plagued by illness and pain. Thus, he started tasting hundreds of herbs, separating each herb into a cold, warm, normal, or hot category. He distinguished the herbs and their interrelationships as if he was distinguishing an ordinary man from a minister, or even an adjudicator. He then recorded how each herb could be used to cure different diseases. At one point, he was intoxicated by seventy types of toxins. Unfortunately, he accidentally ingested a high-level toxin and passed away."

Meng Junliang jolted. He could not help standing up and feeling guilty. "Sir Divine Farmer sacrificed himself for the people! I'm nothing in comparison to him!"

He suddenly realized how foolish he was. He was merely looking at some sights and yet he thought he had understood the reasoning of life! All he knew were the names of flowers and plants, but he had no clue about their usage. This was not knowledge, this was ignorance!

Li Nianfan waved it off. He smiled and said, "It's merely a story, don't treat it as reality. The main point of the story is the spirit in it. The importance of taking the lead."

"Luckily, I do know the usage of herbs quite well, so I don't have to risk my life to...taste them all. It does save a lot of trouble." Li Nianfan smiled.

Everyone looked at Li Nianfan without speaking.

Story? Anyone with a brain would know that it was impossible for it to be just a story!

If this was a story, how would he know the usage of the many different herbs?

It was very likely the expert knew the man named Divine Farmer! Perhaps he was the Divine Farmer himself and just made up his death to get away with it.

The story happened in an uncivilized era. Did that imply that the expert already existed back then?

Gasp...

Ancient? Pre-ancient? Perhaps even earlier?

Terrifying! So terrifying!

Chapter 208

Li Nianfan said calmly, "I'll tell you now, mark down my words."

Without any delay, Meng Junliang took out his paper and pen, looking focused.

Li Nianfan's voice was slow and steady as he recited the usages of each herb. As there were too many herbs around, he only picked the more common and important herbs to talk about. He could speak of the rest in the future.

Even so, he had already spoken for half an hour before stopping for a break.

Meng Junliang and Zho Yunwu looked delighted! They looked at the written words as if looking at the most precious treasure in the world.

Even if there was a chance for them to be Immortalized, they would not exchange this moment for that. They had attained a long list of usages that could affect hundreds of thousands of ordinary men. This would be their survival guide!

Not only that, even Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun could feel the importance of this list.

With this list in hand, the vitality of ordinary men would improve drastically. In the future, they could rely less on the cultivators.

What was the most important thing for a group of people?

Independence!

If they kept relying on others, it was equivalent to their lives being controlled by others. They would always be the weaker ones. Once they gained independence, their mindsets would be different and they would improve drastically!

Zhou Yunwu's eyes were brimming with tears. He stood up and bowed three times in a row to Li Nianfan. "Sir, on behalf of the rest of mankind, I thank you for your insights!"

Li Nianfan accepted it. Suddenly, he added on, "Oh right, there's one more important thing!"

"Sir, please, tell us."

Li Nianfan said with a solemn tone, "This medicine book must be shared and spread to everyone to pass on the knowledge, but the book must be copyrighted! This book contains the law of nature. No piracy is allowed!"

Zhou Yunwu's face turned serious. He said instantly, "Rest assured, sir. I'll use the power of the nation to protect the originality of the book! I'll destroy all pirated copies!"

Li Nianfan looked satisfied. "Very well. You're lucky to have such a good understanding. Therefore, I'll teach you one more thing."

Zhou Yunwu was delighted. "Please, teach us, sir."

Li Nianfan asked, "How's your production of food?"

Zhou Yunwu said with a troubled face, "Not so well since our production of food is heavily affected by external factors. We haven't been producing a lot. It's not enough to feed all of us, especially since the plague hit. It came with famine."

Due to the shortage of food, he had begged the cultivators for help on more than one occasion. During the drought, he begged them to cast a spell for rain. During winter storms, he asked them to cast a warming spell.

Li Nianfan turned to Meng Junliang and asked, "Mr. Meng, after visiting all the places you've been to, you must've seen different kinds of food production. Did you notice anything?"

After a moment of thinking, Meng Junliang told him the one that made the deepest impression on him, "Most foods are from the same kind but different breeds. Even their characteristics are different."

Li Nianfan smiled and concluded, "Exactly! Have you thought of using two breeds, or even more breeds to cross-breed? This is so that they can make up for each other's shortcomings and produce a breed that can withstand winters and droughts."

Vroom!

Everyone's minds were blown!

Such a different way of thinking instantly turned their worlds upside down! They had goosebumps all over!

So, so, so shocking!

Only an expert who understood the world thoroughly could come up with such an idea!

To breed animals that made up for each other's shortcomings? Was this not the same as humans?

If this was possible, they could pass this knowledge down for generations. Ordinary men would be self-sufficient!

The expert was indeed a Godly man!

Meng Junliang felt enlightened, as if a pathway in his head had cleared. His eyes lit up like two lightbulbs. "I understand now! I understand now!"

What was Dao? This was Dao!

To know each being well enough to use them accordingly!

Meanwhile, a soldier rushed in hastily. He said to Zhou Yunwu in a tormented voice, "Prince, the men don't believe in our medicine."

They all frowned.

Zhou Yunwu scoffed coldly, "Why so?"

The soldier said awkwardly, "They believe in...the Demon God."

Li Nianfan sighed softly. "Let's go out and have a look."

They all walked out of the palace.

They could see that the street was somehow crowded with people who had gathered in a group. This group of people looked wild as they chanted along with the ten or so men in black robes. They were chanting for the Demon God!

Yao Mengji's eyes sparkled. Instantly, he saw his chance to impress the expert. He said hastily, "Mr. Li, some demons have possessed these men. I'll help you sort it out right away!" 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Li Nianfan said, "Thank you, Mr. Yao."

After a pause, he said, "Oh right, Mr. Yao. I need another favor from you. Later on, you could..."

"Mr. Li's a genius! It's a small matter. Just sit back and watch!" Yao Mengji laughed and went away. He felt good about himself. These demons were here for him to impress the expert!

Li Nianfan sighed again.

These ordinary men had to be more independent!

Li Nianfan hoped that there would be a clever leader leading the ordinary men, helping them to be independent!

This was the same for himself as well.

Respect was something one could only earn for oneself.

If the ordinary men did not respect themselves, how would they earn the respect of the cultivators?

Li Nianfan was an ordinary man with many cultivating friends. Although they were all friendly, if the rest of the ordinary men were all ignorant, humble, and low, it would drag him down as well.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yunwu was already standing on a tall tower. He called out, "Everyone, I'm the Prince of the Xia Kingdom, Zhou Yunwu. Please, believe me. We have the medicine to fight against the plague now. We'll be fine!"

Zhou Yunwu was a Prince, so his appearance did attract some audience.

Someone called out, "Lies! Even the Emperor of the Xia Kingdom doesn't dare to come out. Who would believe you?"

Zhou Yunwu straightened his face. He ordered, "Bring out the people!"

Instantly, a soldier appeared. He brought out all the infected patients.

Under the eyes of everyone, Zhou Yunwu gradually made his way to the patients.

He said to everyone in a loud voice, "As the Prince of the Xia Kingdom, from today onward, I'll live and eat with all the patients! We'll get treated together and wait for recovery!"

Everyone fell silent.

This scene was too shocking! Everyone was stunned!

He was the Prince. Yet he was willing to risk his life for the people?

Suddenly, everyone started to hesitate.

Among the people, a demon's face sank. The demon gradually approached Zhou Yunwu to kill him.

However, before the demon could approach him, he silently vanished from the world.

Yao Mengji smiled faintly as he pointed a finger at the leading demon and cast a spell.

Instantly, a gust of wind blew at them. The demon's black robes were blown away, revealing a face full of red marks!

Instantly, everyone went into an uproar, running in all directions.

"So, the disciple of the Demon God has been infected! There's no use believing in the Demon God!"

"I believe in Prince Zhou!"

"Prince Zhou is even risking his life to prove it to us! The medicine will work!"

"We're saved! All hail Prince Zhou!"

...

Soon, the crowd calmed down.

Li Nianfan looked at Zhou Yunwu and said, "I hope Prince Zhou can lead the ordinary men, teach them, and be an ordinary-man-loving Emperor!"

Zhou Yunwu looked determined. "I've learned a lot from your teaching today. Rest assured, the day will come. However, I have a humble request."

Li Nianfan paused slightly. "Oh? What is it?"

Zhou Yunwu said anxiously, "If I were to face any problems along the way, can you please guide me?"

"Ha-ha-ha, no problem," Li Nian Fan agreed.

He knew the importance of an Emperor. If he could help an Emperor, he would feel good about himself!

After coming to the Immortal Realm for five years, he was finally able to show off a little. After all, he had finally done something meaningful. He did not come here for nothing!

Li Nianfan was in a good mood. He said, "Oh right, let me write you some words."

Zhou Yunwu was delighted. He said in excitement, "Please, sir!"

Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji were so envious! The expert was being so nice to this ordinary Emperor!

Daji prepared the ink. Li Nianfan picked up the brush.

Since they were all in this Immortal Realm, and this was written for an ordinary man, he could not think of four better words than these!

A powerful rush of air shot upward into the sky. Instantly, there were some changes in the world. The crowd could not help holding breaths while their hearts skipped a beat.

Li Nianfan's brush had landed on the paper...

[Man Can Conquer Nature]!

Chapter 209

Vroom...

The Spiritual Qi in the air was boiling nonstop.

The ordinary could not feel it, but the cultivators' hearts sank. Their eyelids jumped uncontrollably.

It seemed as if...a massive change was happening.

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun were the first to feel it. They looked at the four words, and their blood froze. They could only feel that their scalps were about to burst open!

'Man Can Conquer Nature'?

What was the expert...about to do?

When Zhou Yunwu accepted the paper from Li Nianfan, they had a vision. It was as if they were watching him accept a heavy duty.

In the next moment, a golden dragon shot up from Zhou Yunwu. This gust of Qi was so powerful that it engulfed the entire Xia Kingdom. Furthermore, it was still growing. Finally, it turned into a massive phantom of a golden dragon!

This scene was too shocking. Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun stared at it, wide-eyed. They held their breaths.

Roar!

The golden dragon roared. Instantly, the wind was blowing wildly.

The extremely powerful Qi burst into the air. If Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun were not as strong-willed, they would have knelt instantly to worship the dragon.

Was this the actual Golden Dragon?!

Human Sovereign!

A Human Sovereign was born!?

The expert appointed a Human Sovereign!?

Gasp...

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun gasped at the same time. They almost fainted.

They knew the expert would give the ordinary men a big present, but they did not expect the present to be this big! This was a...completely new era!

They were witnessing the arrival of a new era!

So shocking!

This was a Human Sovereign!

It only existed in legends and it was a record passed on from ancient times!

Although the record was not complete, there was a clear sentence recorded.

'A Human Sovereign is as important as an Immortal, bearing big Luck!'

"Teacher..." Qin Manyun's voice was trembling. She said cautiously, "I remember a paragraph from 'Journey to the West'. A paragraph that's easily neglected..."

Yao Mengji asked in a serious tone, "What is it?"

Qin Manyun mumbled incoherently as she stuttered, "When the monk walked to the West to gain the Truth, he needed the approval of a Human Sovereign. He even befriended the Human Sovereign. Furthermore...do you remember the part during the dragon's attack in the heavenly palace? They sent the soldiers of the Human Sovereign to kill the dragon. Back then, the Dragon Emperor even begged the Human Sovereign for assistance..."

Gasp...

Yao Mengji gasped and shivered.

He said hastily, "Alright, stop talking. It's too terrifying."

The ranking of a Human Sovereign was so high up! So terrifying!

The expert was...inducing a worldly change!?

Yao Mengji looked up at the sky in fear. However, he saw that the sky had somehow darkened.

Alright. The sky was changing, as expected.

Zhou Yunwu held onto the paper and felt that it weighed a thousand pounds. He had to use all of his strength to hold onto it. Meanwhile, he was not only receiving a piece of paper, he was holding onto the duty of leading the ordinary men.

His heart was thumping. It was apparent that he could feel the duty of leafing mankind falling upon him!

Zhou Yunwu held the paper and said in a serious tone, "Rest assured, sir. I won't let you down!"

Meng Junliang took a deep breath. He felt his blood boiling. He had finally found the purpose of his existence. He had found the direction of his Dao. He saw a big path laid in front of him!

He said, "Sir, I'll do my best to assist the Prince, to enlighten mankind so that mankind can prosper. Nobody will ever look down on us again!"

Li Nianfan nodded. "Good luck, you have a long way to go. I believe in you."

The Immortal Realm was so big, it made the Xia Kingdom look as small as an ant. He wondered if the cultivators would get in the way. Although the cultivators would not fight the ordinary men, if they moved a mountain here and dug a river there, how would mankind fight their own battles?

Furthermore, there were demons everywhere! It was not easy!

Although Li Nianfan wrote 'Man Can Conquer Nature' he was merely trying to inspire them. If the ordinary men thought they could actually fight the Immortals, then they would be stupid! They may as well fantasize about conquering nature!

He merely wanted mankind to abandon stupidity and become more independent to gain self-respect.

By the way, Yao Mengji had a feeling. He sensed that this was a huge opportunity. Therefore, he said hastily, "Prince Zhou, my Linxian Palace is willing to become an ally of the Xia Kingdom. If any power beyond ordinary men gets in the way, you can seek my help!"

Prince Zhou's face lit up. "Thank you, Sect Master Yao!"

Mutual respect had already been established!

Li Nianfan smiled. He predicted it!

If Yao Mengji assisted Prince Zhou to lead the ordinary men, Prince Zhou could turn the Linxian Palace into their state sect. This way, there would be more people joining the Linxian Palace sect, making the sect stronger than ever!

Although the ordinary men were tiny, they were the leaders of all other beings. They were the foundation of everything else. Once they gathered, the combined energy...would not be looked down on!

Li Nianfan looked up at the sky and frowned. "The sky changed so fast. We should go."

Prince Zhou was very friendly. He said, "Mr. Li, it looks like it's about to rain. Why don't you stay for a while before leaving?"

Li Nianfan shook his head. "It's okay. You have a lot to deal with here. I won't stay much longer. Goodbye."

More importantly, he just finished showing off. If he stayed, it would be awkward. Leaving right after the show would make him seem more important.

Yao Mengji said, "Goodbye, Prince Zhou."

Prince Zhou and Meng Junliang bowed at the same time and said, "Goodbye."

...

An hour later.

After Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun sent Li Nianfan back to the Fallen Immortal Mountain, they left hastily.

They were trembling inside out as they were unable to repress the blood from boiling inside their bodies. The world was about to go through a...massive change!

Meanwhile, the sky had darkened.

Li Nianfan looked at the dark clouds in the sky and felt it was strange. Dark clouds had covered the sky without any rain. The sky of the Immortal Realm was hard to predict!

What he did not know was that the sky of the entire Immortal Realm had been covered with dark clouds. This sight was too shocking. Almost the entire Immortal Realm was shocked. Every cultivator's heart was thumping and their scalps were numb.

Was the sky about to...collapse?

Vroom!

Suddenly a sound resonated in the air. As if an energy field had been moved, a strange and mysterious gust of air swirled up into the sky. The more advanced cultivators would realize that a golden light had penetrated the darkening clouds in the direction of the Xia Kingdom. The golden rays were falling from above.

Meanwhile, the density of the Spiritual Qi in the Immortal Realm was increasing at a shocking pace!

Chapter 210

Vroom!

The monstrous Spiritual Qi rushed out like a tsunami, almost engulfing the entire Immortal Realm.

Too much! Too dense!

It made it hard to breathe!

The truth was that ever since the road between the Immortal Land and Realm was broken, the Spiritual Qi in the Immortal Realm had been decreasing. With the broken connection, it became impossible to Immortalize. They seemed to be moving toward an era of no cultivation.

And yet, the Spiritual Qi was...restored

Especially the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty. It had the most Spiritual Qi, so much so that they condensed into the shape of a dragon, dancing across all corners.

Even in the northern part where the plains were barren and the soil was yellow with low population, the woods that had been dried out started to prosper again once the dragon of Spiritual Qi passed by. Plants started to sprout all across the abandoned lands and clear water started to flow in the rivers and lakes.

At the Golden Lotus Sect. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

A small girl was cultivating. Suddenly, she opened her eyes curiously. "Why's there so much Spiritual Qi around all of a sudden? Even breaking through the bottleneck is suddenly so effortless! Whatever. I'm going to absorb as much of it as possible!"

Many of the older cultivators in all the sects across the Immortal Realm had come out of their retreats. They all looked up at the sky with shock in their eyes.

Swiftly after, the shock had turned into an uproar.

"What happened? The density of Spiritual Qi now is almost...ten times denser!?"

"Who is it? Who has that much power to change the world!"

"This is the greatest blessing of our era! This is the greatest blessing for the entire Immortal Realm!"

"Someone's making a move on the chessboard! The chess game has been messed up! Ha-ha-ha! There's hope to Immortalize! There's hope to Immortalize!"

Vroom!

In an old sect that had been passed on over countless years, a stone door suddenly moved.

An elderly man walked out from within.

The elderly man's skin was as wrinkled as tree bark. His hair was a white that was so pale that it started to dry out. His eyes sunk in so deep, he looked like a skull.

He looked up at the sky and spoke very slowly and hoarsely, "This...this is...Heavenly Luck!?"

Instantly, countless elderly men rushed over. One of the elderly men said in shock, "Sect Master, you're out from the retreat? What happened?"

"Look in that direction, that's the Qi of Heavenly Luck! Who did this? This person brought so much Luck into this realm! This is the Luck of humankind! The blessing has engulfed the entire Immortal Realm!" the elderly man mumbled to himself. He was very excited. "So generous! So generous!"

Someone asked, "Sect Master, what's Luck?"

"You don't understand. You don't understand."

The elderly man was stunned. He stared at the sky blankly. He took a step and instantly disappeared into the sky.

"I can feel the Immortal Qi. The Heavenly Gate is reopening. I've got to go. I've got to go to the Heavenly Gate!"

In the South of the Immortal Realm.

The people here were genetically taller and more aggressive. However, they looked strange with lots of hair on their skin. Although none of them could cultivate, they were born with supernatural powers. This land was known as the Land of Southern Barbarians.

A group of scary soldiers was gathered here. Their leader suddenly looked at the sky, sensing something strange.

His pupils dilated. His face was wild and hideous. He said, "The Qi of a Human Sovereign? Why would there be a Human Sovereign? That's good. Once I kill this Human Sovereign, I'll be the new Human Sovereign!"

"We'll kill him for the Demon God!" the people called out menacingly as they rushed toward a city not far away.

In the Demon Realm.

On the throne, a figure opened his eyes. His eyes were bloody red, like two neon lights shining in the darkness. The lights were harsh, full of chill and authority.

A hint of shock and terror flashed in his eyes.

"What happened? How can it be?"

He stood up abruptly, exuding a monstrous air. The space around him almost froze as black smoke rose from his body and his red eyes flashed with a deadly glare.

"Why? Didn't the Lord Demon God say that the Demons would rule the world this time? That we can control the ordinary realm and conquer the Immortal Land? How's there a Human Sovereign? Why did the Luck of ordinary people increase all of a sudden? Who changed the rules?!"

He was furious! He glared at the female demon by his side, "Yuecha, you're in contact with the ordinary realm. Do you know what happened?"

Yuecha was absent-minded. She tensed up suddenly and replied, "In reply to my Lord Demon, when I entered the ordinary realm, I was controlled by an unknown force. All I know is that a powerful...expert had appeared in the ordinary realm."

"Expert?" The Lord Demon scoffed coldly. "The end of the immortalizing era has come. Who could possibly stop that? Even the Saints failed to do so. How could there be an expert? Perhaps he escaped from ancient times? He's trying to mess up the chess game? He shall be killed!"

Yuecha frowned and said in a concerned tone, "Lord Demon, this expert isn't ordinary at all. Shall we wake up the Lord Demon God..."

"What?" The Lord Demon's bloody red eyes widened. They had turned into two big red light bulbs. He cried out, "Who do you think the Lord Demon God is? You want to wake him up for a small matter like this? You're so ignorant! With the capacity of your brain, you should stop talking! Just do as you're told!"

Yuecha sighed and said, "I understand."

The Lord Demon continued, "Alright, go back down. It seems that the Heavenly Gate is reopening. The entrance of the Demon Realm will be affected as well. Go and investigate. Find out what's happening!"

"Yes, my lord." Yuecha turned and left.

However, she did not look well. Her eyes gradually lost focus.

Inside her head, there was another Yuecha dressed in a robe. This Yuecha opened her eyes and said, "It seems like your intelligence is being criticized. This shows that you're not good enough to be a demon. In fact, you're fated to become a Buddhist. Why don't you turn to me instead? We can study the Heavenly Dragon together."

Yuecha's eyes reddened. Her bloody red lips parted to reveal two sharp fangs. She was driven crazy. "Get out of me now! You're so annoying! You keep chanting in my head every day! You're just a clone of me. I'll get rid of you!"

The clone said sincerely, "No, you're my actual body, so I can't let go of you. Now that I've met a better boss, of course, I'll have to bring you along."

Yuecha hesitated for a moment. She said suddenly, "I heard you saying that females cannot become Buddhists. What about us?"

"I've thought about this problem long before." The clone looked excited as she said, "With that, I came up with three ideas. First, we kill ourselves and reincarnate into a man by bribing some bigshots. We can negotiate the price beforehand. The second idea is that we enter the body of a man. This is easier as it's free. Third, if we can't let go of our current body, we can find a good doctor and undergo surgery to add on an organ. I heard this is more expensive, I'll ask for the price at some point."

Yuecha wanted to cut out her brain so badly. She screamed, "Get out of me!"

"You don't like these ideas?" The clone paused slightly before she continued, "Don't worry, I'll think of other ways. Don't worry, I'm good at this."

Chapter 211

At the Azure Ville.

Gu Changqing suddenly looked toward the direction of the Xia Kingdom in shock.

"Is that Luck? What happened to the mundane people? How did they gain so much Luck?! It's affecting the entire Immortal Realm."

He was trembling and talking to himself. "Such intense Luck... What did the mundane people do? Who will stop the revolution?" 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He looked upon the horizon and saw a flash of gold light. It stood amongst the dark clouds. It kind of looked like a golden gate in the sky!

Suddenly, his eyes went wide. He said in a trembling voice, "Heaven—Heavenly Gates! The Heavenly Gates...are open?"

The Heavenly Gates were not actual gates. It was more like a taboo.

Previously, the bridge to immortality was broken because of the Heavenly Gates. However, now that the Heavenly Gates were opened, this meant that the bridge between mortal and immortality had been reconnected!

Cultivators from the Mahayala realm were technically half-Immortals—soon-to-be Immortals. It was too bad that the bridge to immortality used to be broken so most Mahayala cultivators could not transcend to the Above Immortal Realm. They could only wait to perish.

He could feel the awakening of powerful forces in the realm. This could have happened because of something that happened a long time ago. Perhaps, it could even be because of a legendary character who was rumored to be dead, or...it might also be because of hidden experts.

At that moment, he could feel them making their comebacks!

This change could flip the Immortal Realm upside down!

No, not just the Immortal Realm—it would affect the Above Immortal Realm, too!

Gu Changqing looked in that direction. He suddenly realized something. That place... The expert was over at the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, right?

What if...it had something to do with the expert?

Most probably! Who else could do this aside from the expert?

He immediately turned around and headed toward the temple.

He bowed, spat out blood, lit some incense, and summoned.

He was familiar with the procedure.

'Grandpa, something big just happened. Hurry up and show up!'

However, the Immortal Stone lit up for just a brief moment before it dimmed again.

'Huh?

'Did Grandpa hang up?

'No way, I have to try again.'

Again, he bowed, spat blood, lit some incense, and summoned.

Gu Changqing groaned. To be safe, he spat out two more mouthfuls of blood.

"Grandpa, something big just happened. Come on!"

The Immortal Stone lit up again. Gu Yuan's voice could be heard coming from within it. He sounded like he was in a hurry when he said, "I know, I know. The bridge to immortality has been reconnected, right?! The Mundane King's here, so represent Azure Ville and pay your greetings. Something big is happening on my side, too! Can't talk right now, bye!"

The Immortal Stone went dim again.

Gu Changqing was silent for a while. Then, he suddenly slapped himself in the face.

"I'm such an idiot. Of course, the Above Immortal Realm would feel the change. What am I so eager for? I wasted four mouthfuls of blood. That's about decades of cultivation!"

He did not want to think about how much blood he lost. Otherwise, he would cry from the wastefulness.

At the Above Immortal Realm.

Immortal Qi and Spiritual Qi were at their boiling points.

Everyone was on the move.

At the Azure Ville.

Everyone was busy, sprinting around like clueless flies. They could not wait to pass around information.

At an empty field.

"Something big just happened. The bridge to immortality has been reconnected!"

"I know! It's because there's a Mundane King in the Immortal Realm! A Mundane King—an existence from a faraway era!"

"I heard that the Mundane King was tragically rejected by his fiancé three years ago. He swore to change his life. Thus, becoming a Mundane King!"

"That's not the correct version. According to reliable sources, this Mundane King has a fiancé he grew up with, but then she died in an accident. Because of that, he swore to search for ways to revive his fiancé. His sentimentality touched the Gods from above."

"Lies! These are all rumors! He fell from a cliff and met a Saint!"

Suddenly, someone ran out frantically with a horrified face. "Something big happened, something big happened!"

"We know! The Mundane King! The reconnected bridge to immortality!"

"No, not that. The Firefinch Demon raised by the Sect Master's gone!"

Everyone was perturbed. They were horrified. "What? The Sect Master's going to be pissed!"

"Stop talking! Everyone, hurry up and look for it. The Sect Master's on his way back!"

Everyone scattered to look for the Firefinch Demon. They were all busy looking for it.

Meanwhile, an elder with white robes rode on a cloud casually.

His face was flushed and he was squinting, almost like he was drunk. He flew in while whistling.

He was more pleased when he thought about the rare creatures he had in his backyard garden.

"Time flew by. I can't believe I went from an irrelevant nobody to this. Looking back, I've been too humble. It turns out I'm incredibly great after all."

He was about to reach his Azure Ville Sect. He sped up and chuckled, "My babies! I'm here!"

The disciples were still busy. Even when they saw him, they simply greeted him before hurrying off.

The elder was pleased.

He complimented, "What a bunch of hard-working fellows. They must be shocked by the realm's changes. Look at them sweating so hard."

He continued walking to his backyard garden. He could not control his joy as he smiled and said, "I'm back, babies! Come out and let me look at you!"

Hm?

Why was it quiet?

The elder arched his eyebrow and walked into the garden. He was instantly thunderstruck.

The garden was still the same. However, all the demons were unconscious.

He glanced around in panic as he felt his heart throb. "What's going on? Where's my precious baby?"

He used his powers to scan the area. His Firefinch Demon with Phoenix blood was gone!

Suddenly, his eyes went red. He felt like someone was tugging on his heartstrings.

He took a deep breath and waved. The unconscious demons woke up, looking confused.

The elder asked through gritted teeth, "What's going on? Tell me what happened!"

When the remaining Firefinch Demons saw the white-robed elder, it was as if they had been reunited with their families. Almost all of them wept and cried, "Sect Master, Gu Yuan did this. You have to avenge us!"

"Gu Yuan?"

The elder was stunned. Furious, he yelled, "Order Gu Yuan to meet me at once!"

Soon, Gu Yuan rushed over with a seemingly good outfit. He looked energetic.

The Firefinch Demons went off, "It's him! It's him! That's him!"

Gu Yuan looked calm. He saluted and bowed, "Greetings from Gu Yuan to the Sect Master."

Chapter 212

The elder stared at Gu Yuan and questioned him in a low voice, "You did this?"

"I did," nodded Gu Yuan. "But it was too much of an emergency. I needed to take action immediately. Please, forgive me, Sect Master."

"Take action? Forgive you?"

The elder was so angry that he laughed. He asked in a cold voice, "What's more important than my baby bird?"

Gu Yuan adjusted his facial expression and said, "An opportunity of a lifetime. In comparison to that, Sect Master, you wouldn't mind losing that small bird."

The elder frowned. "Small bird? How dare you?! What kind of opportunity are you talking about that's making you so delusional?"

Gu Yuan looked at his Sect Master and said, "There are too many birds here. It's not wise for me to say it. Sect Master, let's move to another area!"

The elder stared at Gu Yuan coldly for a while. Then, he turned around and walked toward the main hall.

The Firefinch Demons behind him screeched, "Sect Master, avenge us. Destroy him and we'll let you ride us!"

The elder had his back turned to Gu Yuan in the main hall. He slowly said, "Gu Yuan, you and I have both transcended from the Immortal Realm. I created the Azure Ville, and you're my beloved student. I've treated you well, haven't I?"

He sounded sentimental. If the culprit was not Gu Yuan, he would have killed him half to death first.

"Sect Master, you've always been nice to me. Truthfully, I grew up listening to your stories since I was young. I always knew you were outstandingly talented. A visionary and a well-mannered man. You're the whole package and you'll definitely end up as a legend in history!"

Gu Yuan said it smoothly without stopping to breathe. He continued, "I've always followed in your footsteps, Sect Master. I worked hard to become an Immortal because I wanted to say a few words to you, the greatest Immortal. When I finally met you, I realized that you were much greater than they said you were."

The elder shut his eyes. He waited for Gu Yuan to finish.

Then, he said, "Gu Yuan, I've heard your speech a thousand times since you got here. I repeat, as a cultivator, you have to cultivate with hard work. Don't rely on flattery. It's not the right way! Why can't you learn?"

Gu Yuan hurriedly said, "You're right, Sect Master, but I can't help myself. I'm just being honest."

The elder sneered, "It's not over yet. Tell me, why did you steal my bird?"

Gu Yuan took out the Firefinch Demon Egg and asked, "Sect Master, please, take a look at this. What do you think this is?"

The elder looked and gasped.

"This is...a Firefinch Demon Egg?!"

He was flustered. He said coldly, "So what? You stole my Firefinch Demon. Did you think giving me an egg would cut it? Or are you asking me to hatch a Firefinch Demon?"

Gu Yuan said, "Sect Master, this egg was laid by your Firefinch Demon!"

"Oh?" The elder quickly sniffed the egg. He looked like he was familiar with it. "You're right. That's its scent."

Then, he stared at Gu Yuan and questioned him with a mean voice, "Where did it go? It laid an egg, yet you still won't let it go?"

Gu Yuan said hurriedly in a serious voice, "Sect Master, there's a legendary expert in the Immortal Realm. The death of that Immortal and the changes in the realm are all caused by him!"

"So?"

"So I made up my mind and gave him the Firefinch Demon."

"Ridiculous, how ridiculous!" The elder pointed at Gu Yuan with his trembling finger. "You stole my baby bird and now you're somehow blaming it on the changes of the realm?"

Gu Yuan said genuinely, "Sect Master, I'm not lying. The Firefinch Demon was sent to the expert. It laid four eggs under emotional stress. The expert was so impressed that he gave me one."

"Huh? Four eggs?"

The elder looked at Gu Yuan. He thought he misheard him. He was in utter disbelief. He said in a pained voice, "Gu Yuan, how can you tell me such an absurd lie? You're clearly insulting my intelligence!"

He waved and said in a tired voice, "I don't want to listen to your nonsense anymore. I'll give you half an hour! I want my Firefinch Demon returned to me safely. Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our relations!"

Gu Yuan stood still.

He groaned for a moment and sighed softly. He said, "Looks like I'll just have to show it to you." 𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The elder arched his eyebrow and warned him, "What? Are you going to continue lying? Are you planning on fighting back?"

Gu Yuan carefully took out the painting scroll. He looked extremely serious as he said earnestly, "Sect Master, I got this from the expert. It's a rare treasure, and its value is on the same level as an Immortal Item!"

"Look at you, saying it as if you actually mean it." The elder looked at the painting scroll and took it. He was about to open it.

"Sect Master, wait!" Gu Yuan stopped him and warned, "Sect Master, this painting is made by an expert. It contains Insights. Now that it's in the Above Immortal Realm, its Spiritual Qi is more powerful. It's lethal, so you can't just simply open it like that."

The elder sneered, "Ha, you think you can scare me? Move out of my way."

Gu Yuan stepped back and said in a frightened voice, "If you insist, Sect Master. I shall move out of the main hall."

"You've never seen anything yet. Leave," sneered the elder.

Gu Yuan immediately walked out of the main hall. He stood outside and stared inside, alarmed. He cast a cloud under his feet, ready to flee just in case.

He waited for a short while. Then, the door of the main hall swung open. The elder walked out with the scroll and said, "Fine, follow me into the back hall. Remember, it's not because I was afraid of danger. It's because I trust you."

"I get it. I understand."

Gu Yuan quickly followed him.

The back hall was not big. Not everyone was allowed to enter either. It was a guarded temple of the Azure Ville Sect.

The temple was the source of defense spells for usual sects. It could suppress power, too.

Three elders guarded the place.

They looked surprised when they saw the Sect Master walking over with Gu Yuan.

They said, "Greetings to Sect Master Payne and Protector Gu Yuan."

Gu Yuan replied respectfully, "Greetings to the three elders."

Payne saluted and said, "Please, start the defense spell, elders. I have things to do!"

One of the elders asked, "What for, Sect Master? Is someone attacking our sect?"

"No," said Payne. He looked like he did not know what to say. He finally took out the painting scroll and said, "It's to suppress this item."

The three elders looked at it earnestly.

They observed it for a long time. The elder was shocked and confused. "Sect Master, if I'm seeing it right, this seems to be a painting scroll?"

Payne nodded.

The three elders looked at him weirdly. They said, "From the looks of it, it's just ordinary paper. From its outer appearance, it also looks like it was recently painted, so it isn't generational. Why are we suppressing an ordinary painting, Sect Master?"

Chapter 213

To suppress..." Payne could not continue.

He wanted to know what he was suppressing, too!

Gu Yuan continued, "This painting contains Heavenly Insights. It's a Golden Crow, extremely terrifying. Please, be very careful, elders."

Payne looked at Gu Yuan and nodded. He tried his best to say, "Yes. Right, let's begin."

Golden Crow?

The three elders looked at each other as their eyes were filled with doubts.

The Golden Crow was a legendary Demon King from a faraway era. It went extinct a long time ago.

Even in the Above Immortal Realm, the existence of the Golden Crow was only a record found in an eldritch border.

The painting was made on ordinary paper. The material of the paper was new, so it was not from an ancient time for sure.

Who could possibly paint the Golden Crow?

Even so, it was not necessary to suppress a painting, right?

One of the elders was silent for a while. Then, he said, "Sect Master Payne, you're being awfully careful. Forgive me, but allow me to be straightforward. Just open the painting."

"True, to suppress a painting will be a waste of our talents."

Gu Yuan was worried. He said, "Elders, don't be reckless. The Golden Crow in the painting might be alive! I've had it with me for a long time, but I don't even dare open it myself."

"Ha, ridiculous!" sneered the elders. "You're just an Intermediate Immortal. Just because you're afraid of opening it, you want us to suppress it? You're making a big deal out of nothing!"

It was ridiculous. He was like a kid who was struggling to open a jar, so he begged the adults to open it for him.

Gu Yuan said, "It's fine if you don't believe me, but before you open it, let me step away first."

Payne gestured and said, "Alright, stop fighting. Start the spell."

The three elders sighed softly. "Fine, let's listen to the Sect Master."

The three elders activated the spell and a bright halo appeared. Power poured into the hall like endless ocean waves.

The three elders locked eyes with one another and communicated through their body language.

"Big Elder, what should the spell's power level be?"

"Duh? Level three at best! We can't have people knowing that we're making a big deal out of nothing. Shameless, right?"

"True, very smart of you, Big Elder."

"Let's just make it level one...for appearance's sake."

...

The three elders reached an agreement and slightly squinted. They cast a spell quickly. Golden patterns formed on the ground like a chain. "Sect Master, open it!"

Payne nodded. He looked at Gu Yuan and said, "You better hope for your sake that you aren't fooling me!"

He was worried that Gu Yuan was bluffing. If the painting was nothing more than ordinary, it would be embarrassing for him. The reputation of the Sect Master would be ruined.

God bless. May this painting be cool!

He took a nervous breath and slowly opened the painting!

Starting from the corner of the painting—

Suddenly, everything started to sway. A powerful aura poured out of the painting.

Hm?

Payne was pleasantly surprised. That was interesting.

He uncovered the painting a little bit more.

More power started to pour out from it as rays of golden light started shining from the painting scroll. It seemed like there were special effects.

The Big Elder was shocked. "This painting scroll...is really something else. It's worth a good look."

The Second Elder said excitedly, "Continue, don't stop."

Gu Yuan was excited, too. He unscrolled the painting even faster!

As he unscrolled the painting, a figure started to show!

Boom!

A strong wind started to blow in an instant. Spiritual Qi and Immortal Qi swirled throughout the back hall.

The temperature started to rise. The golden light was blinding.

The Big Elder said, "Hurry, bring the spell up to level two!"

The painting scroll was gradually being unscrolled.

Golden flames started pouring out of it. Payne could feel the heat coming from it as he held onto the painting scroll.

The flames were extraordinarily powerful. They were about to jump out of the painting to burn everything in sight.

Thankfully, the chains of the defense spell trapped it in place.

The three elders were surprised. "Good stuff! That's some good stuff! Sect Master, you were well-prepared and careful. We're impressed."

"Haha, I told you so. This stuff's extraordinary. If we didn't activate the spell, the golden flames would've been hard to control."

Payne smiled and gave Gu Yuan an approving look. "Get ready, I'm going to fully unscroll it."

"Let's go, bring the spell up to level three. That should be enough."

Splash!

It was only unscrolled a little bit more, but its power had suddenly increased significantly. It was beyond their expectations.

Golden flames poured out from it like a water fountain, taking over the back hall.

Everyone was shocked. They hurriedly said, "Quick, bring it up to level four!"

"It's too strong! Level five! Hurry up!" 𝙡𝒊𝒃𝓻𝒆𝒂𝓭.𝙘𝓸𝓶

Splash!

The painting of the Golden Crow was unveiled. There seemed to be golden flames dancing in its eyes. The powerful aura was overwhelmingly breathtaking.

The Big Elder was in distress. He yelled, "We can't hold it! Level eight!"

The three elders were flushed, sweating bullets. They quickly cast their spells and the gold chains transformed into a wall that surrounded the entire back hall.

A terrifying aura settled over the Azure Ville Sect. The powerful aura grew into storms, trying to escape from all sides.

The defense spell was activated. Everyone knew about it.

"What's going on? What's happening again?"

"Hot! It's so hot!"

"What? The back hall's on fire!"

"It's on fire? Damn, I thought I was hallucinating."

"Warning... Something bad's happening there. Don't look!"

Everyone in the back hall was in shambles. They looked at the painting scroll with fear.

The Big Elder was sweating bullets. Bewildered, he said in a trembling voice, "Sect Master, stop... Please, stop! We know the painting's amazing. Stop opening it!"

Payne did not look happy at all. "Do you think I'm still opening it? I'm trying to scroll it back up!"

He looked at Gu Yuan and yelled, "Gu Yuan, don't think about running away. The back hall's locked. The painting scroll's out of control! Hurry up and help me!"

"No freaking way! The flames will easily end me in seconds!" Gu Yuan shivered in the corner. He was afraid the flames would burn him.

Weak, small, pathetic, and helpless.

"I made a mistake. I should've waited outside even with the defense spell. It's over... I'm a goner..."

The painting scroll was only revealed halfway but the defense spell was already at its highest level.

"No, I can't do this anymore."

The five of them were panting. They were bathed in sweat and their beards and hair had been burned off along with their clothes. They were fully naked.

'Please, stop making this painting so awesome!' Payne almost cried.

'Is my Azure Ville Sect going to be destroyed by a painting?'

Chapter 214

Boom!

More golden flames started to pour out. It seemed that they had heard Payne's pleas.

It was powerful enough to burn everything in sight!

Payne stared at the painting scroll that was still slowly being unscrolled. His eyes were wide and his jaw dropped. He was too shocked to speak.

He saw the Golden Crow in the painting...movie!

The Golden Crow...was alive?!

His skin was starting to char, but he felt a piercing cold instead. His skin crawled and he almost screamed.

He almost fainted from fear.

The Golden Crow!

That was the ancient Golden Crow!

Did someone paint it alive?

How powerful was the expert to be able to achieve that?

Fume—

Sizzle—

The flames started to spread to the main hall!

The terrifying heat even changed the color of the sky as the golden flames started to devour the entire back hall. The scene was too shocking. The disciples of the Azure Ville Sect were stunned.

Instantly, countless disciples sprinted over.

They tried to rush into the back hall while the people in the back hall were trying to escape.

Some kind-hearted disciples warned loudly, "Don't go in there, something bad's happening there!"

"Senior, what's going on inside?" asked some disciples. They were careful, curious, and afraid.

A senior said fearfully, "Not sure what's going on but the back hall suddenly burst with golden flames. The Sect Master and the three elders brought the defense spell to its max, but it still couldn't suppress flames. It's terrifyingly hot in there, almost as if the fire can annihilate anything. If it explodes, I think the entire Azure Ville Sect will be gone. Hurry up and run for your life!"

Everyone said in disbelief, "The Sect Master and the three elders couldn't handle it?"

"They couldn't!" The senior shook his head continuously. "I tried to go near it and my clothes were burned off instantly! If I get any closer, I'm afraid I'll fade into thin air. So scary!"

Everyone then realized that the senior was running for his life with only a thin bed sheet on.

It was not just him. Other disciples that ran out from the back hall were covered in all sorts of things. Some of them had covered their private parts with cloud spells—very imaginative.

Suddenly, a frantic conversation could be heard coming from the back hall. It pulled on their heartstrings.

"Sisters, don't go in there. It's dangerous!"

"I'm a cultivator, I can go anywhere I want. Stop running, everyone! Hurry up and cast the rain spell. Let's put out this fire."

"No, don't, sister..."

Then, they heard a canary-like squeal. "Ah— Our clothes—"

The Azure Ville Sect went temporarily quiet. Then, they were all hyped.

A disciple said with a straight face, "Senior, I'm grateful for the sect and I'm willing to risk my life to save it. Farewell!"

Then, he flew in.

Countless disciples flew to the back hall with him.

"The sisters are right. We can go anywhere as cultivators. I'm willing to fight alongside the sisters!"

"Slow down, everyone! Bring me with you, too!"

The senior rushed over with his bedsheet on. He said in a pious voice, "Fine, it's a dangerous place, but how can I watch as my juniors risk their lives? I should be the one leading them!"

Suddenly, they heard a yell coming from the back hall. "Everybody, step back!"

The entire Azure Ville Sect was shining bright, especially the spell patterns coming from the back hall. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

Along with a rumble, the back hall slowly levitated under everyone's shocked gazes.

Then, the back hall took off at high speed. It looked like a giant comet from afar.

Everyone looked at the faraway fireball, dazed. "Each day you learn something new. So, the back hall seems to be able to fly."

At the back hall.

Payne and the others were pale. Thankfully, the fire was not strong in its attacks.

However, it was menacingly hot. They would have been dead by now if it was not for their defense spell.

Even so, their bodies were quickly dehydrating. If it went on, they would be the first Immortals to die from dehydration.

The Big Elder said in a hoarse voice, "Sect Master, it's not good. From the looks of our situation, the flying spell won't last for long!"

The Second Elder was in despair as he said in a low voice, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. It looks like we have no choice but to look for our Sect Master's ex!"

Payne felt like he was slapped in the face. He opposed it, "No!"

The painting scroll was out of his reach. He could only watch as the fountain of fire gushed continuously. He was shivering in the corner with Gu Yuan.

At the Heavenly Water Sect.

The Sect Master was a beautiful woman. She was in a meeting with some elders.

Suddenly, their eyelids twitched as they sensed something bad.

They looked up and saw a giant meteor approaching their sect.

They all rushed out to look at it closely.

Someone recognized it and said in shock, "Isn't... Isn't that the...back hall of the Azure Ville Sect?"

"The Azure Ville Sect's so violent. They're moving their entire back hall? They won't stop until they die!"

One of the elders said, "Sect Master, didn't you two just break up? What did you do to agitate him so much?"

The beautiful woman frowned. "He was drunk and tried to feel me up, but I slapped him."

"That's it?"

The elder was shocked. He said worriedly, "The back hall's powerful. I can feel how hot it is from afar. I can't believe the Azure Ville Sect has such hidden tricks up their sleeves."

Somebody analyzed it and said, "Maybe they invented a new spell and are trying to warn us!"

The beautiful woman asked, "Did anyone talk to them?"

Suddenly, a disciple with only a bedsheet on rushed over. He said, "The flames are awfully scary! Our clothes were instantly burned off as soon as we went near them. We can't seem to go closer!"

Gasp—

Everyone gasped.

"Such cruel flames exist in this realm!" An elder looked at her own clothes with a serious facial expression.

Everyone agreed. "If the flames were to fall upon our sect, the consequences will be dire!"

"I can't believe Payne secretly created such flames. That's so evil. Was he planning on using it on the Sect Master?"

"That shameless old man!" The beautiful woman was flushed from anger. Immediately, she ordered, "Go find that old man Payne and demand an explanation! Also, tell the female disciples to keep their distance!"

Meanwhile, at the far East of the Immortal Realm, in the mountainside with the forest full of large trees that even Immortals would not simply tread into.

There was a giant Plane Tree residing in the woods. It was high up in the sky, extremely majestic. It also had an aristocratic halo.

A lady in a red dress stood barefoot on the top of the Plane Tree. Both her eyes and hair were a fiery red.

Her red dress flowed with her red hair in the wind. From afar, she looked like glamorous red flames.

She had the most beautiful features. As she looked toward the direction of the Heavenly Water Sect, she frowned. Then, she moved her small white feet and seemingly became a ball of fire, slashing through the sky!

Chapter 215

Boom!

The back hall of the Azure Ville Sect was burning in golden flames. It was flying in the sky like a small sun—incredibly powerful.

It was as if the disciples of the Heavenly Water Sect saw their biggest enemies when they saw the incoming back hall. They backed off frantically while holding on to their clothes.

A lot of disciples were covering their naked bodies with cloud spells. They were dazed and ashamed.

"Payne, stop it right now!" the beautiful woman yelled as she led the elders of the Heavenly Water Sect. They looked at the burning back hall feeling alarmed.

"Bamboo, don't come near it!" Payne warned frantically. "The flames will burn your clothes off! Be careful! Save yourself!"

"Shut up!" The beautiful woman looked angry. "Speak, why are you manipulating the flames to attack my Heavenly Water Sect?"

"Misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding!"

Payne hurriedly explained, "I had nothing to do with the flames. I'm a victim, too! Listen to me, here's what happened..."

"Are you stupid? Do you think now's the right time for explanations?" The Big Elder was livid as he frantically interrupted them.

The Second Elder also said, "Sect Master Ding, we don't have time to explain. Hurry up and save us! Our lives are at stake!"

Ding Xiaozhu was baffled. She simply frowned.

Payne hurriedly said, "Yeah, Bamboo, save us! Save me! I'm almost scared!"

"Stop the back hall now!" sneered Ding Xiaozhu. She stepped on a cloud and approached the back hall. She cast some spells and items started to appear around her like a shield. She protected her clothes from every angle.

The four elders behind her followed her up into the sky, too. They layered their protection shields and carefully approached the back hall.

Their hearts sank as they got nearer. They looked more alarmed.

At that moment, they realized they had misunderstood Payne.

Payne could never create such a flame. He was not worthy.

Yeah, it would have been troublesome.

The flames were too powerful and hot. It was terrifying. They imagined that it could engulf the world.

One of the elders worriedly said, "Sect Master, once this fire explodes, we won't be able to handle it at all."

The other elder took a deep breath and said, his voice trembling slightly, "I see. No wonder only the clothes were burned off. The flames aren't trying to attack. Otherwise, the people would've evaporated along with their clothes, too."

The five of them stopped approaching it. 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝘮

They could not go any further as they could no longer ensure the safety of their clothes.

"If the fire wanted to explode, it would've exploded by now. I don't think it's harmful. Follow me and save the others first," Ding Xiaozhu said. "Cast the spell pattern!"

The five of them surrounded the back hall, casting more spells. Their powers were in the form of five light pillars. The sky went dark.

Soon, it started raining heavily.

The rain could not penetrate the back hall at all. The golden flames created a huge vacuum that water could not enter.

Ding Xiaozhu did not expect it to work. It was just foreplay at that point.

She pointed at the Heavenly Water Sect. Suddenly, a glamorous bright light emerged—it was a mirror.

The mirror levitated in the air, facing the golden flames. The reflection of the golden flames appeared in the mirror.

Suddenly, the mirror started shaking hard.

The four elders pointed at the mirror as their light pillars became streams of light, reflecting off the mirror.

Ding Xiaozhu glanced and cast a spell, "Dustless Mirror, now!"

Splash!

Frost emerged from the mirror in an instant.

The frost was special, it was creepily cold. One would shiver from just a look at it. It was as if it could freeze gazes, too.

The hot air was instantly relieved.

Payne wept, "Bamboo, you're so nice to me. You used the Dustless Mirror to save me."

The Dustless Mirror was a proper Immortal Item. According to legend, it was inspired by the famous Demon-Revealing Mirror from an ancient era. It was even made from the same material.

The difference was that the mirror could reflect the weakness of anything, and then replicate that weakness.

One could imagine how precious and valuable it was.

Ding Xiaozhu looked serious as she growled at him, "Shut up! The flames don't have weaknesses so I can only hold them off for a short while. Find a hole and get out!"

The frost was guided by Ding Xiaozhu. It formed an ice trail mid-air, heading toward the back hall.

Sizzle!

The ice quickly melted away when it was near the back hall.

However, with the powers of Ding Xiaozhu and the four elders, it reconnected and approached the back hall again.

Payne said with a serious face, "Be ready to get rid of the defense spell."

They were suppressing the painting with the Azure Ville Sect defense spell, but they were also trapped inside the back hall. They had to remove the spell to get out.

Leave it to Ding Xiaozhu to deal with the painting. They could escape in the meantime.

It was a moment of life-and-death.

Their hearts sped up as they looked at the painting again.

Most of it had already been unscrolled. The Golden Crow was seemingly alive with the Immortal Qi. It spread its wings like it was ready to fly out from the painting.

Thankfully, the artist had no malice in mind. Otherwise, the entire Azure Ville Sect and its surroundings would have vanished.

Too scary!

Who could imagine that unless they had experienced it?

Suddenly, they heard Ding Xiaozhu say, "Get ready!"

Payne realized something and yelled, "Bamboo, remember to close your eyes! The five of us are all naked. It's no big deal if it's just me, but the other four would be an eyesore! Remember it!"

The other four did not look too happy.

Being lovey-dovey while delivering a personal attack—how rude!

"As if! It's an eyesore to look at you!"

"Sigh, I finally know why Sect Master Ding didn't like you. It's not hard to see why!"

"Everyone, stop it. Learn to be more understanding. Sect Master Payne must be worried that Sect Master Ding would dislike him even more once she sees our manly bodies."

"To be very honest, after looking at you all, I realize I'm the one who's truly 'talented' here."

Chapter 216

All jokes aside...

When it was time to escape, they looked nervous.

They were all old Immortal men. Being naked meant their reputations were on the line. They could not afford to have any cringe-worthy moments in history.

They quickly cast cloud spells to shield themselves when they exited the back hall. They also did not forget to look as calm and collected as experts, like they were Immortals in the clouds.

They cast a spell to regrow their hair and beards.

In an instant, they went from bald old men to cool old men.

Payne quickly flew toward Ding Xiaozhu and smiled. "Bamboo, thanks."

Ding Xiaozhu was sweating. She said, "The fire's getting stronger. I won't be able to hold it much longer."

The painting scroll was completely unscrolled.

Suddenly, the golden flames emerged and it was getting excruciatingly hot.

The mountains and land nearby started to melt. The trees that were far away instantly dried up, too!

"Retreat!"

Everyone quickly retreated.

The back hall disintegrated within seconds! Nothing was left!

The painting levitated in its place.

The Three-Legged Golden Crow moved its neck around like it was observing the realm.

It suddenly spread its wings and looked up. Then, it cawed loudly.

Fume!

In a flash, golden flames surrounded it like a firestorm.

Everything was engulfed in flames. The Dustless Mirror was defenseless. The frost melted away.

Everyone looked like they were in despair. Their hairs stood on their ends as they ran like they had never ran before.

The Golden Crow did not attack. However, it could kill anything in sight just by stretching.

The golden flames were like an ocean that was about to drown the Heavenly Water Sect.

However, a red figure suddenly appeared.

She was walking on air with bare feet. Red flames could be seen burning under them.

She cast a spell.

Instantly, everything went red.

Fire swooped down from above and formed a huge ring of fire. It contained the golden flames.

The two different flames touched each other but did not make a sound. It was almost as if they were melting each other, or as if they were communicating.

Payne and the others sighed in relief. Then, they looked at the woman and were shocked.

Such...a gorgeous lady!

Not only was she gorgeous, she had unique features, too. She had long red hair, red eyes, and she wore a red dress. She looked demonic yet prestigious, hot yet holy. They were mesmerized.

"Ouch!" Payne yelped. Ding Xiaozhu had pinched him hard in the waist.

He said with a straight face, "This girl...isn't human!"

The Golden Crow looked at the lady and flapped its wings. It manipulated the painting scroll and it started to fly.

"Demon King, I'm a demon, too. My name's Fire Phoenix!" The lady spread her wings. Then, she transformed into a giant bird.

The bird had flaming red feathers and a long tail. It was terrifyingly powerful. Everyone held their breaths.

"Phoe... Phoenix?!"

They gulped subconsciously and went stiff. No one dared to move.

That was a Phoenix, something that was as much of a legendary creature as the Dragon. Even in ancient times, it was something no one could mess with. Phoenixes still existed in the Immortal Realm?

Gu Yuan's eyes widened. He felt thunderstruck.

At that moment, he had the utmost respect towards the expert.

The expert was truly an expert!

He had been living in the Above Immortal Realm for years but he had never seen any signs of Phoenixes. He heard legends about it but no one ever saw a single Phoenix. Yet, the expert managed to attract a Phoenix with a painting.

The Golden Crow locked eyes with the Phoenix.

Suddenly, the painting erupted in flames. Then, the Golden Crow flew out of the painting scroll.

However, the Golden Crow seemed to be an illusionary figure as it was translucent.

The Golden Crow approached the Phoenix. Then, it turned into a pile of golden flames before it merged with the Phoenix.

Suddenly, a skyful of golden flames appeared. It was all absorbed by the Phoenix, too. The realm was once again peaceful. Everyone would have thought they were having a nightmare if it was not for their visible goosebumps.

The Phoenix spread its wings and returned to its human form. She looked at everyone with fiery red eyes and said, "Who's the owner of the painting?"

Without missing a beat, Payne and the three elders pointed at Gu Yuan.

The others were not slow in reacting. They followed and pointed at Gu Yuan, too.

The lady looked at Gu Yuan.

Gasp—

Gu Yuan felt his skin crawl. He almost passed out.

His heart was racing as he said, "Lord Phoenix, it...it was given to me by an expert. It's a long story."

Everyone was intrigued, too, especially Payne. He realized that Gu Yuan was not bluffing at all. The expert he spoke of probably existed, and he was probably much more powerful than he thought.

He could not believe that Gu Yuan actually met a bigshot. Forming a relationship with the bigshot would be a huge breakthrough!

The Firefinch Demon was a good gift! A nice gift!

The lady stared at Gu Yuan and said coldly, "Speak!"

"The expert lives in the Immortal Realm. I got to know him through my grandson. He actually gave this painting to my grandson," said Gu Yuan. He did not dare to lie to her so he told the whole truth.

About the writing that killed the Immortal.

The Golden Crow painting.

The Firefinch Demon that laid eggs.

The taming of the Golden Bees.

The new Human Sovereign that was probably related to him, too.

Everyone's expressions grew increasingly shocked as they listened to his descriptions. If it was not for the mighty Phoenix being there, they would have gasped loudly.

If the Golden Crow was not an example, they would have assumed that Gu Yuan was spewing nonsense.

Too horrifying, utterly unimaginable!

What kind of bigshot was that?!

Why would God allow an existence like that?

The Phoenix lady was shocked, too. Her thin brows furrowed as she said, "You said the expert wanted a ride?"

"Yes," nodded Gu Yuan. He suddenly had an idea. He clenched his jaw and went for it. He said, "I thought the expert gave this painting to me out of nowhere. Now that I think about it, it seems that the expert already predicted that it'd end up in the Above Immortal Realm and that it'd summon you."

No wonder the expert disliked the Firefinch Demon. He already had a goal in mind.

Of course, how would the Firefinch Demon be worthy of the expert? In comparison to the Phoenix, it was more like a turkey, right?

What flawless prediction.

The lady said, "Are you saying that the expert painted it for me? He wants to ride me?"

Chapter 217

Payne and the others were expressionless. They pretended like they did not hear anything. 𝒍𝓲𝙗𝒓𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝙘𝒐𝓶

They did not know how to answer that question. No matter what the answer was, it would only lead to doom.

Thankfully, the lady did not wait for them to answer it. She raised her chin up slightly and said, "Ha, that's not enough to be worth it!"

Everyone was silent as they did not know what to reply.

Her red hair flowed in the wind. Her eyes were like flames as she said, "Where does the expert live in the Immortal Realm?"

This could be answered by Gu Yuan!

Gu Yuan jumped and quickly replied, "Near the birth of the Human Sovereign."

The lady with red hair did not say anything. She glanced snidely at everyone and walked away before she disappeared into the horizon.

Phew.

Everyone sighed in relief.

The Phoenix lady gave them too much pressure. They did not even dare to breathe loudly when she was there. They had to tread carefully in fear that she would burn them with her flames and end them.

Scary, so scary!

That was the Fire Phoenix. Her feathers were burning with Phoenix Fire. Nobody could touch it. Only experts would dare to ride it.

Gasp!

"What are you gasping for?"

"I was too shocked earlier on but the lady was still here so I held it in. I feel much better now that I've let it out."

"I should try it, too."

Gasp!

"Indeed, I feel much better."

Gasp—

...

Gu Yuan also gasped. "The expert's truly an expert. A hint plus a plan. We wouldn't have seen it coming. I stupidly thought I was being helpful when I sent him the Firefinch Demon. In the end, it ended up as a hen."

"Nonsense! It's not stupid. It was smart!" Payne said loudly with a straight face. "Being a cultivator's all about seizing opportunities. Opportunities are considered luck! How do you get lucky? You gave the expert a Firefinch Demon that could lay eggs which pleased the expert. Here comes your luck, right? What's the use of hard work? Seizing opportunities is more important! You did well. Good job. Truly my favorite student!"

Gu Yuan was baffled. He said, "Sect Master, I don't remember you putting it that way previously."

Payne calmly said, "Are you braindead? Go with the flow and adapt to the situation."

Gu Yuan did not say anything. He was secretly filled with despise.

In conclusion, he was noble in front of others but was secretly a boot-licker. He hid it so well!

How shameless! No wonder Sect Master Ding disliked him.

Ding Xiaozhu nodded and said, "I agree with that. If it's an expert like that, just focus on pleasing him. If you have a chance to impress him, do it first, no matter what. If you do it correctly, you'll please the expert. Even if you do it wrongly, the expert won't exactly dislike it since it's genuine effort."

Gu Yuan suddenly felt his heart drop. How did they say that with straight faces?

How shameless!

He felt pressured to work harder since there were new competitors.

Everyone was thinking of ways to please the expert. Suddenly, Payne had an idea. He laughed loudly as his eyes sparkled.

"I know, I got it!" He was flushed and shaking from excitement. "The expert likes Firefinch Demon eggs, but he only has one Firefinch Demon. How's that enough? I have five more in my backyard. Give them all to the expert. He'll be pleased!"

Ding Xiaozhu asked, "Are you sure all the Firefinch Demons can lay eggs?"

"It doesn't matter if they don't. The last time, the expert didn't get the chance to eat 'turkey' because the Firefinch Demon suddenly started laying eggs. He must've felt like it was a pity. The Firefinch Demons that aren't able to lay eggs can satiate the expert's hunger. I'm a genius!"

Payne was excited and chirpy. "Let's go back and catch the Firefinch Demons for the expert!"

Soon, they arrived at the Azure Ville Sect.

The Firefinch Demons were resting in the backyard garden smugly. They cheerfully discussed how the Sect Master would punish Gu Yuan. Then, they saw Payne walking in with Gu Yuan.

"Huh?"

They were baffled. "Is he going to punish Gu Yuan in front of us? That's not good... Isn't it too cruel?"

Smiling, Payne asked, "Everyone, I have a huge opportunity for you all!"

The Firefinch Demons were more baffled. Why did that sound so familiar? They had heard it before. It did not sound right.

"Your leader went ahead of you. Now, you all have to follow suit!"

Payne said, "Those who can lay eggs should practice laying more. Those who can't should tenderize your meat and make sure it's juicy."

Gu Yuan said, "Sect Master, should I gather them up and give them to my grandson in the Immortal Realm so he can give them to the expert?"

"No, we have to show up for something major like this, right? It's basic respect for the expert!" said Payne.

Gu Yuan said, "But as Immortals, descending to the Immortal Realm will disrupt the natural order. We'll get punished for it."

"So what? I'd rather die than not meet the expert! More obstacles are good. It shows that I'm genuine!"

Payne was sure of himself. He said, "Next, gather everyone in the sect. It's time to plan our trip to the Immortal Realm! It's been too many years. I wonder what the Immortal Realm has become. So exciting!"

...

At the foot of the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

The Holy Emperor stood there with Luo Shiyu for a long time. He sighed heavily and slowly walked toward the mountain.

They looked somewhat troubled.

Luo Shiyu asked, "Dad, the expert has helped us so much. Aren't we being a little too stingy if we're only bringing him a jar of alcohol?"

"It's precisely because the expert has helped us too much that I only brought the alcohol."

The Holy Emperor shook his head while looking down. He said, "We can't pay him back for the blessings he gave us. Nothing will be good enough. I've thought about it. The expert doesn't need anything, but it seems like he hasn't had any alcohol yet, so I brought him a jar of alcohol to show our thoughtfulness."

Luo Shiyu was feeling sentimental. She reminisced as she said, "I remember when we first got here. I knew if the expert stayed in the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, he'd bring us great benefits. But I didn't expect it to be so great."

The Human Sovereign was here. He represented the common people. The bridge to immortality was now reconnected, too. That was good news for cultivators. Also, the Human Sovereign was from the Xia Kingdom, which is in the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty!

Therefore, the entire Ganlong Immortal Dynasty benefited greatly as a whole. The luck and Spiritual Qi had significantly increased!

They went from being a small sect to a holy ground that was of the same level as the Linxian Palace!

They had been receiving a lot of visitors recently, too. Some came from powerful and famous sects, but the powerful cultivators did not dare to be smug in front of the Holy Emperor.

However, the Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu were under pressure.

As they walked, Luo Shiyu looked like she was in a daze. She thought about the first time she met the expert.

It seemed like she was the first one to meet the expert...

She suddenly sighed and said, "How nice would it be if things were how it originally was!"

Chapter 218

The Holy Emperor looked at Luo Shiyu and nodded. "Yeah."

At that time, not a lot of people knew about the expert. He could visit the expert frequently. Now, there were too many boot-lickers around, each cooler than the last. There was no room for him to kiss-up to the expert anymore.

Sigh, exhausting.

They did not know what other reason they had to visit the expert aside for the benefit of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty.

"This jar of alcohol is called the Immortal Brew. It was invented by an alcoholic a million years ago. The alcoholic ascended soon after, so that's how it got its name. This is pretty much the best alcohol in the Immortal Realm. I worked hard to get it."

The Holy Emperor said, "The expert won't be impressed by our items, but if we're to bring him something, it should be the best."

Luo Shiyu looked down and said, "Unless the expert calls for us, I'm afraid we won't be hanging around him anymore."

The Ganlong Immortal Dynasty was an average sect with limited items and resources. They were no longer worthy to visit the expert.

The others could battle with their Immortal ancestors. They did not have that!

Such a cruel world. They were too weak to be worthy boot-lickers.

They were slightly taken aback while they were walking as they saw a figure walking on the mountain road, too.

That person was dressed for the occasion.

However, he looked dazed and distracted. He kept mumbling while walking, "It's too hard... Too hard... I can't solve it..."

The Holy Emperor arched his eyebrow. He hurriedly walked forward and said, "Pal, wait up!"

That person snapped out of his daze and looked at the Holy Emperor. "Greetings, cultivator."

The Holy Emperor asked, "Cultivator, may I ask why you're walking up the mountain?"

That person groaned before answering with a riddle, "Confusion in mind, came for answers!"

The Holy Emperor felt like someone had tugged on his heartstrings. He said in a low voice, "Lighter?"

That person laughed and replied, "Refrigerator!"

Suddenly, they both laughed while looking at each other.

The Holy Emperor saluted, "Haha, so you're a colleague. I'm the Holy Emperor from the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty!"

The person replied, "I'm the Chess Fanatic."

"Why don't we go together?"

"Good, good!" 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝓶

They were instantly close, chatting with each other on the way up.

Truthfully, they both had something in mind.

The Holy Emperor felt like he no longer deserved to be a chess piece for the expert. The Chess Fanatic felt like his chess skills were weak. He had not been playing chess because he felt like something ominous was about to befall upon him.

Soon, they saw the four-part architecture.

At that moment, they felt anxious.

They felt like they were peasants visiting their rich friend.

Luo Shiyu bit her lip and asked, "Is... Mr. Li home?"

Creak.

Li Nianfan opened the door and instantly smiled. "It's you guys. I saw a magpie on the branch today, so I knew some guests would be visiting me! Please, come in."

The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu were the first cultivators he knew. The Chess Fanatic was a rare intermediate chess player. Li Nianfan knew them well—they were old friends. He was naturally friendly towards them.

The Holy Emperor and the others were shocked and overjoyed. "Thanks, Mr. Li."

They greeted Daji when they walked in, "Greetings to Lady Daji."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Sit anywhere. Xiao Bai, bring out the soda!"

"Thanks." The Holy Emperor carefully took the soda from Xiao Bai. He was blushing. The soda was more valuable than his jar of alcohol.

He grabbed the jar and went for it. "Mr. Li, this is a jar of alcohol that I got from someone. A small gift for you."

"Oh? You brought me alcohol?"

Li Nianfan was surprised. He took the jar and sniffed it. Then, he complimented, "It's nice alcohol!"

The alcohol was fantastic for the Immortal Realm. Fine brewing methods were hard to come by.

Li Nianfan did not like to drink alcohol, so he never made his own brew. He could make some in the future for casual occasions or guests.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Holy Emperor, you're too courteous."

He noticed Li Nianfan did not dislike it, so he sighed in relief. He said, "Mr. Li, we know about what you did at the Xia Kingdom. It affects my Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, too. The plague had spread on all sides. You're truly the hero of the people!"

"Haha, that's too much of a compliment. It's not a big deal at all."

Li Nianfan laughed it off but deep down, he felt good.

This old man was good with words!

He looked at the Chess Fanatic and smiled. "Bro, I've been waiting for you to play chess with me but I never see you around anymore."

The Chess Fanatic looked troubled. He said, "Mr. Li, my chess skills are rough. I'm too embarrassed to be your opponent."

At first, he wanted to practice chess with Li Nianfan every day. However, as he got better at chess, he realized that Li Nianfan was mysteriously astounding.

Every time he got better at chess, he realized how terrifyingly good Li Nianfan was.

It was the truth. He felt like he was looking up at a giant. He was truly embarrassed.

Li Nianfan shook his head. "It's just entertainment. Don't be too serious, alright?"

He never imagined that there would be a Chess Fanatic in the Immortal Realm. Was he even a cultivator? He was completely obsessed with playing chess!

He had the talent to be a cultivator. Was it not a waste to stop training?

He thought about it and suggested, "Bro, let me tell you something. Chess is just for entertainment, so don't neglect your cultivation!"

He meant it.

At that moment, Li Nianfan felt like a kid who was not able to go to school. Seeing another school kid fooling around and skipping classes was too painful to watch!

The Chess Fanatic felt his heart drop. The expert was testing him!

He hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Li. Chess is so profound. Why would I waste my energy on cultivation? I've already quit being a cultivator to focus on chess!"

Gasp!

Li Nianfan was dumbfounded.

Ruthless, he was ruthless!

He stopped being a cultivator to play chess? This...

Was he trying to show off?

Oh no!

Li Nianfan felt a critical hit. He glanced around. The sword was too far from him. Otherwise, he would split this spoiled rich guy in half!

The Chess Fanatic was happy when he saw how Li Nianfan reacted.

'It was the right choice to quit cultivating. Look, even the expert's shocked by my determination. He must think I have huge potential.'

Chapter 219

Fine.

Everyone had different ambitions.

He had already quit, so it was too late to say anything.

Li Nianfan was speechless when he saw that the Chess Fanatic looked like he was waiting for a compliment.

Maybe he was happy and delusional.

Li Nianfan calmed down and said, "Looks like you really like chess."

"Of course!" the Chess Fanatic said. "Actually, I came here to ask you something, Mr. Li."

"Oh? Did you want to play chess with me?" Li Nianfan raised his eyebrows. "Sure, I can see how far you've improved at chess."

"Not that. I'm currently facing an obstacle," the Chess Fanatic said. "If a game of chess becomes too difficult and hopeless, and you don't know where to place the chess pieces, what would you do?"

Li Nianfan was slightly baffled. "Duh? Restart the game."

The Chess Fanatic looked at Li Nianfan seriously. "No way, it can't be restarted."

Li Nianfan said, "Then it's unsolvable."

The Chess Fanatic shook his head. "No, there must be a solution." 𝓁𝘪𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Then, play it slowly."

"It's too hard. I can't do it."

Li Nianfan was silent. He suddenly realized the Chess Fanatic was an idiot.

He was a Meng Junliang knock-off.

Not only was he ruthless for quitting cultivation just to play chess, he was also abnormal in the head.

What if he went nuts because of the 'won-God-by-a-nose' story?

Suddenly, Li Nianfan felt guilty.

He looked at him with pity and tried to make up for it. He said, "I should play chess with you."

The Chess Fanatic shook his head. He was in a daze as he said, "If I can't figure it out, I'll never play chess again."

Why was he being stubborn?

Li Nianfan frowned and had an idea. He said, "What if we don't play Chinese chess today? Let's play a simpler one."

The Chess Fanatic shook his head, still in a daze.

It seemed like he was far from sensibility.

Suddenly, Luo Shiyu weakly spoke up from the sidelines, "Mr. Li, maybe I can play with you?"

Li Nianfan groaned for a moment before he said, "Alright."

Luo Shiyu sucked at chess, but Gomoku was way simpler. Playing this should be simple enough to pass the time.

"The game's easy. It's called Gomoku." Li Nianfan roughly introduced the game and explained the rules. Everyone understood it.

It was unimaginably simple.

Was this also considered chess?

The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu could not believe it.

The Chess Fanatic started to have hope in his eyes. He was slightly frowning while looking at the chessboard.

Although he said he would not play chess again, he was still interested in chess. He paid close attention to their game.

Li Nianfan gestured at the board and said, "You first."

Luo Shiyu nodded and took a deep breath.

Tap.

She placed a white chess piece on the chessboard.

Li Nianfan placed his chess piece next to hers without thinking about it.

Tap, tap, tap.

In just twenty moves, Luo Shiyu lost due to her carelessness.

"Argh! I didn't notice that there!" Luo Shiyu looked troubled and sighed heavily. "So close. Mr. Li, can we play another round?"

Li Nianfan did not say anything. He merely gestured at the chessboard again.

Tap, tap, tap.

During the second round, the two of them attacked each other, their black and white chess pieces going back-and-forth. At that point, it seemed like it was anyone's game.

However, after a short while, Luo Shiyu still lost.

Luo Shiyu was not satisfied. It was so easy. She almost won. Why did she keep losing?

Then, the third round started.

Then, the fourth round...

The Chess Fanatic was sitting by the side. He was extremely focused.

He looked at the chess pieces on the chessboard and started to breathe heavily.

Sometimes, the white pieces would be blocking the black pieces. Other times, it was the other way around. The two of them were not allowing each other to move. They were constantly playing defense while also poised to attack. It looked simple, but it was hard for either of them to make a move.

Wisdom!

It contained Wisdom!

The Chess Fanatic's eyes widened. He had goosebumps all over. He was trembling from being emotional.

From his point of view, the game was constantly expanding and changing. In the end, the black and white dots formed a small universe that was coming at him.

Gomoku seemed easy, but it was hard trying to connect five chess pieces because it was the opponent's objective to stop that from happening. However, one could start with a seemingly insignificant chess piece as the opening, then expand from there and overcome obstacles!

The goal was clear, the methods were easy, but...the process was difficult.

He was frightened by the difficult process so he did not dare to play chess. How ridiculous was he being?

As long as the goal was clear, he could do it slowly, step by step. Look for an opportunity, stop the opponents, and improve himself. He would win in the end!

'I understand!'

He was flushed from being emotional.

This was not a game, the expert was clearly giving him a hint!

The sixth round was over. Luo Shiyu lost yet again.

"Alright, I'm done." Li Nianfan chuckled. He looked at the Chess Fanatic and said, "Are you sure you don't want to try it?"

The Chess Fanatic suddenly stood up.

He looked determined and respectfully bowed at Li Nianfan. "Thank you for solving my problem, Mr. Li. I understand now."

"You understand?" Li Nianfan was dumbfounded.

'What did I do? What did you understand?'

The Chess Fanatic said humbly, "Luckily, I learned quite a bit from your Gomoku games. Thanks for solving my problem, Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan was quiet for a while before he said, "I didn't even try to solve your problem. It's all in your head."

He tried to deny it because this guy had a pretty abnormal mindset. He did not want to be blamed if anything happened to him.

The Chess Fanatic nodded continuously as he said, "I get it, I get it."

Li Nianfan rolled his eyes. 'What did you get?!'

The Chess Fanatic seemed to be in a hurry to go back and learn from his mistakes. He said, "Sorry for the disturbance today, Mr. Li. Farewell."

Li Nianfan did not want him to stay. He waved and said, "Yeah, goodbye."

The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu read the situation and hurriedly say their goodbyes, too.

They walked out of the four-part architecture and chased after the Chess Fanatic. "Pal, wait up."

The Holy Emperor asked, "May I ask, pal, what did you understand? Did the expert give you a hint again?"

"The expert used the chess game to help me solve my issue." The Chess Fanatic paused. Then, he said, "I recall you were troubled because you thought you were worthless to the expert?"

The Holy Emperor sighed softly and said, "Yes."

The Chess Fanatic looked upon the horizon and said respectfully, "The expert's an expert after all. He invented Gomoku, a game that's so complicated in its simplicity. He didn't just solve my problem, he solved yours, too!"

Chapter 220

"Solve our problems?!"

The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu both stared at the Chess Fanatic with wide eyes.

The Holy Emperor said, "Please, tell us how so, pal!"

The Chess Fanatic looked at Luo Shiyu and asked, "In Gomoku, your goal is to connect five chess pieces. Between the first piece and the fifth piece, which do you think is more important?"

Luo Shiyu answered without thinking, "The fifth piece is more important. It's the piece that decides the game."

"Not exactly." The Chess Fanatic shook his head and said, "They're all equally important! If there's no first piece, the fifth piece won't be of any use!"

The Holy Emperor understood. He said excitedly, "So, to the expert...we're like the first piece. Simple but significant!"

The Chess Fanatic nodded and said, "Yes. Think about it. Doesn't the expert make his first moves through all of you?"

"Yes, you're right!" The Holy Emperor teared up and cried. "So, the expert remembers us after all this time. He approves of our value after all! Boohoo—"

Luo Shiyu was extremely touched, too. She bit her lip and said, "The expert has helped us so much. It's too bad we're incompetent. We might be useless to the expert from now on."

"You're wrong!"

The Chess Fanatic looked away and said, "Gomoku's a game where you can't predict which chess piece is the losing piece. No chess piece is extra or insignificant. That was the expert's hint. Stop deprecating yourselves and do your best."

The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu were motivated. "Thanks for pointing it out, pal."

The Chess Fanatic saluted. "I learned a lot from the expert today. I have to go back and study it. Goodbye." 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Goodbye!"

The Holy Emperor and Luo Shiyu watched the Chess Fanatic leave. They looked determined. "Let's go, the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty's lucky to be blessed by the expert. We have to work hard and please him!"

At the Xia Kingdom.

In comparison to before, the Xia Kingdom was on a whole new level. For example, their cities had expanded twice in size. The surrounding banditries had also been completely dealt with.

Apart from appearances, their patriotism was more prominent.

Recently, a lot of cultivators had been coming to visit. Most were from small sects and a few came from bigger sects. They were all here to collaborate and unite.

Additionally, when the bridge to immortality was reconnected, a lot of hidden bigshots showed up and visited the Xia Kingdom, too!

Gu Changqing was with the Gu Siblings.

Gu Ziyu asked, "Dad, is the Human Sovereign fancy? Is he even human?"

Gu Changqing said, "He's human, but he's the chosen one with Luck. He carries the fate of the realm!"

Gu Ziyu frowned and said, "Luck? You mean he's lucky?"

Gu Changqing shook his head and said, "Lucky is used to describe a person while Luck describes a nation. It's more powerful!"

He knew the siblings were too young to understand. He continued, "Luck can guarantee you more opportunities. It can lessen your natural tribulation and make your cultivation easier!"

The Gu siblings understood. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they said, "So awesome."

"Duh, you work for the world. Did you think the world would treat you badly?" Gu Changqing said. "Now that the Xia Kingdom has impressed the world, these sects want to share the glory so they can benefit from it. They'll naturally come to kiss-up to the Xia Kingdom."

Gu Ziyu said, "Then, I want to work for the world, too."

Gu Changqing rolled his eyes. "Are you worthy?"

Then, they arrived at the Xia Kingdom.

"Alright, stop talking," reminded Gu Changqing.

Zhou Yunwu was not in the palace. He was standing on top of a tower.

A lot of humans and cultivators were gathered here. It was a rare sight to see a huge crowd like that.

The humans came to watch, but it was different for the cultivators. They all looked shocked. Discussions could be heard.

"I can't believe the Human Sovereign's here. The bridge to immortality has been reconnected, too. What does this mean?"

"It signifies a new era. We don't know if it's good or bad, but from the looks of it, it's quite beneficial for cultivators."

"There are so many cultivators today. The Human Sovereign's waiting outside, too. What's going on?"

The cultivator did not answer. Instead, he asked, "The bridge to immortality has been reconnected. Have you heard of anyone stepping into the Heavenly Gates?"

"Not yet, but not for long. A lot of bigshots showed up, right?"

"According to reliable sources, they plan to meet tonight and step into the Heavenly Gates together!

"Yikes. But why choose here?"

"There would be dimensional tribulations if they step into the Above Immortal Realm through the Heavenly Gates. It's also dangerous. Everyone here's trying to gain some of the Human Sovereign's Luck. I think it'll be easier to immortalize with his blessings."

"Why tonight?"

"Why so many whys? How would I know?"

Time slipped by. It was getting dark.

Everyone was excited. Conversations were getting quieter.

Immortalization. It had not occurred in over thousands of years. Now, they were going to immortalize as a group. It would be a majestic sight to behold.

Suddenly, an elder in yellow robes appeared out of nowhere. He was walking on air.

Very few people recognized him, but he was wearing a robe with a dragon on it so he was clearly an old Emperor. He emitted a powerful aura. It was very impressive.

However, he was as skinny as a bag of bones. He was pale, reeked of death, and was apparently at the end of his life.

He appeared on top of the tower in the blink of an eye. He said in a hoarse voice, "I'm the Sect Master of the Dayun Immortal Dynasty. Greetings to the Human Sovereign. We want to immortalize on this land."

Zhou Yunwu quickly saluted, too.

Then, a shockingly powerful aura appeared from afar. It was an old lady with a crutch. She appeared in a flash.

She was a cultivator from the Mahayala realm. However, she could not maintain her appearance. She, too, was old and did not have many days left.

Suddenly, three more elders appeared in the sky. They were also lifeless and old.

They all greeted Zhou Yunwu.

Zhou Yunwu was the reason why the bridge to immortality reconnected. He gave them the chance to immortalize, so they had to be polite.

Time slipped by and it was nighttime. About thirteen cultivators were ready to immortalize together!

Among these thirteen cultivators, there were three elders who were rumored dead!

And...it was not over yet!

Rare cultivators from the Mahayala realm started showing up one after another!

The aura at the field was utterly intense!

Chapter 221

Until midnight.

38 Mahayala cultivators had gathered on the high tower!

Every single one of them was amongst the finest cultivators in the Immortal Realm and they were all gathered here at this moment. This shocking sight made everyone hold their breaths.

So majestic!

However, what was even more shocking was that all of them looked weak and worn out as if they could be blown away by the wind.

Reality was harsh. One could cultivate all their lives and end up like a pile of yellow soil in the end.

"For the sake of Wisdom! Today, we've gathered here to fight for our last gleam of life! We'll borrow life from Heaven, find our way there, and seek for longevity!"

The first Elderly Emperor let out a roar, shaking his surroundings!

After he spoke, he rose into the air and soared toward the sky!

He exuded an air of authority and power. 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The others did not want to lose out. They went onto the path of Immortalization as well.

Their auras were at their peaks as if it was their last shot at glory in life. It was also as if they were striving toward a new life, exuding an oppressive aura toward the sky!

"Dacheng Immortal Palace, Zhou Yun, fourteen thousand five hundred years of cultivation. Striving for longevity!"

"Tianyun Sect, ex-Sect Master, Li Gan, thirteen thousand two hundred years of cultivation. Striving for longevity!"

"Southern Lin Family, Lin Mofeng, fifteen thousand years of cultivation. Striving for longevity!"

...

Voices resonated in the air. They...wanted to mark their names in this Immortal Realm.

Countless cultivators did indeed mark down their names. Many people looked shocked and surprised. So, this man was that well-known cultivator back in the day...

All 38 of them were no longer powerful like they once were. Now, they were aged and weak like ants, fighting for the last gleam of life.

Someone could not help sighing as he said, "Mark this moment. This represents the arrival of a new era!"

"From now on, the Mahayala realm would no longer be the most powerful rank in the Immortal Realm. Additionally, due to the resurfacing of Spiritual Qi, there'd be more Mahayala realm cultivators!"

"Do you think they'll succeed?"

"I don't know. However, the chances are small."

Transgressing to another space would take up a lot of Spiritual Qi. It required good stamina, something that naturally decreased as one aged. Especially for this bunch who were already half-dead. It was apparent that they did not have much stamina left in them.

However, in comparison to being tied down in this realm, they were considered lucky. They could at least give it one more shot during the last moment of their lives now that the bridge between the two realms was rebuilt.

Vroom!

Suddenly, ripples appeared between the sky and the ground.

The power of the Mahayala cultivators caused a golden gate to appear in the air. It was extremely majestic, and it conjured the urge to worship it at the sight of it.

Meanwhile, a thick wave of ancient aura exploded.

The Heavenly Gate that had remained unused for so many years...appeared in this realm again!

Rays of golden light washed down from above, forming pillars that trapped all 38 of them.

One could see the cells reviving in their bodies as their wrinkled skin started to smoothen.

"Immortal Qi! It's the baptism of Immortal Qi!"

The cultivators below watched, impressed. Sounds of admiration were heard.

The 38 cultivators looked delighted. They also had looks of determination in their eyes as they rose into the sky even quicker.

"Ha-ha-ha! Heavenly Gate...we're here!"

"Immortal Land... We're coming!"

"Going right into it without looking back!"

When the cultivators saw this, they instantly felt a wave of Godly aura washing over them. They clenched their fists in excitement. One day, it would be their turn!

They were extremely excited watching the 38 cultivators as they entered the Heavenly Gate, one after another.

However, the glory was suddenly destroyed in the next moment.

Suddenly, an elder who was Immortalizing rushed out from the Heavenly Gate. It was the Elderly Emperor who took the lead earlier!

He looked shocked. It seemed like he was panicking as he was rushing away from the gate.

Swiftly after, a second figure appeared. It was the other elderly man who did not seem to care where his walking cane had gone. He was running super quickly!

Then, the third man, the fourth...

The crowd rubbed their eyes. They thought they were hallucinating.

What happened to the 'without looking back' spirit?

Did they not say they were never coming back?

Vroom!

In the next instance, wild flames shot out from the Heavenly Gate.

The flame was too strong. Too strong! It was like a tsunami of fire that instantly engulfed the entire sky!

Everyone's heart was thumping loudly. They looked up to see the fierce flames shooting across the sky. By then, the sky had turned into a sea of fire!

The sky lit up so brightly all around!

The terrifying heat...increased suddenly!

"This...this...this..."

The crowd's brains blanked out. They could only feel their throats turning dry. They were all dumbfounded by this strange scenario!

Some with better coping mechanisms had snapped out of the shock. They turned around and started running.

"Why run? Do I seem so scary to you?"

A piercing sound rang in the air, penetrating their souls.

Swiftly after, the flame retreated back to the Heavenly Gate. In its place stood a woman in a red flowy dress. She had red hair and red eyes. Her skin was fair like jade.

She was barefooted. Her nails and toenails were painted red.

She reached out with her delicate hand. Instantly, the 38 Mahayala cultivators who were running away could no longer move forward. Instead, they flew toward the woman.

"You accidentally helped me open up the Heavenly Gate. I, the Fire Phoenix, don't like to be indebted. Therefore, I shall help all of you to Immortalize!"

Her calm voice resonated from her lips, sounding arrogant.

She pushed gently, and the 38 cultivators were instantly engulfed in flames. They were being pushed toward the Heavenly Gate.

The people walking from below were flabbergasted! They had turned into sculptures with opened mouths, looking up blankly.

Vroom!

Deafening sounds resonated in the air again, shocking everyone. A thick cloud started to appear gradually. This cloud was too thick. It was so thick that it engulfed the Heavenly Gate completely.

Streaks of lightning appeared in the cloud like silver snakes. The sight was terrifying. The people watching could only feel their scalps growing numb as all their hair stood up like spikes!

This Natural Tribulation was so terrifying that it was beyond words! It was like the end of the world!

Everyone felt that their scalps were about to explode and yet none of them were able to move.

Vroom!

The cloud...was still thickening!

It was so thick that it seemed as if it was not far off the ground. It looked as if it was about to collapse and fall.

Such a terrifying Natural Tribulation was indeed beyond one's imagination!

However, the cloud hovered above the woman's head as if she had done something that angered the sky.

The woman looked up at the sky with her unperturbed and arrogant face. Finally, she frowned, "I came down from the Immortal Land and helped thirty-eight cultivators Immortalize. I seem to have...crossed my limit..."

Chapter 222

Vroom!

Lightning flashed abruptly. Luckily, it was building up inside the cloud. Even so, its effect was shocking. The entire sky almost turned red!

That was right! The sky turned red!

The lightning was red!

The white light had a hint of bloody red in it. It was very terrifying!

The crowd below was so shocked that they no longer knew what to do. Under the oppressive sky, they could not even escape! They all knew that once lightning struck, even just a hint of its aftermath would kill them instantly.

Their pupils dilated in despair. They called out in their hearts, 'I beg you! Please, leave!'

As if she heard the inner pleas of the people, the Fire Phoenix took a glance at the people below her before turning into a ray of light, soaring into the sky.

The extremely thick cloud followed closely behind her, gradually disappearing.

Phew...

They all let out a sigh. Instantly, all the cultivators and ordinary men in the area felt their bodies go soft. They panted heavily as they fell to the ground.

So terrifying! So ferocious!

Someone said in a trembling voice, "An...an Immortal came down!"

"Immortal? That was a Goddess! So powerful! Way beyond an Immortal!"

"Exactly! My ancestor's an Immortal, but she's incomparable to that woman!"

Although the lightning did not strike, the remaining current made them feel numb and listless.

Gu Ziyu's scalp went numb as he cried out in shock, "Father, the...the woman..."

Gu Changqing had the same shocked look on his face. He took in a deep breath and said, "Don't speak. I'll ask my Grandpa later."

"Everyone," a cultivator stood up and said. "Would anyone like to form a group to investigate this? An existence like her coming to our Immortal Realm is a big deal."

Many people fell silent.

Meanwhile.

Vroom!

A flash of lightning struck from the sky. The woman had flown too far away, but the lightning still lit up the entire sky. The red lightning was like a red dragon, cutting the sky into two halves.

Just one hint of its aftermath could make one shiver and shrink uncontrollably.

"No, I'm not going."

"It's too scary. Once we go, we'll die!"

"Who'd have such a crazy thought? Unbelievable! How did he survive until now?"

"Everyone. It's not safe here. I should go now."

"I'm leaving, too."

Instantly, rays of light rose from the Xia Kingdom. They shot out in all directions and targeted the area where the lightning struck.

The Fire Phoenix's face darkened. She raised her hand and the flames surrounded the lights, forming a shield.

Vroom!

Another flash of lightning struck from above. The flaming shield reverberated, sending ripples out in waves.

However, clouds were still rapidly forming. Lightning was also building up at a terrifying speed.

Vroom!

This time, lightning struck three times in a row, creating an opening in the flaming shield made by the woman.

Swiftly after came the fourth strike of lightning!

For an Immortal to descend to the Immortal Realm, one would have to go through a Natural Tribulation. The stronger the Immortal, the more terrifying the Natural Tribulation. In the case of the Fire Phoenix, she helped the cultivators Immortalize. That was one extra crime! The severity and power of the Natural Tribulation had gone up a few notches!

Even though she was a Fire Phoenix who had real fire in her and was much stronger than her peers, she was still unable to get away from it.

The authority of Heaven was not to be dismissed.

The real dragons and phoenixes had been wiped out over time. By now, the Fire Phoenix was the only pure phoenix left.

The Fire Phoenix bit her red lip and looked up at the sky. A pair of wings sprouted from her back, followed by a bright flash of red light soaring to the sky.

Instantly, she had transformed into a bright red phoenix. Perhaps it was because she had absorbed some of the fire from the Golden Crow that her tail had some golden feathers, too.

Once the phoenix's wings unfurled, it shot toward the deep end of the forest.

Its speed was extremely fast as if it was traveling at one thousand miles in a blink of an eye. However, the cloud was still following her closely, not willing to let her go.

Vroom!

One could see that countless red lightning strikes were flashing from above as if they had their own free will! Each strike came closely after another, causing a terrifying sight!

"Jeez!" the Fire Phoenix called out gently as fire engulfed her body like a flaming jacket. However, this jacket seemed to fizzle. 𝓵𝒊𝓫𝙧𝙚𝒂𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The flames were being weakened significantly by the wind.

Its eyes darkened. If this went on, perhaps it would have to go through countless years to build up its strength again.

'I shouldn't have come down!

'I came here to find an unknown expert living in this ordinary realm but it seems that I've got myself in trouble!'

Vroom!

Another lightning struck through the layer of flames, leaving a burnt black mark on its body.

It looked at its surroundings in an attempt to survive.

'Didn't they say the expert lived around here? Where is he?

'Right! The Firefinch and the Golden Bees!

'I can use my bloodline to sense their location!'

The phoenix took a deep breath as it flew in one direction, seeking refuge from the oncoming lightning strikes!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The deadly red lightning strikes crashed at a rhythmic pace, striking one after another from the sky.

The Fire Phoenix was wobbly in the air, trying to avoid the Natural Tribulation. It could not help saying breathlessly, "Are you done yet? Is this even fun?"

Right after saying that, the lightning strikes ended!

In fact, it was building up into a scalp-numbing blow. The force gathered was so strong that it even made the gigantic trees bend from the pressure.

This was going to be a...massive hit!

The Fire Phoenix looked at it in fear. It felt as if it was being punished by the sky. Instantly, it adhered to reality and said, "Bro, I'm sorry!"

Meanwhile, in the deep end of the forest, a simple yet grand four-part architecture appeared in sight. The four-part architecture was sheltered by the trees with layers of mist covering its surroundings, exuding a sense of mystery from within.

Other than the Firefinch Demon and the Golden Bees, there was a hint of Qi even more terrifying than theirs. Not only that, the mist surrounding the four-part architecture was actually...Immortal Qi?!

Why was there such a place in this ordinary realm?

"That..." The Fire Phoenix's eyes lit up. Instead of being stunned, it rushed toward it quickly.

Vroom!

Meanwhile, the Natural Tribulation in the sky had grown to its extremes. The dark cloud had turned into a red cloud—very cruel. One look at it would cause one to lose the will to resist.

Vroom!

A thick, pure red, jagged lightning struck!

Vroom!

The world turned bloody red. The air seemed still, as if numbed by the electric current. So shocking!

"Help! Help me!"

The Fire Phoenix's scalp was itching. It used up all of its remaining strength to rush toward the yard.

Another lightning struck, illuminating the entire Fallen Town. Once the final hit struck, it might wipe out the entire Fallen Immortal Mountain entirely!

However, just as the final hit was about to strike the Fire Phoenix, half of the strike was suddenly diverted as if it was being manipulated by something else. It struck the sharp rod that was on top of the four-part architecture!

Vroom!

The lightning and thunder vibrated vigorously, coursing through the lightning rod and traveling through the walls of the four-part architecture. It was wild but soon after, everything became calm again.

The remaining portion of the strike landed on the Fire Phoenix's chest. Instantly, the flame around it dissipated. It cried out in pain before falling from the air, landing on the ground heavily.

The clouds dispersed and the night sky returned to its peacefulness.

Click!

The door of the four-part architecture swung open.

Li Nianfan walked out from within, looking suspicious and shocked.

"What happened? An explosion?" He was uneasy since the thunderclaps were ringing too loudly. Even the world lit up for a bit!

The bigshots in the Immortal Realm really loved thunderstorms!

Meanwhile, his eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat.

A gigantic figure had landed not too far away from the four-part architecture. This figure was too eye-catching. Its red feathers were sparkling with liveliness. It almost looked like a moving flame under the night sky.

Firebird?

Demon?

These were Li Nianfan's first thoughts.

The bird's appearance was too extraordinary. It looked exquisite, nothing like an ordinary animal. After living in this Immortal Realm for so long, he knew at least a thing or two about this realm.

Perhaps the crying sound he heard earlier came from this bird?

Meanwhile, the bird's wings moved slightly. The movement was followed by a burnt smell.

Li Nianfan hesitated. Finally, he gritted his teeth and gradually approached the bird.

This was the first time Li Nianfan had gotten so close to a living demon ever since his arrival in this realm. Although it was a hurt demon, he still felt uneasy.

"Although I'm an ordinary man, I've eaten quite some demon meat. What's there to be afraid of?" He cheered himself up as he approached it while yelling in the direction of the four-part architecture, "Blackie, Xiao Bai, come and protect me!"

If anything were to happen, at least the two of them could help.

If it was not due to the inconvenience, he wanted to carry the old tortoise over from the backyard.

As he went closer, he could finally see the firebird completely.

There were no other words to describe this bird other than beautiful and majestic!

So exquisite!

Both of its eyes were shut and parts of its beautiful feathers were burnt, especially around its chest. Not only were the feathers burnt off, but there was also a big bleeding wound. Its chest was rising and falling weakly.

How cruel!

Li Nianfan became even braver. It was so badly hurt that even if it was alive, it would not cause any threat to him.

He walked over and could not help touching the extremely beautiful feathers on the bird.

'Wow! The touch is too...tender!'

So warm, so soft, and very smooth!

Li Nianfan could not stop touching it. After touching it for quite a while, he crossed one leg over and reached out to help the bird turn over.

As he touched the bird's wings and held it gently, the bird opened its eyes in a blur.

When it saw Li Nianfan, it was first perplexed. Then, it noticed that Li Nianfan was on top of its body.

It was in a state of shock. It cried out, sounding embarrassed, "What are you doing? I'm in this state and you just can't wait to ride me!?"

Chapter 223

The Fire Phoenix went from being perplexed to being shocked. Then, surprised.

It had the urge to resist. It was struggling. If it was not in so much pain, it would have fought this so-called expert!

He was not a man!

Li Nianfan was shocked, too.

'Damn! It really is a demon who can speak! The voice sounds like a woman... It sounds good.'

However, he felt wrongly accused. What did the bird mean by him riding it? Why did it sound so embarrassed?

However, the words of the bird demon made Li Nianfan's eyes sparkle. The bird was so big and so pretty. How cool would he look if he were to ride it!

He was envious of the Crane Demon from the Azure Ville. Now, this demon came up to his door!?

Since it was hurt, he could take it in and heal it. Then, it would be touched and look for a way to repay him. After that, he would be able to ride on it!

Perhaps it could also protect him!

This plot was too perfect!

However, Li Nianfan had to make sure of one thing.

"How did you get so hurt? Is someone chasing after you?"

The firebird looked at him in hatred as it said arrogantly, "Chase after me? Who would even dare chase after me in this world?"

"Very well, then." Li Nianfan sighed in relief. He wanted to make sure of it to avoid being dragged into some conflict.

Although the bird sounded arrogant, it was probably not being hunted. Furthermore, it did not seem evil, so it did not look like a bad demon.

LI Nianfan found a good angle and started moving the Fire Phoenix's wings.

Instantly, the Fire Phoenix resisted. It scoffed, "What are you doing? Don't you touch me! Go away!"

"How am I supposed to help you? You're so hurt, I'd advise you not to move around too much. Beware of your organs falling out!" Li Nianfan said in shock. He then said to Xiao Bai, "Come and give me a hand. We'll bring it in together."

The Fire Phoenix continued to struggle. "Don't touch my feathers! It's messed up!"

Li Nianfan felt awkward as he explained, "Your feathers are too soft. Don't blame me for that!"

The Fire Phoenix was big but it was not heavy. Li Nianfan had already brought it inside and settled it down in the yard before he realized Daji was standing there.

She took a look at the Fire Phoenix and said, "Mr. Li, are you going to eat it?"

Instantly, the Fire Phoenix who was crying out stopped crying.

Li Nianfan was shocked, too. He said hastily, "Don't say that. The bird's our friend. We can't treat it like food!"

No way. This was such a beautiful bird, women would be drawn to it by instinct. Yet Daji's first reaction was to eat it? Perhaps he had turned her into a food lover?

He walked over to Daji and said in a low voice, "Daji, it's rare for us to come across a flying demon. It happens to be hurt. You need to get close to it and hopefully develop a good relationship with it. Who knows, it might even allow us to ride it!"

Daji's face changed. She sounded as if she was being treated unfairly. "You want to ride her?"

Li Nianfan did not notice the change on Daji's face. He nodded, "Yeah, we're all ordinary people. If we could fly in the sky, we could see more of the outside world. How nice would that be!"

Daji's eyelids lowered as she said in a soft voice, "I'll listen to Mr. Li."

Meanwhile, the Fire Phoenix was looking at its surroundings.

It first looked at the lightning rod. The sight of the lightning striking it was still flashing in its head.

'So, this rod saved me? It looks ordinary and it doesn't even contain any Spiritual Qi. How unbelievable!

'There are quite a few treasures in the yard, but most of them have been transformed after being exposed to the high amount of Insights. If not, they wouldn't even be as good as Immortal Items.

'However...the rooms in the house and the backyard definitely contain something terrifying!

'Oh, and a small Firefinch Demon. It has a slight hint of the phoenix bloodline in it, so it can almost be considered an Immortal Beast!'

Since the Fire Phoenix entered the house, the Firefinch had been trembling in a corner.

That was the Godly Fire Phoenix! The Queen of all birds!

And it was being carried into the four-part architecture? Did that mean it would be living with the Fire Phoenix under the same roof?

Wow! So nervous! So excited! So uneasy!

When the Fire Phoenix looked at it, the Firefinch Demon trembled and instinctively laid three eggs in a row.

Beside it was five eggs waiting for Li Nianfan to harvest.

The Fire Phoenix looked away. It could not bear the sight of it.

Meanwhile, Li Nianfan walked over with the medical box.

The bird was so badly hurt. What a shocking sight! It needed to be treated right away.

"Alright, I'm going to treat you. Don't move, okay?" Li Nianfan took out a small scalpel and measured the wound. He was about to start the operation.

"The area around your wound has been burnt. I'll have to remove the dead skin. It'll be slightly painful but you'll have to endure it."

The Fire Phoenix merely turned its head away. It did not speak.

Wow, what an arrogant bird!

Li Nianfan smiled. He straightened his expression, looking focused. He raised his hand and sliced into the flesh surrounding the wound.

Following his movements, the originally unperturbed Fire Phoenix was instantly shocked. Its eyes widened in surprise.

This, this...

It could not help lowering its head to look at its wound.

There was indeed no use of Spiritual Qi. Even the scalpel did not possess any special Qi. Why...

The scariest thing about the Natural Tribulation was its Law of Destruction. Especially the tribulation it faced moments ago. Even if it was just a hint, even if it was not a direct hit, once the Law of Destruction entered one's body, it would cause death!

This was the Law of the world, the authority of the Law!

The Fire Phoenix had too much Law of Destruction built up in its body. If it did not have a way to remove them, it would need to be reborn at some point. However...

As Li Nianfan made a cut, all traces of the Law of Destruction in its body was removed!

This was too scary! The Law was nothing in front of this man!

More importantly, the man and the scalpel seemed so ordinary!

The most powerful Dao brought one back to its basic form!

This expert was so terrifying!

Countless thoughts went through its head. 'This must be the expert in the ordinary realm without a doubt! They say he has a fetish for pretending to be an ordinary man and it looks like it's true! However, it's not exactly a fetish because even though he has the shell of an ordinary man, he's still standing at the peak of the world! Perhaps becoming an ordinary man is no longer meaningful to him!

'However, if the bigshot wants to pretend to be an ordinary man, everyone else can only play along with him. Only an idiot who doesn't want to live anymore would expose him.

'Especially...what the Nine-Tailed Fox said earlier. So scary! I won't even try. If I was turned into a dish, I won't even be able to cry!'

The Fire Phoenix could not help looking at Daji. Then, it realized that Daji was already staring at it.

The two of them exchanged an unfriendly look.

Smelly fox!

Dead phoenix!

'It seems that this fox is unfriendly. It must feel threatened by me taking away its master's attention!

'Ha-ha, want to eat me?'

The Fire Phoenix rested its head on Li Nianfan's shoulder. "Argh, so painful! Gentler!"

Li Nianfan said, "Hold it, I'll speed up. It'll be over soon."

The Fire Phoenix looked at Daji, challenging her.

'Angry? Are you angry at me?'

It was not until the sky had turned brighter when Li Nianfan finally finished cleaning the wound. Li Nianfan let out a long sigh and said, "I'll apply some medicine and wrap a bandage over it to wait for new flesh to grow."

He did have quite a lot of medicine at home, all made by him during his free time in case of emergencies. 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The Fire Phoenix said, "Thank you."

It could clearly feel its body getting better. It was a miracle!

"Ha-ha-ha, no problem." LI Nianfan was delighted. This was a good start.

Swiftly after, he asked with curiosity, "Oh, right. How did you get hurt?"

The Fire Phoenix told him the truth. "I came from the Immortal Land and helped thirty-eight cultivators Immortalize. So, I was punished."

Came down from the Immortal Land?

Helped cultivators Immortalize?

Li Nianfan almost did not believe what he just heard. He looked at the Fire Phoenix blankly as his head exploded.

This, this, this...

Bigshot!

He said in shock, "And you... What kind of bird are you?"

The Fire Phoenix raised its head arrogantly. "I'm a Divine Bird, the Fire Phoenix!"

Li Nianfan gasped, his heart thumping rapidly.

Fire Phoenix?

He saved a phoenix?

Wait, he did not save it, so he could only say he bumped into a phoenix.

This was the legendary phoenix. Did it even need any help?

What he did to the phoenix almost seemed ridiculous now. It was probably silly and useless!

Luckily, what he did probably earned himself a good impression.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became!

Damn it! A phoenix fell from the sky! When would the Seven Fairies fall for him?

He even touched the phoenix! He played with its feathers!

This would be unimaginable in his past realm! It was like a dream!

Although he knew he would face many unbelievable things after transgressing to the Immortal Realm, he did not expect to come across a bigshot like this phoenix! Could he possibly come across the legendary dragon at some point?

The thought of it really excited him!

He even operated on a phoenix! What a miraculous life!

Oh, right! The phoenix's blood!

Li Nianfan shivered. The novels in his past realm stated that the blood of the phoenix was the most precious thing! It even claimed to have the benefit of retaining one's youth! He had a bowl of its blood!

He hugged the bowl of blood in his arms and tried to ask in a calm voice, "Oh, right. You're a Divine Bird. Does your blood have any benefit?"

"Of course," the Fire Phoenix said arrogantly. "My blood can keep you alive for a thousand years and retain your youth!"

Li Nianfan's face flushed red as his hands that were hugging the bowl trembled. He pulled Daji and ran into his room.

'This is so cool! I got lucky!

'It's a phoenix! Obviously, I won't be able to ride it but I did gain something massive!

'As expected, meeting a bigshot is so cool! A little something from the bigshot is a massive opportunity for ordinary men like myself!'

The Fire Phoenix looked rather stunned. It looked at Li Nianfan who was running into his room while cradling a bowl of its blood as if he was holding onto treasure.

He was so good at pretending?

An expert was indeed an expert, even his acting skills were so good!

It could not help looking at Blackie who was resting by the side.

Blackie yawned and shrugged. "Can't help it. That's my master. He's too caught up in pretending to be an ordinary man that he can't get out of it. Just do your best to play along."

Chapter 224

The phoenix jumped and looked at Blackie strangely. "You're a demon, too?"

'How did I miss that?'

"No, I'm a dog." Blackie shook its head. "I need to make an introduction to you. Listen carefully and make notes. Study it from time to time. It's very important.

"I'm an ordinary black dog, and the Nine-Tailed Fox is an ordinary woman. That's just a chicken who lays eggs, and the things beside you are the refrigerator and the rockery. The thing in the water is the compressor. The two balls there are the television and the lighter..."

The Fire Phoenix listened and rolled its eyes. What organization was it about to join?

It was trembling inside, but it still listened closely.

It did not have a choice. If it wanted to survive, it had to play along with the expert.

Inside the room.

Li Nianfan hugged the small bowl in his hands. He was very excited.

This was the blood of a phoenix!

He would be able to live for a thousand years while retaining his youth forever!

This must be the opportunity everyone dreamt of!

Li Nianfan felt that this was the biggest blessing he had ever gained since his trip to this Immortal Realm.

He looked at Daji with excitement and said, "Daji, this is the blood of the phoenix. It'll retain our youth for a thousand years! Let's drink it. Our lives will be sorted after this!"

"Really?" Daji looked surprised. "Then, let's drink it right away, Mr. Li."

"Hmm! We'll drink it together!" Li Nianfan nodded.

Daji was so beautiful. The thought of her retaining her beauty and accompanying him for a thousand years made him feel extremely fulfilled.

He hugged the bowl and suddenly looked perplexed.

Oh no! He seemed to have forgotten the way to consume it.

Was he supposed to drink it raw or boil it first? If he boiled it, would the nutrients remain? Would it become less effective?

Also, how much did he have to drink for it to work?

Running back to ask how to drink it did not seem right either. Would he say 'How should we drink your blood'? He might as well ask to be killed!

It was a phoenix that was not to be angered!

Whatever...

Li Nianfan made up his mind. He would drink it raw!

"Daji, I'll taste it for you." He held onto the bowl and gulped down a mouthful of blood. It must have worked.

Hmm, it did not taste bloody. Instead, it tasted quite well—it was sweet!

Li Nianfan handed the bowl to Daji. "You try it."

Daji held onto the bowl and took a sip. She wiped away some blood that was on the corner of her lips. "Oh, Mr. Li, can I have the remaining?"

Li Nianfan looked at her strangely. "You want it?"

"Hmm, I'd like to give it to my sister." Daji nodded.

"Your sister..." Li Nianfan recalled. "The Six-Tailed Fox from the other day?"

Daji said, "Yeah, the last time I saw it, it already had eight tails. This phoenix blood might be able to help it."

Li Nianfan was surprised. "The little fox already has its eighth tail?"

So, foxes could grow more tails?

So, if it grew another tail, it would become a Nine-Tailed Fox?

Gasp...

There was such a bigshot hidden by his side?

Without hesitation, he said, "Give it! Give it everything! Don't give up on your sister!"

Li Nianfan did not know exactly how powerful the Nine-Tailed Fox was in the Immortal Realm, but he had heard a lot of legends about it. Becoming friends with it would be the right thing to do!

Suddenly, he realized he was not doing so badly in the Immortal Realm!

He met Zhou Yunwu, an ordinary man who had the duty to rule all the ordinary men! The Emperor was his brother!

He also knew quite a few cultivating bigshots. He was doing well.

He had met a Nine-Tail Fox and now, he met a phoenix!

Furthermore, he could now live for a thousand years!

Everything turned out well!

As expected, meeting bigshots was the key to survival!

It seemed that he had to work harder in the future to meet more bigshots. With that, his thousand years would be very comfortable.

When he walked out of the room, Xiao Bai had already prepared some breakfast dishes and served them on the dining table.

"My dearest master, please, enjoy." 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Li Nianfan nodded. He looked at the breakfast dishes and frowned.

They were the usual—sweet potato porridge, steamed buns, and a few side dishes.

Li Nianfan was not a fussy man. These would usually be enough but...life was different now!

He had a phoenix bigshot by his side!

If it watched him eat, it did not seem right. If the meal was too simple, it did not seem right either!

If he could please this bigshot and make it stay, he would have no fear in this realm!

Li Nianfan's brain was working at the quickest speed. If he ran toward the phoenix and pleased it, it might not work. It might even work against him. He had to lick its boots smartly.

The best trick would be food!

The first meal was the key!

"Xiao Bai, this meal is too simple." Li Nianfan stole a glimpse at the bigshot phoenix. He said with a serious tone, "Our meals must be the best of the best. A simple meal is out of our style."

As he spoke, he picked up the dishes and walked out to the yard to pour them all into the forest.

He wanted to make a more hearty meal to attract the bigshot phoenix's stomach!

In the forest, a few figures walked out gradually.

They were a few demons.

They were put on duty to help the expert solve some potential troubles. This was to prevent ignorant beings from affecting the expert's mood.

This was a very good job. From time to time, he would throw out some leftovers or fruit peels. These were worldly treasures to the demons here.

A Goat Demon's eyes lit up. It cried out excitedly, "That's the expert's food! The expert poured out his food!"

"Am I mistaken? There's so much food left?"

"Boar Demon King ate a cabbage from the expert and instantly had a breakthrough. This is a whole pot of porridge!"

Gasp...

Instantly, the demons trembled with excitement. They all rushed toward the food.

Gulp! Gulp!

"Argh! So yummy! So delicious!"

"There's such delicious food in the world. I can't hold it in anymore. Waaa..."

"I got so lucky! I got so lucky today!"

Gulp! Gulp!

"Big opportunity! Big chance! I feel like I'm flying!"

Meanwhile, the Boar Demon came back with a few other demons to patrol the area. When they saw this, their faces changed and their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"That... That's...a whole meal?!"

Swash!

Without hesitation, they all rushed toward it.

It growled, "What's going on? Why didn't you inform me about it?"

"Get out of the way! Let me have some!"

"Why are you pushing me! I'm your boss! Get up! Make space for me!"

"I saw this cabbage first! What are you doing? Do you still want to live?"

Gulp! Gulp...

Chapter 225

Li Nianfan went back to the four-part architecture and took out the frozen wild boar.

The wild boar's body was big. Its two big trotters were already eaten. This time, Li Nianfan was eyeing its ribs.

This was a boar in the Immortal Realm and it was a demon! It grew up in the wild with fresh air and green surroundings. Its meat was tough with low cholesterol levels and high nutrition. It had no external hormones and no remaining viruses. Overall, it was very healthy.

Li Nianfan smiled. "Today, I'll personally prepare some Honey Grilled Pork Chop."

The honey roasted chicken he planned to make the other day did not succeed, so the honey was not put to use. This time, he had to use it.

"Xiao Bai, you'll do the preparations. I'll get some honey from the backyard."

As he spoke, Li Nianfan had started walking to the backyard.

"Alright, my master." Xiao Bai nodded and walked over with the cutting knife, ready to cut open the wild boar.

The Fire Phoenix stared at Li Nianfan for a moment and said, "I want to look around."

It sensed that the backyard was extraordinary, so it was curious.

Li Nianfan instantly agreed. "Of course!"

Click!

After opening the backyard door, Li Nianfan walked inside. 𝒍𝓲𝓫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝙤𝒎

The doorway was narrow, so the Fire Phoenix did not walk in from the door. Instead, it flew in from the roof.

Upon entering the backyard, the Fire Phoenix jumped, shocked by the Insights in there.

The Insights were so thick. This...could only be so if a Saint was frequently enlightening in here.

It flapped its wings and landed on a tree to take in the sight of the entire backyard.

Suddenly, its inner heart was touched. A sense of familiarity aroused from within.

Swiftly after, a flashback of long-forgotten memories appeared in the deep end of its mind.

These memories came from the...ancient times!

Phoenixes had nature's gift of rebirth. Hence, it was able to live until this day. In its past incarnation, it had suffered great trauma. Thus, it had to be reborn. However, after that, many of its memories were missing.

"Spiritual Roots? The backyard is full of Spiritual Roots?" It jumped and almost screamed!

Those were Spiritual Roots! They were extinct in the Immortal Land as Spiritual Roots were not able to sprout anymore!

It could not help flying closer into the backyard. It closed its eyes to feel them.

"Have I...gone back to the ancient times?"

Unknowingly, warmth aroused from within it. It felt like it was a child who had finally returned to the comforts of their home after being away for a long time. Its eyes were moist.

The Insights in the yard could no longer be called Insights anymore as it had all been mixed with the air in fragments!

The extremely thick Immortal Qi! A yard full of Spiritual Roots!

Was this not how it was back in ancient times?

Back then, the world was full of powerful beings with powerful Qi everywhere! How prosperous!

"I never expected I'd ever see the past world again!" the Fire Phoenix mumbled to itself. It could not help looking at Li Nianfan as it speculated, "He must've existed since the ancient times. He must've seen everything and finally decided to turn this place into a replica of the ancient times from his memory, so he could live in the shell of an ordinary man and live an ordinary life."

Li Nianfan was walking toward the pond when he called out, "Old tortoise, come here."

Splash!

The pond water rose, and a gigantic old tortoise gradually crawled out from the water. It went over to Li Nianfan languidly.

Li Nianfan did not mind it. He climbed onto the back of the tortoise and raised his hand to knock on the beehive of the Golden Bees that was hanging on a nearby tree.

He easily collected the honey.

Countless Golden Bees surrounded him, calling out to him with a loud buzz!

"Basalt, Golden Bees, you're all here!" The Fire Phoenix's eyes looked at them with friendliness. Its mouth could not help turning into a smile. Its eyes went back to the water. "And that annoying breath, dragon?"

It then fixed its gaze on the tree by the pond. That was the source of the Immortal Qi!

Its body jumped instantly as its eyes sparkled.

It said without thinking, "Chaos Spiritual Root!?"

It could produce Immortal Qi. Even the water in the pond had turned into Spiritual Water. It must be the Chaos Spiritual Root without a doubt!

Although it was still a small sprout, its effect was already so shocking! Once it matured, it would be majestic!

The Fire Phoenix searched its memories of this sprout. Finally, it took a deep breath and gradually spat out four words, "Tree of Sacred Ground!"

"Done!" Li Nianfan's voice was heard. "Fire Phoenix, wait up. The delicious meal won't let you down."

The Fire Phoenix hesitated for a second. It then turned away, stretched out its wings arrogantly, and flew back into the four-part architecture.

Since this expert was pretending to be an ordinary man, it had to play along with him.

Even though it wanted to lick his boots right away, the expert set its character as a phoenix instead of a chicken, so it would not seem right to bootlick him. It had to wait for the right time.

'The expert's so good at giving me difficult tests. Although I can't lay eggs, didn't you want to ride me? Come on! I don't mind, be it rough or quick!'

Back in the four-part architecture, Xiao Bai had prepared the pork ribs. The ribs were complete and not cut open. The condiments needed for the dish were already placed by the side. The grill had been set up as well.

Li Nianfan placed the honey by the side. He mashed the apple with some ginger, mixed them with some soy sauce, cooking wine, spice powder, sugar, salt, chili powder, and a few other ingredients to make the sauce.

Following that, he made the lighter control the fire, keeping the flame small to simmer the food. He watched the liquid slowly thicken before taking it off the flame to cool. He then poured in the honey and mixed it, creating a special sauce.

Following that, Li Nianfan dunked the pork ribs into the pot of boiling water to remove its bloody scent while loosening up its muscles.

Once everything was prepared, he placed the pork ribs on the grill and used a brush to slather some sauce on the ribs.

The Phoenix looked at him curiously from the side.

It was not exactly looking forward to the so-called delicious meal. As a phoenix, eating was unnecessary. Even if it had to eat, it would eat the most precious things in the world.

It could tell right away that this was merely a Wild Boar Demon in its Combination realm. Small demons were like junk, and eating this little demon would hurt the phoenix's dignity.

If it had a choice, it would rather eat the apple or the honey right away.

If this boar knew that its body was being coated with the honey of the Golden Bees, it would probably wake up smiling.

"Whatever. I'll just pretend that it's very delicious so I can stay here officially." The Fire Phoenix made up its mind.

It started to imagine what looks of satisfaction it could use to avoid being exposed.

Li Nianfan saw the unperturbed look on the Fire Phoenix's face. Instantly, he put in way more effort.

He was merely an ordinary man. He did not have anything to offer, especially things that could impress the phoenix!

He could only come up with this plan. These Honey Roasted Pork Ribs would determine whether the phoenix remained or not!

Chapter 226

Chi! Chi! Chi!

As the flame burned the meat, a crackling sound was heard. The sauce blended in with the meat gradually.

Li Nianfan slathered more sauce on it again again.

He then repeated this process six more times!

After that, he smashed another apple. The big bowl of honey was already half-empty.

The Fire Phoenix shook its head. What a pity. So much honey was brushed on the boar's meat. More importantly, most of the honey was wasted because of the grilling! This was the perfect definition of waste!

Even to a phoenix, it felt pitiful. The others, even the Immortals, would instantly have a heart attack.

After being brushed with so much honey, the meat seemed like it was glowing, almost as if it was coated by a layer of gold.

Sizz! Sizz! Sizz!

Not long after, golden globules of fat started oozing out, dripping down the ribs and into the flames burning beneath the grill. 𝓵𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝓪𝓭.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Swiftly after, a thick fragrance wafted into the air, filling the entire yard.

With one gentle sniff, the aroma washed over them like a flood, taking over one's senses and making their brains unable to think or do anything.

The only thing one could do was to savor this fragrance.

"Smells so good!"

The Fire Phoenix shivered and was instantly snapped back to reality. It stared at the roasted meat.

What kind of fragrance was this?

It had tasted many treasures in the world and felt that only the Spiritual Herbs and Fruits had fragrance, perhaps even the Immortal Qi or Water.

The ordinary men's so-called fragrance did not exist in its dictionary! So low!

However, in this instance, it had to admit that this fragrance deeply captivated it. Its desire to taste it was way beyond that of the Spiritual Herbs or Fruits.

Was this the food of the...ordinary realm?

What about this fragrance?

'What's this sensation in my stomach? Once the fragrance entered my stomach, it seemed to have solidified and rolled around in my stomach. It's making a gulping sound.'

What power was this? So mysterious! So unbelievable!

Since its birth, this was the first time the Fire Phoenix felt hunger from smelling food.

Gulp!

It could not help swallowing mouthfuls of saliva. It found it hard to look away from the grill. All it could think of was, 'I want to eat it!'

The Firefinch Demon that had been curled up in the corner had gone insane! As if it was sleepwalking it was flying toward the aromatic smoke in the air.

Sizz! Sizz! Sizz!

As time passed, more fats oozed out from the meat, making a loud sizzling sound as they fell like raindrops.

However, this sound worked along with the fragrance to increase one's appetite.

The Fire Phoenix was usually arrogant, especially when facing food that was below its standards.

However, though it had used its entire will to resist, it still could not help inching its head forward.

The fragrance! The fragrance!

Finally, the Fire Phoenix could not hold it anymore. It asked, "How long do we have to wait?"

This fragrance was definitely the biggest temptation it had faced in its entire life. It lured out its basic desire. How terrifying!

The phoenix would not exchange anything for one piece of this meat! If not, it would regret it for the rest of its life!

Li Nianfan had been paying close attention to the Fire Phoenix. He was feeling good inside out.

It seemed that his food-tactic was working!

The most delicious food in the world belonged here. If it had cravings, it could only come here!

It was indeed easier for a versatile man to survive in all realms.

Li Nianfan smiled."It's ready."

Instantly, the eyes of Daji, the Fire Phoenix, and the Firefinch Demon sparkled. Blackie also stood up and walked toward them.

Li Nianfan made a gesture with the knife in his hands, causing it to sparkle. The ribs were cut into a few rows. He handed them out to them.

The Fire Phoenix could not help staring at the meat in front of its eyes. A faint layer of golden yellow oil covered the surface of the meat. The fats were mixed with the honey, and the crispy roasted skin was a yellowish-black. The meat looked as if it was waving at its eaters and saying, "Hurry up, come and bite me!"

A wave of fragrance rushed into its nose. The Fire Phoenix could not hold it in anymore. It lowered its head and used its beak to grab a piece of meat.

Gulp!

No biting. It swallowed the meat right away.

Even so, the flavors still burst in its mouth. A sense of fulfillment came from its stomach, as if its emptiness had been filled up.

The Fire Phoenix had a glint of dissatisfaction in its eyes. It retracted its wings and turned into the form of a human. Her elegant fingers wrapped around the rib as she ate it without caring about her image any longer.

Bite!

As the crispy skin touched her teeth, a crisp sound rang in the air. The honey sweetly blended with the spices and the taste of the pork rib. Its texture was something she had never encountered before, along with the fragrance that almost overwhelmed her taste buds. It made the Fire Phoenix close her eyes unconsciously as a low moan escaped from her throat. "Argh! Nice!"

Li Nianfan was shocked. He stared blankly at the woman who was eating rapidly beside him. "You can turn into a human?"

"Isn't that the most basic ability?" The Fire Phoenix no longer cared about what Li Nianfan thought. All she could think of was the pork rib.

She had been thinking of how to perform her act. Now, she realized how foolish it was. No acting was needed in front of food as delicious as this. Being honest was the best performance ever.

Was this the happiness of an expert? So envious!

Crack, crack, crack!

Somehow, the crispy sound made Li Nianfan's scalp itchy.

To be fair, the woman that the Fire Phoenix transformed into was very beautiful. Extremely beautiful! If Daji was gentle and pure, the Fire Phoenix was hot and unique.

However, when a beautiful lady like her was using her small lips to munch on the big rib as if it was nothing, it was a visual attack! So scary!

This was a big rib! Very big, long, and hard! Yet, she easily cracked it with her teeth, biting the meat along its bone!

Gasp...

What a scary small mouth!

Li Nianfan could not help shivering. So wild! No wonder it was a phoenix! It had a strong mouth and teeth!

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Beneath the table, Blackie called out in injustice!

'What do you mean?'

'Although I'm supposed to be an ordinary dog, you're obviously stealing my bone! Do you want me to unfriend you!'

...

At the same time in the Azure Ville.

Gu Changqing flew out from the Azure Ville looking serious. He landed on an empty mountain with a glowing ancestry stone in his hands.

He asked, "Grandpa, the view's nice and there's nobody around. It'll be good to reside here. I'll light up two incense sticks for you. What do you think?"

"Okay, here's good," Gu Yuan's voice rang. "Set the stone down and summon me, the way you usually do."

"Okay," Gu Changqing nodded. He took a deep breath and spat a mouthful of blood on the stone.

Vroom!

Suddenly, the stone started to vibrate, creating ripples in the air.

All the disciples of the Azure Ville had gathered here. Payne and Gu Yuan stood within the formation.

Payne had five Firefinch Demons tied around his waist who were looking helpless.

Gu Yuan's face changed as he said, "Sect Master, my Grandson has already opened up the portal."

Payne nodded and said, "Thank you, everyone. Turn on the Delivery Array, send us to the Immortal Realm!"

With that, he cast a spell. Instantly, the formation below his feet lit up.

Unlimited Spiritual Qi started to accumulate and a gust of strange energy started to gather within the formation.

The Big Elder raised his hands to push the Spiritual Qi into the formation. "Start now. We'll work together to help our Sect Master!"

Instantly, many disciples joined hands. Countless Spiritual Lights flashed in the air and rushed toward the formation.

The Spiritual Qi had turned into wind blades that were so powerful they seemed to be able to cut through everything.

It did not take long for the Spiritual Qi windstorm to turn into a tornado storm.

Clash!

The empty space in front of them seemed to be cut open. It looked like a crack in a mirror.

Payne's face darkened. He said, "Be ready, we're crossing the realm!"

In the Immortal Realm.

Layers of dark clouds started to gather in the sky. A phantom gradually appeared in the middle of the clouds. There was also a golden gate.

Sacred, majestic air exuded out from the gate.

Gu Changqing's face darkened as he was familiar with this sight. He mumbled, "Heavenly Gate."

As time passed, the phantom of the Heavenly Gate became clearer. Finally, the ringing of the clock resonated in the air.

A golden ray of light shined down.

The Heavenly Gate was opened!

Two figures appeared below the Heavenly Gate.

Payne glanced around at his surroundings. He could not help making a remark, "It's been more than ten thousand years. I don't remember this place anymore. Who'd have thought I'd be back again!"

Vroom!

The dark clouds in the sky had thickened. There were sounds of thunder shaking the world.

Payne quickly took off the five Firefinch Demons around his waist. He handed it to Gu Changqing with a serious face and said, "You have to keep the five chickens well. These are the specialties from home I brought for the expert. I'm going to Cross Tribulate, I'll be right back."

With that, he and Gu Yuan went away on a cloud.

Somehow, the night had fallen. The four-part architecture was engulfed by the darkness.

Li Nianfan was lying in bed. He was unable to calm down for a long time. He was excited.

The Fire Phoenix was actually going to stay here! Perhaps it did not have a place to live after coming down to this realm, or perhaps it really liked the food that he made. Whatever the reason was, it was a good sign that the phoenix stayed!

It was an Ancient Beast and it could even transform into an extremely beautiful woman! The thought of living with her under the same roof was so exciting!

The phoenix moved in and he gained a thousand years of lifespan!

What happened today was like a dream. In a blur, Li Nianfan gradually fell asleep. That night, he slept tight...

Chapter 227

Click.

Under the night sky, a bedroom door was pushed open.

Daji put on a simple nightgown and walked out of the room. The gentle breeze blew her long hair as she exuded a faint glow. Even darkness did not dare to get close to her.

Outside the four-part architecture, a small fox was leaning languidly on a tree branch. Its ears were perked up as it stared at the gate, waiting in boredom.

A Wild Boar Demon and Black Bear Demon were standing beneath the tree. Their bodies were rigid as they were the bodyguards on duty.

By the side, the Green Python Demon's body was rigid well. It stretched from the ground up to the little fox, functioning as its ladder.

The Wild Bear Demon rubbed its hands and said with an anxious and uneasy tone, "Lord, could you speak to your sister at some point? Perhaps she could speak to the expert and get us a small role by his side?"

The Black Bear Demon's eyes sparkled as it said, "Brother, you should be grateful. At least you got to show your face to the expert the other day. You even helped him with something. I'm still doing underground tasks for him. It's so cruel!"

The Green Python Demon said with a look of anticipation, "If only we could hang around the expert's side. I'd be grateful to have a meal from time to time."

The little fox said helplessly, "I haven't even been able to officially tag along with the expert myself."

Suddenly, it looked up and the languidness disappeared from its eyes. It cried out excitedly, "Sister!"

With that, it jumped on the Green Python Demon's head, using it as a ladder to set her down on the ground.

The Wild Boar Demon and the rest jumped as they called out with respect, "De...Demon King!"

"I didn't ask you to become the Demon King to enjoy life. Now, you're too lazy to even walk?"

Daji was not in a good mood today. Her delicate hand raised the little fox's tails and frowned. "It's been so long. Why are there only eight tails?"

The little fox said, sounding wronged and terrified, "Soon, Sister! The trace of the ninth tail is showing."

Daji sighed slightly. "Look at you, you're too lazy! Once you become a Nine-Tailed Fox, you'll become an official Demon King. Then, my master wouldn't need a phoenix as a pet!"

Now that the road between the two realms had been connected, things were changing in the world. Her master probably did not want to cause additional trouble, so he recruited a phoenix to function as the most powerful existence in his yard.

If the little fox could become a Nine-Tailed Fox sooner, it could replace the phoenix! 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇ℯ𝑎𝒹.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Sigh, the stupid phoenix got lucky!

'Phoe...phoenix!?"

The simple word struck like lightning, resonating in the ears of the three demons. Their bodies stiffened and they became three sculptures.

They even thought about tagging along with the expert. So, only a bigshot like a phoenix had the right to tag along with him?

They thought too much, they thought too much!

Daji glared at the three demons as she scoffed coldly, "Do I sense dissatisfaction?"

"No, absolutely not!" The Wild Boar Demon jumped, trembling all over as it half-cried out, "Actually, we're just looking for a part-time job. We'd be very happy if we could just get a part-time job!"

The Green Python Demon and Black Bear Demon were so terrified, they were nodding wildly.

Daji did not care about them. She took out the bowl and handed it to the little fox. "This bowl contains phoenix blood. Drink it. I'll help you break through your ninth tail tonight!"

"Phoenix blood?" The little fox was stunned.

This was phoenix blood, a priceless treasure to all demons.

This kind of ancient bloodline could improve a demon's bloodline. It was equivalent to improving the demon's potential without limits.

The other three demons had red eyes. They were sniffing wildly as if a sniff of the phoenix blood would fulfill their lives.

Daji carried the little fox and jumped into the forest. She pestered, "Drink it now, I'll make you a formation."

"Oh..."

The little fox hugged the bowl that was almost as big as its body, gulping down the liquid.

There was not much blood in the bowl, but as the little fox drank, its little tummy increased in size like a ball.

Bam!

It tossed the bowl aside and scratched on its full tummy with its paws. It had a pained look on its face. Its snow-white fur had turned red.

Daji said, "Feel this energy and use it to awaken your bloodline!"

"Argh..." The little fox could not take it anymore. It laid on the ground. "Sister, I'm scared."

Squeak!

By the side, a burst of mocking laughter was heard. The Fire Phoenix was perched on a tree branch nearby. It was looking at the little fox with intrigue.

It said with a mocking smile, "Oh, so there's a little fox. Little fox, what does my blood taste like?"

Daji looked at the Fire Phoenix and made a jeering scoff.

The Fire Phoenix smiled faintly. "Your little sister's quite special. This won't work. Shall I use my flames to excite her?"

"No need!" Daji shook her head. She carried the little fox in her hands and walked away arrogantly.

Swiftly after, the little fox's panting voice was heard vaguely, "Waa...sister. I can't take it anymore... I can't..."

A moment later, Daji walked back with a dark face. She was embarrassed. She tossed the little fox to the Fire Phoenix and said, "You do it!"

The Fire Phoenix moisturized her lips. She reached out as flaming red rings were glowing on her palms.

It looked at the little fox sadistically, "Little fox, bear the pain. It might hurt more in the beginning and it might bleed slightly. Trust me, you'll feel good after."

"Waa...don't come near me. Sister, save me!"

...

Time slipped past silently like flowing water.

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Three rays of light landed on the foot of the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

There were three elders. One of them had five chickens tied around his waist. He looked rather ridiculous.

Gu Changqing said with a polite tone, "The expert lives on this mountain."

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Payne adjusted his belt. His eyes were filled with sincerity and respect as he said in awe, "This mountain is not too tall and not too steep. It seems ordinary but it's in fact greener than the others. It has strange flowers and plants, and flowing streams. Especially its name, the Fallen Immortal Mountain, which represents the saying of how the height of a mountain is irrelevant as long as an Immortal lives on it. The expert picked this location with careful consideration. He's indeed an expert!"

Gu Changqing looked at Payne in shock. He looked inspired as he looked at Payne with an admiring look.

However, Gu Yuan was rather embarrassed. He said softly, "Sect Master, the expert isn't here. He can't hear what you say!"

"Nonsense!" Payne scoffed. He scolded Gu Yuan loudly, "I said every word with sincerity. Why would I say it for the expert to hear? Your thinking is too shallow! You can't keep thinking this way! And how do you know that the expert can't hear me?"

Gu Yuan no longer wanted to talk.

The three of them walked up the hill slowly. The path was narrow and zigzagged. It looked ordinary.

The three of them walked on the path anxiously. Even though the path was ordinary, they found it more difficult than climbing a tall mountain.

When facing a bigshot like him, the more ordinary things seemed, the more pressure one felt!

"Oh, right. Grandpa, Sect Master, I haven't been able to tell you the big news that happened when the two of you were recovering from the Natural Tribulation," Gu Changqing said suddenly. He had a hint of fear in his tone.

Gu Yuan asked curiously, "What is it?"

Gu Changqing said seriously, "Before the two of you came, a female Immortal came down from the Immortal Land."

"What?" Payne's face sunk. "Who is she?"

"I don't know, but this woman's easy to recognize. She has red hair and red eyes, and she was also dressed in a red dress. After coming to the Immortal Realm, she even helped thirty-eight cultivators Immortalize!" Gu Changqing's tone was extremely complicated.

The 38 cultivators got so lucky!

When their lifespans almost came to the end, the road between here and the Immortal Land was reopened. And when they were about to Immortalize, a process that could possibly kill them, they bumped into a bigshot who helped them Immortalize!

They were the luckiest!

Red hair and red eyes?

Gasp...

Gu Yuan and Payne gasped at the same time. Their scalps were itching. They looked shocked.

"It must be her!" Payne gulped. "She actually came down? Could she be looking for the expert?"

Gu Yuan asked hastily, "And then?"

"And then her Natural Tribulation happened..." Gu Changqing's pupils were slightly dilated. His voice trembled as he said in fear, "The Natural Tribulation was extremely scary! The lightning was red! Even a tiny hint of its current made me go so numb that I couldn't even move!"

"That wasn't the Natural Tribulation, that was the Natural Punishment!" Payne said as he looked up at the sky in terror. His face was tense as if the sky was extremely terrifying.

He took a deep breath and said with a soft, trembling voice, "That was the fifth most powerful and destructive Natural Tribulation!"

Gasp...

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan's hearts thumped loudly. It sounded very terrifying!

Payne said with a heavy voice, "This type of Natural Tribulation is extremely scary, even back in ancient times. I've only read about it from an ancient script. Back then, whenever a tribulation like this happened, it was very unlikely for one to be able to survive it!"

And that was back in ancient times where all the bigshots existed! Even they described the Natural Tribulation so cruelly. Who would be able to survive it now?

Gu Changqing could not help saying, "What you mean is that, the woman..."

"It's very likely that she died." Payne shook his head and sighed. "She's actually a phoenix. To be fair, she indirectly saved our lives. How unfortunate..."

Gu Yuan said with a heavy voice, "Heaven is heartless!"

Payne continued, "She challenged Heaven! You have to admit that the phoenix bloodline is a riskier and more daring family in the Immortal Land."

Gu Yuan sighed. "Power makes one feel numb!"

As they spoke, some mist appeared amongst the green trees ahead. With a closer look, the four-part architecture appeared vaguely in sight.

The three of them jumped.

They had...arrived at the expert's residence!

Chapter 228

"We're here?" Payne gulped. He was nervous.

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan had at least seen this place before, so they could handle it better. However, Payne had only heard of the expert through stories. He felt like an ordinary man that was about to visit an Immortal. Nerve-wracking!

Gu Changqing reminded him by the side, "Sect Master, Grandpa, remember to stay calm when meeting the expert. The mentality has to be right!"

Payne nodded. He felt his throat tighten as he removed the five Firefinch Demons from his waist. He said in a low voice, "Knock the door."

The five Firefinch Demons were confused. Their arrogance had vanished completely. They were all anxious.

Judging by the atmosphere, could there be some shocking bigshot in this ordinary realm?

Their buttocks tightened and shrunk.

In the face of unknown danger, they had been training their buttocks. No one would be stupid enough to train their meat.

They wondered if all their training could be put to use? Would the expert be pleased?

This bunch of elders was so mean! They did not even tell them what was happening!

Meanwhile, Gu Changqing had already walked up to the door. He raised his hand cautiously and knocked three times.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Instantly, the three of them held their breaths, as if waiting for some kind of judgment.

A voice rang from the inside of the four-part architecture.

"Xiao Bai, guests are here. Open the door."

Swiftly after, the walking sound of Xiao Bai was heard.

Click!

Xiao Bai opened the door and looked out to glance at the three people standing there before saying, "Welcome!"

Gu Changqing said hastily, "Xiao Bai, how do you do!"

Swiftly after, the three of them walked into the four-part architecture cautiously.

Upon stepping in, the three of them jumped slightly. They could feel a different kind of Qi coming from the yard.

They could not tell right away what was different, only that this yard was extraordinary.

The three of them looked up at the same time and jumped. Sweat appeared on their foreheads as their pupils shrunk into needles.

If they had not mentally prepared themselves, this sight would have made them scream out loud and their heads would have exploded.

Even so, they still blanked out and shivered before snapping back to reality.

Inside the yard, they saw that Li Nianfan was holding a round piece of wood and a carving knife. He was carving.

Not far in front of him, a phoenix was standing arrogantly. Its neck was stretched up and it held its head high, looking like a model.

It was the Fire Phoenix! That was the Fire Phoenix!

Gu Yuan and Payne had chills all over. They could not believe their eyes.

They were talking about the Fire Phoenix earlier and speculated that it was most likely dead. Yet, upon entering the expert's home, they saw the Fire Phoenix modeling for the expert. This visual attack was in fact a test of the heart!

Gu Changqing's face turned pale. He took a deep breath and said, shivering, "Mr. Li, sorry to come uninvited."

"Don't worry about it. You didn't disturb me. Welcome." Li Nianfan smiled faintly. He was about to put down the carving knife in his hand to greet his guests.

However, his action made the three of them look differently, their scalps itching.

Gu Changqing almost cried out loud. He said hastily, "Mr. Li, please continue with your carving. Don't mind us!"

Gu Yuan and Payne nodded hastily, "Right, right, right. I'll sit and wait by the side. Please, don't be affected."

Test! This must have been a test!

The expert was carving the phoenix. It was a key moment. If they did not play it smart, if they did make the expert put down his work, perhaps neither the expert nor the phoenix would let them live!

So terrifying! It was a dead road ahead!

"Then, please, excuse me." Li Nianfan smiled apologetically. He said, "Xiao Bai, help me entertain my guests."

He knew that these were cultivators, so it was strange if they did not know of the phoenix. Anyone with a working mind would not want to offend a phoenix.

He must have taken some of the phoenix's glory, how interesting!

After the past few days of improving their relationship, the Fire Phoenix seemed to be satisfied with the surroundings here and it did not have any intention to leave yet.

This morning, Li Nianfan was in the mood to carve a phoenix.

After all, it was rare for one to meet an actual phoenix, so he had to make a souvenir. This would be better than carving one from imagination.

Who would have thought that the Fire Phoenix would volunteer to become his model?

This was indeed a very outstanding improvement of their relationship. So obviously, Li Nianfan did not turn it down.

The carving was still going on. Li Nianfan did not plan to get distracted. He held onto his carving knife as his fingers moved with agility, carving again and again.

The wood shavings fluttered to the ground like little butterflies.

The three of them exchanged looks. It was not until then when they sat down politely under the lead of Xiao Bai.

They all looked perplexed, smiling bitterly in their hearts.

Right. If the expert wanted to keep the phoenix as a pet, why would he watch the phoenix get killed by the Natural Tribulation?

They did not expect the expert to save someone from Natural Punishment!

This was a hundred times more difficult than going through a Natural Tribulation!

Since helping someone else to get out from danger was not approved of by Heaven, one would need impressive skills to get away with that.

Was this the bigshot?

As expected, this was beyond an ordinary man's imagination!

Xiao Bai walked over and asked, "Tea or drink?"

'Is it asking us what type of opportunity we need?'

'The expert's so kind. He actually gave us a choice!'

The three of them said at the same time, "Tea, please. Thank you."

Payne brought forward the five chickens and handed them to Xiao Bai with respect. "It's our first visit, so here's a little something. I hope you don't mind."

Xiao Bai accepted them and nodded, "Not bad, five more chickens. Do they lay eggs?"

Payne bit his tongue and said, "This...maybe."

Xiao Bai simply put them by the Firefinch Demon. "It doesn't matter if they don't lay eggs. They can just become roasted chicken."

The five Firefinch Demons were dumbfounded from the moment they entered. Their bodies had stiffened into sculptures. When they saw their original boss, they felt as if they were being recruited back to their organization. They started to tear up.

However, they could not speak. They had been enchanted.

They could only flap their wings—weakly, helplessly, and confused—chirping as they were circling their boss who was in the center.

Their boss's face sank. There was a look in its eyes that suggested it had been through it all. Just like an old employee looking at new ones—full of satisfaction.

It stretched out its wings and signaled for the other five chickens to make some space.

It then pointed to its buttock and pouted slightly.

Drop!

An egg was laid.

It raised its head.

Chirp, chirp, chirp?

'Do you understand?'

Since they used to know each other, the least it could do was warn them. One could be a chicken or a roasted chicken depending on how hard they worked.

Gu Changqing and the other two sat in the pavilion, shaking. They each had a warm cup of tea in their hands. They did not dare to make a sound, terrified of disturbing the expert and the phoenix.

They quietly raised their teacups and saw the tea leaves swimming in the tea. The tea looked clear and beautiful.

This was the tea made by the expert? They had heard about it. Now, they could finally taste it.

Tea with Insights was only served to the top VIP even in the Immortal Land.

Even as the Sect Master in the Immortal Land, Payne was still very excited.

He got lucky! He got lucky this time!

He opened his mouth and gently took a sip.

It was slightly bitter at first. The tea swirled in his mouth, and after a moment, its fragrance spread all over him. Very refreshing.

His throat moved as he gently swallowed.

Instantly, his entire mind went quiet. His initial uneasiness had suddenly calmed down.

Before he could comment on it, Payne's pupils dilated. His eyes were filled with disbelief!

"This...this isn't an Insight!"

His entire body was trembling when he said so. His brain was also exploding.

As he swallowed the tea, a shocking feeling aroused in him. It was very arrogant and rushed to his head. It almost felt like it was taking over the world!

So direct! So powerful!

He was not ready at all.

Payne scoffed. He closed his eyes as he tried to digest this energy.

"Is this the Power of Law!? Indeed, it's the Power of Law!" His old face had flushed red. He was crying from within. If it was not for his last traces of rationality, he would have screamed out loud.

This was so hard to believe!

The tea contained specks of the Power of Law!

Even the bigshots in the Immortal Land would be envious of them. Yet, the expert served them this tea as if it was just ordinary tea.

'Do we even deserve such luxurious tea? This feels like a dream!'

Insights could help with enlightenment. It could help the cultivation process and enlighten the cultivators. The Power of Law was much more powerful than Insights!

This was the Law of Nature! For example, Natural Tribulations worked according to the Law!

As long as you possess even a hint of the Law, your skills and power would improve many times more!

For example, Insights were the physics behind how nature worked, while the Law was the reason why this world was formed!

Understanding why wind would blow was the power of Insights. However, what caused the wind was the Law behind it!

In this sense, the Power of Law was very powerful.

To the Immortals, even one hint of the Power of Law was very precious!

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan were even more embarrassed. They almost threw away the cups.

Such a precious thing would burn their hands!

"The expert is right over there, calm down. Everyone calm down!" Payne warned them both with a serious scoff. However, his voice was also trembling.

"Sect Master, if we keep drinking this tea, I'm afraid..." Gu Yuan gulped and felt his throat getting drier. He had goosebumps all over. "We can become Taiyi Golden Immortals?" 𝘭𝑖𝑏𝘳ℯ𝑎𝑑.𝒸ℴ𝘮

In the Immortal Land, there were Tian Immortal, Real Immortal, Golden Immortal, Taiyi Golden Immortal, Daluo Golden Immortal, Half-Saint, and Saint!

One needed Immortal Qi to rank up. However, there was a huge gap between the Taiyi Golden Immortal and Golden Immortal stages. Only when one had grasped the Law could one become a Taiyi Golden Immortal. One needed to grasp four Laws to become a Daluo Golden Immortal, while a Half-Saint needed more. If one became a Saint, he would be accustomed to the Law, and creating lives and beings would be a simple act.

Unfortunately, there were not many Taiyi Golden Immortals living in the limited and sacred grounds in the Immortal Land. Daluo Golden Immortals no longer existed.

The Fire Phoenix was born with the Law of Flame. As long as it did not give up halfway, it would easily become a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

Payne smiled and said, "Ha-ha, if you could stay by the expert's side, being a Taiyi Golden Immortal is not that hard."

They held onto their teacups tightly, so terrified to waste even one drop of it if their hands trembled. They treasured every last drop as they sipped it slowly.

Meanwhile, they were observing the expert's yard.

Payne looked around in admiration. He said, "I'm so envious of the treasures in here. Being by the expert's side is like being baptized by opportunities every day. These cannot be described as treasures anymore. They're way beyond that!"

Gu Yuan said with a sigh, "Being able to be seen by the expert is already the greatest opportunity in the world."

"Grandpa, Sect Master, look over there. That's the Air Purifier, and the Water Purifier." Gu Changqing pointed in one direction. "Haven't seen them before, eh? It can turn air into Spiritual Qi and the Water Purifier can turn ordinary water into Spiritual Water."

"It can turn stone into gold! These are very precious indeed!" Payne gasped and could not help looking at them closely.

Just like ordinary men seeing a luxurious car for the first time. They became so envious and excited.

These were top-graded treasures! They even had to be sealed for worship back in the Immortal land. Even the Taiyi Golden Immortals would treat these as treasures.

However, upon a closer look, he was stunned. His pupils dilated as if he had just seen a ghost!

He said in a low and hoarse voice, "You're telling me that's Spiritual Qi? Take a closer look!"

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan jumped. They took a closer look.

Swiftly after, the two of them gasped. Their eyes almost popped out.

Gasp...

"Don't you gasp! Be calm! Be calm!" Payne's face was pale. He was trembling, terrified about pissing off the expert.

Gu Yuan said with a low voice in fear, "Immortal Qi? Sect Master, that... that's...the Immortal Qi?"

No wonder they felt a unique Qi upon entering the yard. The density of Immortal Qi in the yard had gradually increased!

Gu Changqing was dumbfounded as he said in disbelief, "How could this be? I remember clearly that it was Spiritual Qi! A lot of cultivator friends can verify this!"

"I believe you," Payne said with a flicker in his eyes. He then looked at the tea in his hand and continued, "Just like this tea. Didn't you say it contained Insights? Now it has become specks of the Power of Law! If I'm not mistaken, the Water Purifier is no longer producing Spiritual Water. It's now Immortal Water!"

Gu Yuan had goosebumps all over. He was extremely nervous at this point. "Sect Master, what do you think happened?"

"Have you forgotten that the world's changing?" Payne said, his mind thinking quickly. He took in a deep breath and said with the utmost respect, "This shows that the yard's possibly growing together with the world. Of course, it could also be the growth of this yard that resulted in the growth of the world! No matter which causes which, it's a very, very, very shocking thing!"

Chapter 229

Gasp...

"I'm begging you to stop gasping already, just stop!" Payne's scalp was already numb. He held on to his annoyance. "Stay calm, stay calm! Are you planning to drag me down with you?"

Gu Yuan said hastily, "Sect Master, what you said was too shocking. We couldn't hold it in."

"Sect Master, I think what you said wasn't entirely correct," Gu Changqing said suddenly, his eyes sparkling. After pausing for a moment, he continued, "Have you forgotten about the expert's existence? Regardless if it was this four-part architecture or the rest of the world, their growth is all caused by the expert!"

Payne and Gu Yuan exchanged a look and nodded.

"What you just said makes sense."

"You must be right."

Meanwhile, a loud ring was heard. Li Nianfan stood up and smiled. "I've finished carving."

The Fire Phoenix's eyes sparkled. It turned into its human form and landed beside Li Nianfan with anticipation. "Show me."

A lively carving of a phoenix laid in Li Nianfan's hand. It was dark red and it was the size of his palm. Its head looked up. Be it the pose or the outline, it was unique like the phoenix itself.

Other than its outlook, the phoenix's eyes were carved uniquely. Somehow, a wave of Qi in the image of the sculpture appeared. It looked as if it was alive.

Li Nianfan was confident in his carving skills. He smiled, "What do you think?"

"Too...too beautiful!" The Fire Phoenix held the sculpture and was stunned by it. The look of delight on her face was impossible to conceal. The sculpture looked as if it was made for her, unable to separate from her.

She was extremely satisfied. She held it gently in her hands and caressed it.

She could not help mumbling, "Mr...Mr. Li, your carving's too good!"

Li Nianfan smiled humbly. "As long as you like it."

"I really like this sculpture, you may..."

The Fire Phoenix paused. She was going to use this opportunity to get closer to the expert. She was going to say he may ride her, but this seemed too soon and it did not sound like something a phoenix would say to an ordinary man.

She said, "You may request one thing from me."

It was so difficult to play along with the expert.

She took another look at the yard. There was an ordinary dog, an ordinary woman, a lighter. Everyone made it seem so easy!

"Really?" Li Nianfan's eyes sparkled. He said hastily, "Thank you!"

He knew when to be straightforward when meeting a bigshot. Only an idiot would turn down the offer.

Daji, who was by the side, saw the sculpture of the phoenix. Her eyes displayed her admiration. "Mr. Li, can you carve me one? I...I really want one, too."

"Ha-ha-ha! No problem! I'll make you one tomorrow!" Li Nianfan reached out and ruffled her head. "If my Daji wants one, I'll give you one."

Daji smiled, her eyes squinting. She was very delighted. "Yay! Thank you, Mr. Li."

With that, Li Nianfan looked at Gu Changqing and the other two.

When they saw Li Nianfan walking toward them, they straightened up their expressions and stood up nervously.

"Sit, everyone, sit. Why so polite?" Li Nianfan smiled. He said in a lowered voice, "Don't worry, the phoenix is easy to get along with. Don't be too nervous."

'The phoenix is easy to get along with?'

'That's only applicable to you.'

Their mouths twitched. They quickly acted along with him. "It's our first time meeting the legendary phoenix. What a delight! What a delight!"

Li Nianfan smiled. He asked curiously, "Mr. Gu, these two..."

Gu Changqing introduced, "Mr. Li, this is my Grandpa. His name's Gu Yuan. This is my Sect Master, Payne. He's the first generation Sect Master."

Grandpa?

Sect Master?

Li Nianfan jumped. He cried out with surprise, "Mr. Gu, are they...Immortals?"

Gu Changqing nodded, "To be honest with you, they descended from the Immortal Land not long ago."

"They're really Immortals!" Li Nianfan was very shocked. He stood up and made a greeting gesture, "Hello! Hello!"

Gu Yuan and Payne stood up and returned the gesture. "You're too polite, Mr. Li. Immortals are just a slighter better sounding title. We're just cultivators with higher cultivation."

Still, these were Immortals! They were of the most sacred existence in his previous realm. Now, they were right in front of him! How unrealistic!

Luckily, he met the phoenix earlier. So, he could be calmer now and not too embarrassing.

Cultivators were so cool! A Sect Master, grandfather, grandson, and great-grandfather could all live at the same time! How messy!

However, his lifespan had just been extended by a thousand years. If he could make some babies with Daji, in a thousand years...sigh! What an embarrassing thought to have...

Anyway, the Immortals were still so friendly after Immortalizing. Their family was indeed very polite.

Li Nianfan's thoughts were all over the place. He sighed, "Being able to Immortalize is so admirable!"

The three of them did not speak. They were unable to continue the conversation.

Who was admiring who? Be clear!

"Oh, right. Why bother bringing a gift? Just come alone next time. So many chickens! You're so polite!" As he spoke, Li Nianfan turned to look at the Firefinch Demons.

Instantly, all the Firefinch Demons stood upright as if they were being examined. Meanwhile, they raised their buttocks and one after another, laid eggs in a row of six.

Looking at the six Firefinch Demons laying eggs so obediently, Gu Changqing and the other two felt mixed feelings.

The arrogant Firefinch Demons conformed to society after all. They would rather become chicken bootlickers.

Payne smiled and said, "Mr. Li, it's just some chickens, it's nothing. I was thinking how would one chicken be enough for you so I decided to bring five more. I hope you don't mind."

"Mr. Payne, you're so polite!" Li Nianfan said. "To be honest, one chicken's indeed not enough. Look at that chicken. It's been so busy laying eggs lately, it even lost weight. You're all so thoughtful!" 𝓁𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐ℴ𝘮

Payne was delighted. He smiled and said, "As long as Mr. Li likes it."

Li Nianfan shook his head. Suddenly, he asked in a suspicious tone, "However, I'm merely an ordinary man. Why are you so kind to me? Is there something you need?"

He was suspicious. The cultivators visiting him still made sense as he had a good relationship with them. Now, even the cultivator's Grandpa and Sect Master—who were Immortals from the Immortal Land—came to visit! This was strange.

Perhaps they looked up to his skills? Still, that seemed unlikely. They were Immortals after all.

Perhaps they came for the good food? That seemed unlikely, too.

Li Nianfan was merely asking, but to the three of them, it sounded like an explosion in their ears. Their minds went blank. They were dumbfounded.

'What to do? What to do?'

Instantly, their backs were covered in cold sweat and their bodies were shaking uncontrollably.

How unwise! How unwise of them!

They were too excited to finally get to visit the expert, so they did not think it through. They did not have a reasonable excuse to visit him.

Unless they told him, 'You're a hidden expert and we came here to gain some opportunities.'

It was likely that before they could finish their sentence, the expert would probably have slapped them to death.

'Since the expert likes living as an ordinary man and we came here uninvited, aren't we disturbing the expert's peace? The expert's angry!'

A simple question had turned into a life or death situation!

Accompanying an expert was like accompanying a tiger. Very scary!

The three of them held their breaths. Their brains were spinning at the quickest speed. They wished they could use up all of their resources to think of a plan.

Think! Quick!

Their hearts almost jumped out of their chests. Meanwhile, Payne's body jumped and there was a flash in his eyes. He was delighted.

He bit his tongue and went for it!

He said politely, "Mr. Li, actually we came here because of the 'Journey to the West' and the painting of the Golden Crow."

Li Nianfan was surprised. "Oh?"

Payne composed his thoughts and said, "To be honest, your story of 'Journey to the West' is so captivating. Especially all of the Gods and Demons in it. It really enlightened us and it showed us a whole new world. As for the Golden Crow, I've only read about it from readings of ancient times. That's why we decided to visit you."

Since the expert told them about these things, this showed that mentioning them was not taboo. Hopefully, using this as an excuse would not agitate the expert.

"I see," Li Nianfan nodded and fell silent.

Who would have thought that some Immortals became his fans?

However, he felt it was a little off.

If a phoenix existed in the Immortal Land, perhaps the Golden Crow existed, too! The stories he told them were made-up stories from the previous realm, but in this realm, it might as well be real! No matter if it was real or not, these stories would get the attention of the Immortals.

He overdid it!

He was going to keep a low profile and live a peaceful life. Would he lose this security after telling these stories?

Li Nianfan instinctively looked at the Fire Phoenix and relaxed a little.

He said, "Mr. Payne, these are merely stories. They're made-up, so don't take them too seriously."

Payne continued, "I was shocked after listening to these stories. Although Mr. Li's an ordinary man, your talent's far beyond an ordinary man's!"

"Thank you for your praise," Li Nianfan waved it off. He reiterated, "Please, do keep this as a secret between us."

Payne said, "Don't worry, everyone only knows that the 'Journey to the West' was written by a genius named Wu Cheng'en. Only a few of us know about the painting of the Golden Crow, and we don't talk much."

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan nodded, "Exactly, we won't spread the news!"

The expert warned them not to, so of course, they would not tell!

"Good, good." Li Nianfan smiled. He said to Xiao Bai, "Xiao Bai, pour more tea for our guests, and bring us some fruits."

The three of them were delighted. They let out a sigh of relief.

Phew...

They passed the test!

And it seemed that the expert was pleased with their answers!

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan had to give it to their Sect Master. No wonder he lived for more than ten thousand years. With such quick thinking, it would be easy!

If it was up to them, they would have knelt on their knees and begged the expert to forgive them!

Chapter 230

Soon, Xiao Bai had cut a plate full of fruits and served it to them.

There were a few kinds of fruits. The colors were well-matched, making it look good.

Gu Changqing took a piece of orange and put it in his mouth. Instantly, the juices burst, complementing the sweetness of the fruit. It flirted with his taste buds, especially the sourness of the orange. Eating it was a delight.

They all shut their eyes at the same time, feeling the Law exuding from the orange. They were stunned.

All the fruits contained specks of the Law. Who would believe them even if they told the others?

Impossible to imagine! Unbelievable!

One had to know that even in the Immortal Land, one would have to risk their lives just to find something like this from the ancient porter unless one had been enlightened.

They were stunned, but they also felt sad.

Why were the fruits cut into pieces? How great would it be if they were complete pieces so they could take some home!

The expert served them tea and fruits. How filling!

If they were served these fine foods and were unable to stomach it all due to being full, it would drive them crazy!

How could their stomachs be so disappointing!

Feeling that their bonds were strengthening, Li Nianfan asked curiously, "Mr. Payne, what does the Immortal Land look like? Is there a Heavenly Temple?"

Payne smiled bitterly and shook his head. "No."

Li Nianfan paused. "Then who rules the Immortal Land?"

Payne explained, "Mr. Li, the Immortal Land isn't so different from the Immortal Realm. There are Sects, and the most powerful are the Five Sacred Lands. There's no leader."

Li Nianfan could not help shaking his head. "How embarrassing. Like I said, 'Journey to the West' is a made-up story. Yet, I couldn't help comparing the story to the actual thing. How embarrassing!"

"Actually, there is a Heavenly Temple."

The Fire Phoenix appeared next to them and took a seat. She put a piece of fruit into her mouth and frowned. "I have a vague piece of memory in my head. It seems that a Heavenly Temple did exist in ancient times."

Payne and the other two exchanged a look. They were shocked.

As expected, the Heavenly Temple existed! The expert kept claiming that the story was not real. Perhaps only the idiots would believe him.

He was...missing the Heavenly Temple from ancient times?

"The ancient times?" Li Nianfan frowned. So, it seemed they had archaeology in the Immortal Land.

He licked his lips and asked in anticipation, "Then, do you know if there are Spiritual Fruits that could turn an ordinary man into an Immortal?"

Any ordinary man would dream about becoming an Immortal! However, even if this fruit did exist, he would not be destined to obtain it. However, Li Nianfan was still curious and he merely wanted to know.

The three of them exchanged looks.

After a moment of thought, Gu Yuan asked, "Do you mean the Flat Peach from 'Journey to the West'? I haven't heard of this in the Immortal Land."

The Fire Phoenix spoke again, "Back in the ancient Immortal Land, it was indeed possible to turn an ordinary man into an Immortal. However, it seems impossible now."

One needed Spiritual Roots to achieve something like that. Spiritual Root was extremely precious! Now, they were all extinct.

She secretly glanced around at the backyard. The expert's backyard was filled with Spiritual Roots. However, they were merely man-made Spiritual Roots. Under the expert's green thumb, they seemed to be changing.

Spiritual Roots were able to evolve? If she did not see it with her own eyes, the Fire Phoenix would not have believed it!

This expert seemed to have capabilities way beyond Heaven!

"In ancient times again?" Li Nianfan was disappointed. "The Immortal Land's going backward?"

Payne smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Mr. Li, compared to the ancient times, the Immortal Land has deteriorated a lot. It seems impossible for us to return to the glory days of the ancient times."

"The sun comes up and will go down, the moon will crescent once it's full. Too much water will drown the miller. When things reach its peak, it will start going backward." Li Nianfan sighed. "This saying is indeed applicable everywhere. It truly is the rule of all lives."

It seemed that it was about time to let go of his dream of becoming an Immortal. Sigh.

His audience's head buzzed. They felt goosebumps all over as if they had just been awakened from a deep sleep with loud bells.

Payne said sincerely, "Those eleven simple words precisely stated the Law of the world. Mr. Li's indeed an admirable genius."

Being cultured was indeed a well-cherished skill everywhere.

"Thank you, it's nothing. You guys sealed the Kraken and saved the people—that's admirable." Li Nianfan smiled and continued, "Things will go backward from the peak, things will improve from the bottom. I believe that as long as you don't give up, glory will return one day."

Payne nodded, "Hopefully so."

Meanwhile, he saw something from the corner of his eyes that made him jump.

He saw that Xiao Bai was sweeping the ground, clearing up the wood shavings left from Li Nianfan's carving.

Due to his refined skills, the shavings on the ground were quite complete. They were long wooden strips that looked rather regular.

Of course, that was nothing. The key was that...these were Spiritual Roots!

Payne could not believe his eyes. Even his organs were trembling. He wished he could glue his eyes on them.

Although they were merely wooden shavings, they were pieces of Spiritual Roots—the most precious material in the world! It was way more precious than Immortal Items!

Yet, they were being swept away like rubbish.

He could not help asking, "Mr. Li...what are you planning to do with all those shavings?"

Li Nianfan said simply, "It's rubbish, so of course, I'm throwing them away."

Payne took a deep breath. His heart was about to jump out of his chest as he said, trembling, "Mr. Li, we're about to leave anyway. Why don't we help you bring the trash out?"

After saying that, it seemed as if he had used up all the energy in his body. His four limbs had gone soft.

"That..." Li Nianfan halted. "Would it be too much of a trouble?"

Payne waved it off. "Not at all, not at all! It's nothing!"

"Alright, then. Thank you." Li Nianfan nodded.

Payne almost cried out with excitement. He held the shavings with his trembling hands. "Mr. Li, sorry for disturbing you today. Goodbye for now."

"Alright, goodbye."

...

Upon walking out of the four-part architecture, Payne looked at the shavings in his hands as if he was dreaming.

He took another look to make sure that it was indeed Spiritual Roots!

These had gone extinct in the Immortal Land!

According to the legend, Spiritual Roots contained the Law. They had the energy that other treasures did not have. He wondered what energy did this Spiritual Root have.

Payne sighed and said with the utmost respect, "What kind of existence is this! Even Spiritual Roots are just rubbish to him! I've lived twenty-six thousand years and even the greatest dream I've had isn't as outrageous as this."

Gu Yuan said suddenly, "Sect Master, I don't mean to attack you but I didn't think we would get the Spiritual Root so easily."

Payne was stunned for a moment. He then sighed and said, "Of course, I know. Every word the expert said was full of clues. If I'm not able to catch them, I would've been living all these years for nothing."

Gu Yuan gulped as he said nervously, "Sect Master, the expert seemed to be nostalgic about the ancient times. Does he want to...bring back glory to the Immortal Land?"

"Very likely. He asked how the Immortal Land was doing and when he learned that the Heavenly Temple no longer existed, he was obviously disappointed," Payne nodded. He continued, "The bridge between here and the Immortal Land has been reconnected. It shows that the expert's plan has started. Also, you're not able to see it clearly but the pressure I feel is way heavier than you think."

Gu Yuan and Gu Changqing were stunned. "What do you mean?"

"The Spiritual Item that can turn an ordinary man into an Immortal!" Payne sighed. "Since the expert mentioned it, it's obvious that he wants it! Experts like him will never clearly state what they want. They would only hint at it. It seemed as if he was asking about the Immortal Land, but there were other meanings implied. What's the point of cultivation if we can't even catch what the expert implied?"

Higher-ranking people always liked to play dumb.

For example, back in the day if an Emperor went out for a walk and saw a woman he fancied, it would sound distasteful if he said, "Wow, this chick is not bad at all. Bring her home for me!"

The Emperor would have become a rogue.

Instead, he would find out more about the people around her and their habits. If one could not understand the truth in this, it would be over.

The skill of bootlicking was secondary compared to being able to read the bigshot's thinking.

Gu Changqing said, "If you say so. The expert mentioned the sealing of the Kraken. Was he implying the demons?"

"That's for sure. If he wants to restore the Immortal Land to its glory like in the ancient times, the demons are the biggest obstacles," Payne nodded. "However, since the expert intentionally brought it up, it's likely that something happened. We'll investigate further once we get back."

Gu Yuan said with a serious face, "The demons are indeed running wild these days. The expert likes being an ordinary man, so he won't settle it himself. We're his best chess pieces."

...

The Land of the Southern Barbarians was originally an empty land without many towns. The Sects here were also very limited.

Nowadays, it was like a ghost town. Those who could leave had already run away.

Most of the towns of ordinary men had fallen to the demons. Even the surrounding Sects had been taken over by them.

On a tall mountain, the leader had an ax in his hand. He gradually walked forward with an evil look. He looked arrogant and powerful.

Not far ahead of him were eight demons dressed in black robes.

The eight of them surrounded a gigantic sculpture in the middle. There was some strange talisman drawn on the ground. Blood was spinning from within it.

This tall mountain originally belonged to a Sect. However, the cultivators were all killed by now.

A man in black robes said in a hoarse voice, "We're ready, we can start summoning our Lord Demon God now."

The leader walked forward slowly. He placed his ax in front of the sculpture and then knelt on one knee. "Killing one man's a crime, killing ten thousand men makes one a hero. This ax is tainted by the blood of a thousand men. I, Tu Jiu, am willing to be your slave, to work under the lead of the Lord Demon God!"

Bam!

Behind him, countless soldiers knelt on their knees at the same time. "We're the slaves to the Lord Demon God. We welcome you!"

The eight men in black cast a spell. As they raised their hands, black smoke rushed out from their body toward the sculpture.

The black smoke boiled and surrounded the sculpture, shrinking and expanding.

It was as if the sculpture was breathing. Very eerie.

It did not take long before the stone sculpture turned black. Finally, it became as black as ink, sending chills through everyone's body.

The black smoke was boiling and eventually formed a swirl, turning the world black.

Crack!

The sculpture suddenly cracked open. It was followed by wild black smoke rushing into it.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The crack was expanding rapidly. Finally, it spread across the entire sculpture. During the final moments, along with a loud 'vroom', the sculpture turned into power.

However, the black smoke did not dissipate. Instead, it gathered wildly on the same spot before it finally condensed into the shape of a human!

This was a strongly built man, dressed in black armor with two erected barbs. As he moved, his armor made a ringing sound, exuding a shocking temperament. Very aggressive.

He was laughing unstoppably and his eyes were filled with excitement. "Ha-ha-ha! The first to arrive in this ordinary realm is none other than I, Amon! Who's able to stop me in this ordinary realm?"

He took a deep breath of the ordinary air and let out a look of indulgence.

Swiftly after, he glanced around. He reached out with his hand and his ax flew into his grip. The black smoke in the air rushed toward the ax.

"You're Tu Jiu, right? As long as you can rule this ordinary realm for the Lord Demon King, you can become the Human Sovereign. You won't be able to die or be destroyed!" Amon handed him the ax. "We can't reason much with the ordinary men, so we can't be too direct with them. This ax will absorb murderous energy, so you'll never get tired on the battlefield!"

Tu Jiu was delighted. He said hastily, "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. With this ax, I'll be undefeatable in this realm!"

"Very well!" Amon's eyes flashed red. "As of the cultivators in the ordinary realm, leave them to us! Oh, right. There's Yuecha, Gusin, and Backo. Once I discover where they're sealed, we'll let them all out! Soon, the demons will take over this realm! Those who oblige will succeed and those who're against me will die!"

Chapter 231

At the Above Immortal Realm.

There was a majestic palace on top of the Immortal Mountain.

It seemed to be emitting golden light from within. It was magical.

There were clouds around the palace. Immortals flew by from time to time, riding on clouds. It looked like a painting of Heaven.

A middle-aged man in gold robes was sitting at the center of the palace.

He had deep and mysterious eyes. He looked mighty without even trying.

He said, "Recently, a lot of things have been happening in the Immortal Realm. Even the Above Immortal Realm has been affected. Have you figured out why?"

A woman in a palace dress stepped forward and said, "Lord Immortal, according to sources, the changes in the Immortal Realm happened about two months ago. At that time, an Immortal named Liu Kuang was mysteriously killed. His body fell to the Immortal Realm! Another Immortal tried to reclaim Liu Kuang's body but was stopped. He failed to take back the dead body!"

The middle-aged man was intrigued. "Oh? Really?! Is there an Immortal in the Immortal Realm?"

The woman nodded. "Indeed so, but we're unsure if the Immortal was born in the Immortal Realm or came from the Above Immortal Realm."

"At that time the bridge between mortal and immortality wasn't connected. I couldn't go to the Immortal Realm, so it's impossible!" The middle-aged man shook his head and frowned. "As for being born in the Immortal Realm... It's also impossible! The only possibility is that they stayed in the Immortal Realm before the bridge was broken!"

"Smart, Lord Immortal. It's indeed possible." The woman looked like she was enlightened. Then, she said, "It seems like the bridge to Immortality started to reconnect after this person appeared. Not long after, the Human Sovereign appeared and it completely reconnected!"

The middle-aged man took a deep breath. "Who would've thought that a Human Sovereign would be reborn after a hundred thousand years! Who's making moves in the Immortal Realm?"

The woman groaned for a moment and said, "Lord Immortal, there's something very important, too. The Phoenix from the Eastside Immortal Forest appears to be...in the Immortal Realm!"

The middle-aged man frowned. It was too unusual!

He looked at the woman. "You've neglected something. Didn't you realize? The bridge to immortality has been reconnected, but the Immortal Qi in the Above Immortal Realm hasn't decreased!"

Yikes!

The woman jumped. "How... How's this possible?"

"The Immortal Realm has gone through an enormous change! This is huge!" 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The middle-aged man looked like he was thinking. "The Above Immortal Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the Demon Realm. Are the three main realms going to interact with each other? Is it the laws of nature or is someone changing the laws of nature? Interesting, truly interesting!"

"Lord Immortal, what should we do?"

"The Immortal Realm is too troubling. Let's not do anything reckless yet. Since we know the source of the changes, we should investigate that first! As for the death of Liu Kuang, find out what happened from his sect. Check in with his related sect in the Immortal Realm, too! And keep track of the Phoenix!"

The middle-aged man licked his lips and said, "The world is changing and Luck is all over the place. The benefits must be ours!"

...

At the four-part architecture.

Daji stood next to a chair with her arms crossed. Her hair was up in a bun and she was smiling.

The gentle breeze blew on her hair and her dress. Li Nianfan thought she would be gone with the wind.

Li Nianfan put his chisel aside and smiled. "It's done! Daji, come over here and look."

Daji happily walked over.

She held the statue with joy in her eyes as she said, "You're so nice to me!"

"As long as you like it. It's only the two of us. Who should I be nice to if not you?" Li Nianfan smiled and asked, "Oh yeah, why did you have to choose this posture? There are more comfortable positions."

Daji would be absolutely stunning if she posed like a sexy model.

Daji said, "How about I make a statue for you, too? You should sit on the bench. Since I'm standing, we can put our statues together and it'll look like I'm serving you."

"Daji, you..." Li Nianfan was suddenly touched by how sweet she was being. The pretty lady wanted to stay with him as his servant. Anyone would be touched.

How did that happen?

A lady like that would never exist in the past realm, not even in his dreams.

Li Nianfan took a deep breath and said, "I told you. We're equals. Stop trying to be my servant."

The Fire Phoenix pouted by the side.

Truly a fox demon. Her methods of seducing a man were fascinating.

However, she was acting like an ordinary human, so the expert could not ride her. It was different for the Phoenix. Her usefulness would be greater to the expert. He would be more pleased with her.

Li Nianfan was in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Daji, let's go. Let me take you to the Fallen Town."

"Yeah." Daji nodded obediently and carefully put the statue aside.

The Fire Phoenix suddenly said, "A town? I want to check it out, too."

Li Nianfan looked at the Fire Phoenix and awkwardly said, "Your appearance would cause trouble."

The Fire Phoenix looked calm. Sparks went off and she suddenly transformed into a small red bird. She landed on his shoulders and said, "How about this?"

"Okay." Li Nianfan was slightly baffled. He envied her at the same time.

You could do anything with great powers. He was finally in the Immortal Realm but could only rely on others to live. What a failure.

The human-bird trio went down the mountain.

Soon, they arrived at the Fallen Town.

Li Nianfan was surprised. "So crowded."

The Fallen Town was busier than ever. There were a lot of sellers and visitors. They all looked like they were used to traveling around.

There were a lot of new faces at the Fallen Town that day.

Did something happen?

The best way to find out was to visit the market. Li Nianfan was familiar with the place, and he quickly found the fishmonger at a corner.

However, he was not alone. There was a little girl next to him. It was Little Fish. She squatted and played with the fishes.

The fishmonger saw Li Nianfan and immediately smiled. "Mr. Li."

Little Fish looked up and said in a sweet voice, "Hello, brother."

She noticed the little red bird on his shoulder. She looked curious.

Li Nianfan smiled and asked, "Fishmonger, how's business?"

The fishmonger looked happy. He said, "Thanks to you, Mr. Li, we've been earning quite a bit recently."

"Oh? Congratulations then," said Li Nianfan genuinely.

As expected, Li Nianfan did not need to ask anything. The fishmonger ran his mouth about all the events that had happened recently.

"Mr. Li, you don't know about this. Recently at the Clear Moon Lake, there have been big fishes everywhere. A lot of big carps! I got a lot of fish with my fishnet!"

The fishmonger was excited. Then, he mysteriously said, "A lot of people said that it was because of the Dragon King. Rituals to worship the Dragon King were happening by the lakeside."

Li Nianfan said in a weird tone, "Really?"

"I know, right? I was shocked as well. It almost felt like the fish were bad omens." The fishmonger continued, "Mr. Li, you should try your luck at the Clear Moon Lake. For your fishing skills, you'd gain a lot for sure!"

"Sure, the next time I'm free," Li Nianfan said. He continued, "The Fallen Town seems to be getting a lot more visitors lately."

The Fishmonger sighed. "It's chaos out there. Only a few places are safe. A lot of people come here for refuge."

Li Nianfan slightly raised his eyebrows. "It's not a war, right?"

"It's definitely a war!" The fishmonger was slightly helpless. "I heard the war started from the Southern borders. Those Southern brutes worship some kind of demonic cult and there's no reasoning with them. They're very violent."

"Demonic religion?"

Li Nianfan was taken aback. Then, he remembered the demons he met at the Xia Kingdom. He looked like he realized something.

It seemed like Zhou Yunwu got busy.

"I heard that the Southern brutes made their way out of the South quickly. There were a lot of destroyed cities. I wonder if any cities remain." The fishmonger looked worried.

Li Nianfan asked, "Fishmonger, isn't it a good thing for an ordinary human to rule the realm?"

"It's good, but not the Southern brutes!" The fishmonger said, "Those people are violent and they treat women like objects. I heard that they even traffic women. If they fought their way here, what then? What about Little Fish?

"I would have joined the army if it wasn't for my wife and my daughter."

Li Nianfan nodded. His impression of the demon preachers was that they were something like a cult. it was not good at all.

He looked at the stall and said, "Fishmonger, your fishes are big. I'll take these two sea basses."

"Alright!"

The fishmonger efficiently packed the fish and gave it to Li Nianfan. He did not accept the silver.

He waved it away and said, "Mr. Li, you gave Little Fish a saddled bichir last time. It'll be embarrassing for me to accept payment, right?"

"Thanks a lot," Li Nianfan smiled and said. "See you next time, Little Fish."

"Goodbye, brother."

They walked out of the market. Li Nianfan walked for a while and saw a stall in front of him. Armored soldiers were guarding it. Three soldiers sat at the stall. They were in charge of registration.

It was an army recruit stall.

Li Nianfan was familiar with the soldier in the middle. He was the bodyguard who stood behind Zhou Yunwu that day.

Hundreds of people were gathered behind him. They were all signing up for the army.

Maybe their loved ones were harmed, maybe they were forced to, or maybe they wanted to contribute. Whatever the reasons were, Li Nianfan respected them.

He would never dare to join the army. He would avoid it at all costs.

Li Nianfan groaned for a moment and walked over.

He looked at the benefits of joining the army. It was pretty good—a place to live, free food, and payment that was 1.5 times more than the wages of an average male. They even had insurance benefits if they died in battle. Only one requirement—a hard worker.

"Name, age, health conditions, previous occupations."

The bodyguard felt somebody scoot over. He looked pleased and asked for the four basic information for the registration procedures.

He noticed that the person did not reply, so he looked up.

The bodyguard's eyes widened in shock. He frantically stood up and said respectfully, "Mr. Li, it's you!"

Chapter 232

Li Nianfan saluted. He smiled and said, "Hello. I don't think I know your name yet, General."

"Mr. Li, my name is Rich," said Rich respectfully.

He was kind of nervous. The expert was someone the King deemed important. The King planned for him to set up his recruitment post near the expert as he was worried that someone reckless would offend him.

Rich?

What a nice name. He was also a muscular general. He looked like a prosperous soldier.

Li Nianfan laughed. "Nice name."

"Mr. Li, your plan to save the people was brilliant. If it were me, I never would've been able to think of something like that," said Rich genuinely.

He was an unsophisticated person—great in battle but clueless in scheming. He was deeply impressed by the imaginative expert.

"I only provided guidance. The details of the process were all executed by your King." Li Nianfan shook his head and asked, "How's the war?"

"Not good."

Rich looked around and sighed. He said quietly, "The Southern brutes are genetically strong. They're forces to be reckoned with and they're unstoppable!"

Li Nianfan's expression changed slightly. "Not even once?"

"It'd be alright if we manage to stop them even once, but no!" Rich looked troubled. "This can't be delayed any longer. The King gave orders to recruit more soldiers so we can stop the Southern brutes."

It had to be dealt with in one go. As the saying went, 'Failing once is confidence lost forever.'

If the Southern brutes continued to win, it would only unite their army even further. Their opponents would be more pressured. If they could be stopped once, they could tear down their confidence.

Rich told him, "Mr. Li, apart from the ordinary people, a lot of cultivation sects were defeated, too."

"Is it the deeds of the demons?" asked Li Nianfan.

He knew that the demons were trying to fight against the cultivators. That demon seal incident at the Azure Ville was probably related to the demons, too.

To summarize, Immortals belonged in the Above Immortal Realm and demons belonged in the Demon Realm down below. They did not get along with each other.

"It's them!" Rich was slightly angry. "How dare they?!"

Li Nianfan frowned. He was slightly panicking.

Looking at the signs, were they going to have a war between Immortals and Demons?

If that was true, he would be useless as an ordinary man. He was not even good enough to be ammo. He could die in random ways.

He finally had a thousand-year lifespan. It would be a shame to die out of the blue!

Li Nianfan looked at the little red bird on his shoulder. He had to be a bootlicker, and he had to lick it clean!

He groaned for a moment and noticed the saber sword on Rich. He said, "General Rich, may I look at your saber sword?"

Rich handed it to him without hesitation. "Here you go, Mr. Li."

Swoosh!

Li Nianfan pulled out the sword and roughly glanced at it. Then, he frowned.

Rich needed some sort of status. His weapon should not be a low-grade sword, yet his current sword was slightly bent and the blade was damaged.

Li Nianfan could instantly tell that the sword was mainly made of iron.

The crafting was rough. It could be greatly improved.

He had a good relationship with Zhou Yunwu and the demons were the evil kind. He should help them out.

Li Nianfan asked, "General Rich, do you trust me? This sword can be stronger and sharper!"

"Really?" Rich was intrigued. He did not doubt it at all and he quickly said, "Mr. Li, you're an awesome man. Of course, I trust you!"

"Follow me then."

Rich hurriedly ordered his soldiers, "Get the nearby blacksmiths!"

Li Nianfan secretly complimented him. The General was a leader that was attentive to details.

Meanwhile, at a tower in the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty.

It was far from Fallen Town, but as cultivators, they could see the entire town from that tower.

The Holy Emperor, Zhong Xiu, and Luo Shiyu were standing on top of the tower. Someone was standing behind them.

That person was surrounded by dark mist and he had red eyes.

"Holy Emperor, I know you participated in the Liu Family wipe out. Tell me, who's the Immortal living in the Immortal Realm? Is he related to the changes of the realm?"

The Holy Emperor looked pale. He stared at that person and said, "Who are you? Did you come from... The Above Immortal Realm?"

"That's right! This is one of my figures. It's as decent as an Immortal."

That person smirked. "This is a big deal. You're just a cultivator, you don't need to guard this secret to your grave. Don't say I didn't give you a chance. I might even spare your family. Otherwise, I'll let my grandchildren kill your wife and your daughter in front of you! It'll be gory!"

They realized that there were small black mosquitoes on their necks. They had tiny, long proboscises with red eyes. They looked terrifying.

The mosquitoes were excited and lusted for fresh blood.

"No way, I won't tell you!"

The Holy Emperor sneered, "I'm indeed just a small cultivator, but I'm not afraid to tell you this—you're also an insect in front of the expert! Let me warn you. You shouldn't offend the expert!"

"Haha, an ant wants to test my capabilities? He's just an Immortal that slipped into the Immortal Realm. I wouldn't even be interested if he wasn't related to the changes of the realm." That person could not stop laughing. It was as if he had heard the funniest joke. Then, he suddenly stopped. "Fine!"

The Holy Emperor and the others looked down from the tower. Their expressions changed into excitement and devotion.

That person arched his eyebrow and looked at what they were looking at, too.

A lot of people were gathered there, but the star of the gathering was an ordinary young guy.

He observed quietly.

Li Nianfan was at the blacksmiths. He greeted, "Owner Feng."

The owner was a middle-aged man. He was forging a piece of metal. He smiled at Li Nianfan and greeted, "Mr. Li."

Some young people were working in the store, too.

They were slightly nervous when they saw Li Nianfan walk in with soldiers.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Owner Feng, can I borrow your furnace?"

"No problem." Owner Feng put his task at hand aside. He asked out of curiosity, "Mr. Li, you know how to forge?"

"A little bit."

Owner Feng was amazed. "Awesome, Mr. Li. You surely know everything for an ordinary man!"

Ha, what a good compliment.

Li Nianfan observed the long sword then tossed it in the furnace to melt it.

Steel was formed by a mixture of iron and carbon. The heating process was to mix in the carbon, also known as the process of forging.

The sword was softened from smelting. Li Nianfan took the hammer at the side and hit it.

Clang!

It molded the shape at the same time. It was not that different from the usual forging process.

Li Nianfan hit it for a while then took the liquid at the side and poured it on the sword.

The surrounding blacksmiths had a change in their faces. Owner Feng reminded, "Mr. Li, this is cast iron."

The cast iron was in liquid form. It was high in carbon and other substances.

"I know." Li Nianfan continued to hit the sword while he explained, "This method is known as steel infusion! It's to infuse cast iron and wrought iron together!

"Cast iron contains more carbon, wrought iron has more oxidation properties. The oxygen in wrought iron can oxidize the silicon, manganese, and carbon in the cast iron. This creates a boiling point and it helps get rid of the unwanted substances."

It was a chemical reaction. However, no one around understood it.

They all looked like they heard something terrific but did not get it.

As for Rich, he took out a piece of paper and scribbled on it. He frowned and asked, "Mr. Li, could you repeat that? Did I spell 'carton' correctly?"

This was a mission assigned by the King. He had to take notes of whatever the expert said, even if he did not understand it. He was tasked to bring back the golden advice and study it with the others.

Li Nianfan ignored him. He kept forging.

Clang!

The hammer was heavy but Li Nianfan made it seem so light and weightless. It was as if he had some form of rhythm.

Sparks were flying. He looked utterly graceful.

The Fire Phoenix observed at the side with amazement.

She knew Li Nianfan was incredible, but she did not expect him to also know how to forge. He was perfect at it, too. It was as if the forging sounds contained the Basics of Wisdom.

It was like...the realm was performing a tune with him.

Also, she did not expect that she would not be able to understand what Li Nianfan said.

It meant that the information was beyond her and she did not even deserve to know it.

"Huh?"

That person looked oddly at Li Nianfan from the tower. "He's got an outstanding understanding. It's impossible that he's ordinary!"

He looked at the Holy Emperor and others and sneered as he asked, "Is that the expert?"

The Holy Emperor remained expressionless. He calmly shook his head and said, "It's not."

That person mockingly chuckled. "We'll find out!"

That person leaped out from the tower in a black flash. He transformed into a black mosquito and flew toward Li Nianfan.

He had menacing eyes.

If that person was an Immortal who was familiar with Dao, he could suck his blood and destroy his figure. If that person turned out to be just an ordinary man, there was no downside to that either because he could just kill him.

Clang!

The sword started to mold after each hit.

Li Nianfan said, "There's a step that you guys constantly forget, but...it's crucial! The step is called quenching!"

He dipped the sword into a tankful of water as soon as he said it.

Sizzle—

There was a lot of steam. The water was boiling.

"Quenching can make weapons soft and malleable."

Li Nianfan took the long sword out from the water, and gently pulled on the blade. The blade curved!

He wiped the blade with a cloth. Suddenly... a shine started to appear again. It was blindingly bright!

Li Nianfan smiled and passed the sword to Rich. "General Rich, are you satisfied with the sword?"

"Good sword! It's a nice sword!"

Rich was astounded. He stared at the sword, feeling almost frantic.

A sword was sort of like a brother to a general.

The surrounding blacksmiths were shocked and in disbelief. It turned their knowledge upside down. "How?"

Owner Feng hurriedly took out a sword from their store and said, "General, try using the sword on this."

Rich nodded, took a deep breath, and held the sword up high.

Clang! Owner Feng's sword was snapped in half!

Yikes!

Everyone gasped. He only changed a bit of the forging process but he achieved a new material.

"Mr. Li, this..." Owner Feng looked at Li Nianfan. He was too astounded to speak.

"Nice sword, nice sword!"

"Legend. Mr. Li's a true legend."

"Legendary, it's a legendary skill!"

Even Daji and the Fire Phoenix were stunned.

The swords alone could not impress them. However, the way it was improved was too powerful. The ingredients were the most ordinary materials, yet he improved it so much just by tweaking the forging process.

Immortals had great alchemy skills, but this ordinary man could do it, too!

Was this what they called a bigshot? How mysterious of him!

It must be related to The Answer!

Sigh, too bad none of them understood him when he spoke. Especially 'carton'. What did it mean?

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "You don't have to understand the science behind it. All you need to know is that the weapons will be more solid and sharp this way. The elasticity would be better, too."

Rich was flushed from excitement. He was trembling all over.

Finally, he knelt on one knee in front of Li Nianfan. "Mr. Li, you've blessed thousands of soldiers! On behalf of all the soldiers, I thank you!"

Plop!

All the soldiers behind him knelt, too. They looked at Li Nianfan with sincerity and gratefulness in their eyes.

Li Nianfan quickly helped Rich up. He said, "General Rich, you're so courteous. I'm helping myself while helping you guys. I can live in peace if you win the battle."

Rich immediately said, "Don't worry, Mr. Li. I won't let you down with this sword!"

Buzz.

Li Nianfan could hear a small buzz near his ear.

Then, he felt a tingle on his neck. Something landed there.

He frowned and slapped his neck. Then, he pinched it. It was a huge mosquito.

"What a big mosquito!" He was shocked. The Immortal Realm had such big mosquitoes. It was about the size of a thumb.

The mosquito looked confused. It was so confounded with the fact that it was captured. It struggled like crazy with all its might, trying to escape.

However, it realized its power had disappeared completely!

This was not the scariest part. The most horrifying thing was...its power source was forcefully transferred!

This was initially just one of his figures. Even if he died, he would just have to cut some losses. Therefore, he was very daring.

However, its original power source had unknowingly transferred to this mosquito figure.

Which meant that its figure was now solidified. If it died in this state, it would be dead for real!

How... How was this possible?!

Who was he exactly? How could he do that?

Why was this happening?

Pitiful, helpless, and desperate.

It could not believe it. It wanted to question him, it wanted to beg for mercy, but no words came out.

It seemed like it had become an ordinary mosquito.

All of a sudden, it remembered what the Holy Emperor said. It was just an insect in front of the expert!

It was all too late.

"I don't like mosquitos."

Slap.

Li Nianfan casually slapped his hands together and ended the ugly life of the mosquito.

Chapter 233

The dead mosquito peacefully fell to the ground.

The Fire Phoenix and Daji were baffled at that mosquito.

The mosquito was not ordinary. It was a figure—hard to notice because of its stealthy powers. Plus, they were too distracted and shocked by Li Nianfan, so they did not notice it at first.

When they finally noticed it, it was too late. They could not attack it while it was on Li Nianfan.

They looked at the dead mosquito and their eyes widened.

How...

The mosquito was dead as expected, but... It was not just the figure that had been destroyed—it was the real person!

That was too scary!

Figure incarnation was a skill of high-level cultivators. The mosquito was one of the figures, which meant the cultivator was probably gifted and could produce a lot more figures. As long as one of the figures was still alive, they would never be dead.

However... They could clearly feel that the original power source of the mosquito had been forcefully transferred. The main cultivator was dead!

Li Nianfan even gently pinched it as if it was just a normal mosquito.

The sight of that—

Too terrifying. Something that had never been done before!

Immortals would be scared soulless at that.

Was this the power of a bigshot?

No, powerful was an understatement.

The Holy Emperor and the others did not see it up close. They only watched the mosquito going up to the expert from afar. Then, the expert simply slapped it dead.

It was kind of unreal.

What did it say? Something about how it was an Immortal?

'How useless. Told you that you'd be just an insect. Why didn't you believe us? Look at you, slapped dead as a mosquito.'

The three mosquitoes on their necks were petrified. They went stiff and blank. They could not believe what they were seeing.

They were threateningly powerful previously, but then they saw their God slapped dead so easily?

The visual impact stopped their minds from working. They could not handle it.

How could someone so terrifying exist?

Slap!

The Holy Emperor and the others slapped them at the same time, releasing the three hysterical mosquitoes from their suffering.

"A puny mosquito dares to suck Mr. Li's blood? Good riddance!"

Rich casually stomped on the dead mosquito. He said respectfully, "Mr. Li, I have the utmost respect and admiration for you. If any idiot dares to insult you in the future, please, come to me directly. I'll handle it! I won't let anyone slide, not even mosquitoes!"

A soldier behind him said sincerely, "That's right, Mr. Li. If anyone dares bully you, our General will be the first to object it!" 𝒍𝓲𝓫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝙤𝒎

Li Nianfan laughed. He saluted them and said, "Haha, thanks a lot, bros."

Rich said with a slightly apologetic tone, "Mr. Li, your knowledge is far too important. I have to hurry back with it. Sorry about that."

"Nevermind, go," nodded Li Nianfan.

Rich looked at the blacksmiths and said politely, "Everyone, I have a request. Could you come with me to the Xia Kingdom? We need to pass on the knowledge of forging. Please."

Owner Feng and the others were cooperative. They immediately accepted, "No problem, of course."

"We have to rely on you to stop the Southern brutes. Work hard on that!"

Then, everyone simply packed and they were ready to go.

Rich told Li Nianfan, "Mr. Li, farewell."

Li Nianfan saluted and said, "Take care, General Rich. I hope you succeed. See you...next time!"

For a soldier, 'see you next time' was the best phrase to use.

"Mr. Li, take care!" said Rich. Then, he yelled, "Let's go!"

Tap tap!

Li Nianfan stood there and watched as the others left. He felt sentimental.

Suddenly, he saw the Holy Emperor and the others walking over from afar.

They quickly walked over to Li Nianfan with smiles on their faces. They greeted, "Mr. Li, did you come to the Fallen Town for a fun trip?"

Li Nianfan smiled and nodded. "It's you guys. Greetings to the Holy Emperor and Lady Luo."

"Mr. Li, your talents are impressive. The improvements on the weapons are directly beneficial to the frontliners at war. You've helped the people greatly," complimented the Holy Emperor from the bottom of his heart.

A bigshot was still a bigshot even as an 'ordinary man'. He was far more superior than a cultivator.

"That's an overstatement. I only tried my best to help." Li Nianfan looked worried as he asked, "Are the demons that good? Not even the cultivators could stop them?"

"It's not looking good so far. The demons have become powerful in a short amount of time. The expansion of their army means more powerful beings. As for us..."

The Holy Emperor sighed heavily and said, "The Immortal Realm has been on a downhill slope for a long time because of the broken bridge to immortality. I'm not sure if we'll even have backup."

It seemed like a war between Demons and Immortals was going to happen!

Li Nianfan was worried. He asked, "Holy Emperor, will they attack us here?"

The Holy Emperor looked determined as he said, "Don't worry, Mr. Li. I won't let that happen."

That was not the answer Li Nianfan was looking for.

Based on the reaction of the Holy Emperor, the situation was not good.

The Southern brutes fought their way from the far South. The South borders and North borders were separated by the Clear Moon Lake. As the Southern brutes were powerful, the North border probably could not hold on much longer. They would definitely get attacked.

The first place in the Northside was the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty.

Dangerous!

Li Nianfan was considering moving away.

He dazedly chatted with the Holy Emperor for a while then he said goodbye and left.

Li Nianfan walked out of the Fallen Town. He looked at the little red bird on his shoulder and asked, "Goddess Fire Phoenix, if you protect me, can you save me?"

The Fire Phoenix glanced sideways at Li Nianfan. She did not want to answer that question.

'Do you even know who you just slapped to death? Me? Protect you?'

He was asking for a beginner to protect a master. How could he say that?

She said, "I, Fire Phoenix, can protect you."

Li Nianfan instantly felt relieved. He was confident in the Fire Phoenix. It should be okay since she promised him.

She was the one who said he could ask for something, right? He could depend on her!

At the Fallen Town.

The Holy Emperor and the others watched Li Nianfan leave. They were deep in thought.

The expert was obviously hinting.

The Holy Emperor suddenly asked, "Shiyu, did you get it?"

"I got it," Luo Shiyu nodded and said with determination. "I'm ready to go to the front lines!"

The Holy Emperor looked down and said, "The expert chose to live in the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty because he trusts us! Now, someone's attacking us and they're about to disturb the expert. We have to stop it even if we die!"

Luo Shiyu nodded. "The expert made the Human Sovereign and he passed on his knowledge to the humans. The human's Luck is off the charts. If we disappoint the expert now, how can we live with ourselves?"

"Now...is the time to shine for us chess pieces!"

...

At the Above Immortal Realm.

Deep in the jungle of an Eastside mountain area.

It was known as the forbidden spot. Not even demons or beasts dared to get close to the area.

It was buzzing inside the jungle and there were mosquitoes everywhere.

The mosquitoes were unusually ferocious. They could suck up blood and Spiritual Blood in an instant. They were also toxic. One would be left with bones once surrounded by those mosquitoes.

Suddenly, a bunch of mosquitoes fell to the ground without warning. Their bodies were stiff and they were instantly dead on the spot.

At a mountain cave in the deeper depths of the jungle.

There were three men with black robes sitting with their legs crossed. They were very skinny and had dark energy surrounding them.

The one on the left groaned. His eyes and mouth widened. He looked utterly horrified. His dark energy faded and he was lifeless.

The other two opened their eyes at the same time to look at him. They looked very confused.

The Second Brother was baffled. He asked in disbelief, "Third Brother...is dead?"

"How's this possible? Didn't he go to the Immortal Realm? How did he die?"

"What happened exactly that gave him that look of despair?" The Second Brother flinched. "And he sent one of his figures, but how did his real self die?"

"The Immortal Realm...has something horrifying!" The Big Brother was serious. "I know something big's about to happen when the realm changes. Third Brother was too careless."

The Second Brother said in a trembling voice, "It's an apparent scheme of a bigshot! I have a feeling that this is bigger than a scheme from the eldritch times! We cannot make sudden moves."

"Try to think of ways to test the water with some pawns." The Big Brother looked at the dead body of the Third Brother.

"Spiritual Blood's too precious. We can't waste it!"

The Big Brother and Second Brother turned into mosquitoes. They landed on their Third Brother, who was then sucked dry instantly like a deflated balloon...

Moves were made in the Immortal Realm.

There was a scary aura at the borders of the Azure Ville.

When the Liu Family Immortal died, the sect was constantly being interrogated on what happened!

Not a lot of people in the immortal realm knew the whole story. The Immortal that fought briefly with Daji only knew that Daji had great ice powers.

A lot of bigshots were attentive to the death of the Immortal. Liu Kuang would be satisfied with his death.

However, the Azure Ville was getting more attention from the public because it was the Azure Ville Immortal that came down to the Immortal Realm!

Chapter 234

Time flew by. Half a month quietly passed in the blink of an eye.

Payne was checking on the demon seal at the Azure Ville. Gu Changqing was studying it behind him.

It became a daily task.

Gu Yuan flew in slowly on a cloud. He looked a bit serious when he said, "Sect Master, according to our sources, aside from Amon, there's another demon servant that was released by the name of Backo."

"The demons work fast!" Payne frowned and said. "No wonder the expert mentioned the demon seal. I'm afraid we'll be facing a big challenge even if we're early."

Gu Changqing asked, "Grandpa, what realms are the demon servants usually from?"

"Not pass the Real Immortal realm." Gu Yuan groaned for a moment and said, "Demons from the Real Immortal realm are demon generals. Then, in the Golden Immortal realm, they're demon lords."

"Demon lords are too rare. They're on the same level as the Lord Immortal in the Above Immortal Realm. A bigshot amongst bigshots. They can control Dao however they like. They can even shred worlds apart."

Payne paused and continued, "Don't worry if it's just demon servants. I'm here. I'm not afraid of two or more demon servants!"

Gu Changqing was in awe as he asked excitedly, "Sect Master, what realm are you from?"

Payne smiled. "Not to brag but I'm from the Real Immortal... Intermediate realm!"

Gasp—

Gu Changqing was envious and respectful. "Awesome."

Payne said arrogantly, "Haha, how else would I be able to create a sect in the Above Immortal Realm?"

Gu Changqing curiously asked, "Sect Master, do you know what realm the expert comes from?"

"Don't gossip about the incredible expert!" Payne hurriedly stopped him. Then, he quietly said, "From what I can tell, I'm not sure if the Lord Immortal's worthy enough to wash the expert's feet."

Gu Changqing fell deep into thought. A figure flew in from afar.

It was an elder with a horsetail whisk at hand. He stopped mid-air.

Gu Changqing was surprised. He asked, "Cultivator Yunshan?"

"Cultivator Changqing, long time no see," greeted Yunshan.

Gu Changqing arched his eyebrow and asked curiously, "Cultivator Yunshan, what brings you to my Azure Ville?"

Yunshan was the Sect Master of the Wuchang Palace. He was also a cultivator from the Dacheng realm, same as Gu Changqing. They got along quite well as they used to study Dao together, but they did not visit each other often.

Sigh.

Yunshan sighed and frowned as if he was trying to put the words together.

Gu Changqing had a bad feeling about it. He quickly said, "Cultivator Yunshan, just give it to me straight."

Yunshan did not reply immediately. He looked at Gu Yuan and Payne instead. He respectfully said, "May I know who these two are..."

"My grandpa and my ancestor," answered Gu Changqing honestly.

"The two ancestors!" Yunshan did not look surprised. He hurriedly saluted, "Greetings from Yunshan to the two Immortals."

Payne raised his hand like he was thinking about something. He said, "No need to be so polite. From the looks of it, you're here for something regarding the Above Immortal Realm?"

Yunshan said, "You're great at predictions, Immortal. This is a bit hard to talk about. Sorry about that, everyone."

"Say it," frowned Payne.

Yunshan quickly put the words together and said, "My ancestor transcended to the Above Immortal Realm a long time ago, too. Yesterday, he sent me a message. He wished that you could hurry back to the Above Immortal Realm."

"Why?"

Yunshan replied, "My ancestor's in a sect named Liuyun Palace. He said it was the request of the Lord Immortal."

"Liuyun Palace? Lord Immortal?"

Gu Yuan and Payne changed their facial expressions at the same time. They were familiar with the two phrases.

They were gossiping about the Lord Immortal earlier, but in an instant, they were wanted by the Lord Immortal. They felt like it was a joke from God.

Payne frowned hard.

The Liuyun Palace was well-known.

They did not have a lot of disciples but they were insanely cool. The lord of the palace was from the Golden Immortal Master realm—unimaginably powerful.

They had not spoken to each other before.

Payne asked, "Can I know what for?"

"He didn't say why, but my ancestor said you already know the reason." Yunshan groaned for a moment then bowed again. He anxiously said, "My ancestor said that the Lord Immortal has already invited the Sect Master of the Heavenly Water Sect."

"What?" Payne did not look happy. His Immortal aura came at Yunshan like a tsunami.

Yunshan was instantly knocked down from the sky. He crashed into the ground as heavy pressure fell on him.

The ground had a man-shaped hole and it was deepening further.

Yunshan was flushed. It was as if he had tonnes of weight on him. He almost suffocated to death.

"Please, don't be mad. It has nothing to do with me!"

He was helpless, too. His ancestor set him up to be a potentially dead messenger. 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Payne slowly relaxed.

Yunshan crawled out of the hole. He had dirt all over him. His horsetail whisk was broken, too. He was a mess.

He did not dare to stay much longer so he hurriedly said, "That's all for the message. I'm really sorry. Farewell."

He immediately left.

He would stay as far as possible from an angry Immortal. So scary.

Gu Yuan looked very worried. "Sect Master, I'm afraid the Lord Immortal's coming for the expert. This isn't good."

"It looks like I'll have to return to the Above Immortal Realm," sighed Payne. He looked around and said, "Gu Yuan, stay on your guard. The demons are for you to handle."

Gu Yuan said, "Should I visit the expert first? It's the Lord Immortal!"

"Not appropriate." Payne shook his head. "We aren't that close to the expert yet so we can't disturb him like that."

"Alright, stop talking. There's a lot of people observing us. I'm leaving!"

Then, Payne left on a cloud immediately.

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan looked worried. They said, "Farewell, Sect Master."

Nighttime.

At the four-part architecture.

Creak.

A door slowly opened.

Li Nianfan walked out wearing a loose robe with a towel in hand. His hair was slightly wet.

He bumped headfirst into a red figure at the door.

Li Nianfan was taken aback. He quickly checked his clothes to ensure he was not nude. Then, he said, "What are you doing here?"

Was the Phoenix listening to his shower?

The Fire Phoenix twitched her nose. She asked curiously, "What a unique aroma. How did you do it?"

She finally asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time.

Li Nianfan smiled and casually said, "Oh, it's shower gel. I made it myself. It's infused with several types of flowers."

"Shower gel?" The Fire Phoenix was confused.

"It's a thing for showers," said Li Nianfan while he walked back into his room.

The Fire Phoenix most probably did not care about that. Would Immortals need to shower?

Li Nianfan stood at the door of his room and reminded, "Daji, I've prepared the water for your bath. The temperature's just right, so hurry up."

Daji yelled, "Yeah, coming."

The Fire Phoenix stood at the door. She felt like she was missing out on something.

Suddenly, Daji walked over, carrying her clothes. She gracefully stepped into the bathroom.

The bathroom was big and had a big bathtub. The water was drawn by Li Nianfan. It had a layer of white bubbles on top.

Daji smiled and excitedly took off her clothes to soak in the bathtub.

Phew—

The nice temperature made her sigh in relief. Her small face was blushing as she shut her eyes and enjoyed the moment.

However, she heard a 'creak' sound. The door swung open. The Fire Phoenix rushed over.

Daji was shocked. She glared at the Fire Phoenix, "What are you doing?"

The Fire Phoenix sneered as if she figured it all out. "The Master loves to pretend he's an ordinary man, so he showers. But we're never dirty. We're dustless, so what are you showering for?"

She stared at the water that Daji was soaking in. She made an intriguing sound then dipped her hand into the water. Then, she tasted it.

Suddenly, her eyes went wide. She looked like she was in disbelief. She dipped her head into the water to drink it.

"This... Is this really water from the Feixian Pond?!"

Daji looked mad. "Get out of here!"

"You damn fox, you didn't bring me along for something nice like this?"

The Fire Phoenix was flushed from anger. "I knew something was off. You were so excited to shower. There must be something wrong! You have to bring me along next time!"

Water from the Feixian Pond!

She had a very deep impression of the Feixian Pond.

In the eldritch era, the Feixian Pond was well-known for its properties.

Feixian meant to transcend into an Immortal!

It had insanely amazing properties.

Everyone had the chance to soak in it after transcending into an Immortal.

Once ordinary people soaked themselves in the Feixian Pond, they could gain a lot of Insights, Dao, and Wisdom. They would be a body for Basics of Wisdom with improvements. If demons entered the Feixian Pond, their blood could be improved.

According to legends, the Feixian Pond was a gift and a blessing.

However, the Feixian Pond gradually disappeared in a faraway era.

The Fire Phoenix did not expect that the water they used to shower with was water from the Feixian Pond!

That was beyond her imagination.

She stared at Daji and said with jealousy, "You've bathed in here so many times already. Move, let me!"

Daji sunk further into the bathtub. "No way, get out of here!"

"Then we'll just take the bubble bath together!" The Fire Phoenix took off her clothes on the spot and leaped into the bathtub.

"Argh—So nice..."

"What are you doing? Get out, now!"

"Nope! Scoot! Scoot over!"

Chapter 235

Early the next day.

Li Nianfan was sitting in the yard. He was clearly tired.

He looked at the Fire Phoenix and Daji. He had a question in mind, but when he tried to speak, he stopped himself.

Did they take a bubble bath until midnight? When had they become so close? He had trouble sleeping last night.

The Fire Phoenix acted strangely in the morning, too. She chased after Daji to learn how to brush her teeth.

The friendship between girls was so sudden and weird, even for the Fire Phoenix.

However, it made Li Nianfan excited. The friendship between Daji and the Fire Phoenix meant that bigshots were easy to get along with. There was nothing wrong with it.

The war between Demons and Immortals was upon him. It would be dangerous soon. He had to befriend as many bigshots as he could.

He would shamelessly ask for their protection if they were his friends. They would not reject him then.

He was only an ordinary man. They could easily protect him.

He started to study the 'Bootlicker's Guide to the Immortal Realm'.

'Rule Number One—cater to their hobbies.' Immortals were people, too, and they also had their hobbies. For example, writing, painting, playing instruments, and more. He could do that.

'Rule Number Two—have a forte.' His forte would be his cooking. Immortals were people, too, and they had an appetite. He could win them over with his cooking. It was working well so far.

'Rule Number Three—invest in potential bigshots.' Li Nianfan captured the essence of it. He did not own so many novels in the past realm for nothing. He was excellent at observing people and he thought he was good at identifying bigshots.

'Rule Number Four—only be decent to potential bigshots that have tragic backstories and just be acquaintances with people who are divorced, disabled, or betrayed.' He should not be too close with them. Never become their buddies because usually, he would be the first to die.

Rule Number Five...

Li Nianfan scribbled and wrote a lot. He gained a lot of experience from reading novels in the past realm. Therefore, bootlicking was not considered a low-blow or out-of-character for him. He could do it all effectively.

Li Nianfan finished the 'Bootlicker's Guide to the Immortal Realm'. Then, he made another one.

It was a list called the 'List of Bigshots'.

Li Nianfan listed down his ranking of the bigshots he knew.

The Fire Phoenix was without a doubt the first on the list. Then, the grandpa and Gu Siblings of the Azure Ville. Followed by Yao Mengji, Lin Mufeng...

Li Nianfan listed down every cultivator he knew. Of course, he added some notes next to the names about how close they were.

He assumed...

The Fire Phoenix was 55 percent close to him. They were business partners but not yet friends.

Those who scored 60 percent were friends, 70 percent were buddies, 80 percent were close friends, and 90 percent were soulmates.

He kept listing names. Li Nianfan also wrote Nanan on the list.

"Not sure how the young lady's cultivation journey's doing, but don't forget about me, your brother!"

Li Nianfan mumbled to himself for a while. He thought about it and added the old tree of the Fallen Town into the list.

The two books would be his legacy, his masterpieces. The value of the publications—immeasurable!

Li Nianfan was pleased with himself for a while. He felt like he found his calling. He instantly felt assured.

He was in a good mood and was ready to go out for a walk.

He smiled and said, "Daji, let's go to the Fallen Town, then to the Clear Moon Lake to look at the fishes!"

Daji was as happy as Li Nianfan. She nodded and said, "Yeah, whatever you say."

Li Nianfan walked toward a small bucket that was filled with their recent leftovers. It was processed into nutritional fertilizer.

He planned to pour it on his plants to ensure their growth.

Li Nianfan took some fertilizer and laughed. "Let's go!"

The Fire Phoenix automatically turned into a little red bird and landed on his shoulder.

Blackie watched Li Nianfan leave from the four-part architecture. Suddenly, he fell deep in thought.

Blackie said, "Xiao Bai, I think I might be wrong about something."

Xiao Bai instantly switched modes. Its voice went deeper as it said, "Therapist Xiao Bai is now online. Please, state your problem."

Blackie was filled with sorrow. "I always thought that Master's above it all. He doesn't see the differences in status or gender. I now realize that the fox and the Phoenix are more loved and I'm being abandoned. Isn't this gender discrimination?"

Xiao Bai smoothly answered, "According to science, people will be happier when they are accompanied by pretty ladies, regardless of gender but especially so for guys. But if I'm accompanied by a single dog, my happiness level will decrease instantly. It's just the law of nature. The mood has nothing to do with cultivation."

Blackie excitedly asked, "What if I reshape my form of flesh right now?"

"Why go through the trouble? Surgeon Xiao Bai is now online," said Xiao Bai in an incredibly professional voice. Xiao Bai took out a pair of scissors. "Come on, lay down. I promise it's highly effective and painless."

...

Li Nianfan brought Daji to the Fallen Town again.

It was still crowded and peaceful.

Hopefully, the war would not affect the place.

'Sigh, what's wrong with living in peace? Is fighting and battling that fun?' Li Nianfan thought for a moment. In reality, regardless of where he was, resources were limited. War necessitated more!

He went through the city and walked towards the East door.

He was slightly surprised when he got to the old Locust tree.

The thick branches of the old Locust tree were gone. Only half of the charred trunk was left.

There were also a few elders who were worshipping the tree. Their eyes were filled with nostalgia.

Li Nianfan quickly walked over and realized that the little sapling was still there in the middle of the tree trunk. He instantly sighed in relief.

He asked, "Elder, were the branches cleaned out by someone?"

One of the elders said, "Yeah, there were a few passing Immortals not long ago. They noticed the big old tree was struck by lightning. They said it was Lightning Wood or something. Then they excitedly chopped it away."

The other elder said passionately, "I was there. They controlled a flying sword. It spun in the air and chopped down the branches. It was awesome!"

"The young ones wanted to move the tree trunk, too, but they were stopped by the elder."

"I'll be the first one to say no. The tree's old but a new sapling has sprouted. They'll pay if they try to chop that down, too!"

The elders started to chat and gossip away.

Li Nianfan smiled and walked to the stem.

It was good that the dry branches were cut off. It would be beneficial for the growth of the sapling. He had saved a lot of energy.

He took out the fertilizer that he prepared and sprinkled it around the little sapling. He was assured that the little sapling would grow well.

The little sapling was extremely green. Under the sunlight, it looked alive.

"Come on, old tree. If you're spiritual, hurry up and grow. They'll soon fight their way over here. The Fallen Town depends on you to shield them."

Li Nianfan poured the fertilizer while he mumbled, "I know you'd rather die than see the town get hurt. I know you have feelings for this town. I, Li Nianfan, don't need credit for this."

Li Nianfan finished fertilizing and thought about something. He felt like he did not miss anything. Then, he wiped his hands, smiled, and said, "Daji, let's go to the Clear Moon Lake!"

The old tree was not doing well, but Li Nianfan was not going to let go of any possible bigshots. He could do it casually anyway. Why would he be lazy about making good connections?

He would not look down on the weak. They might bring him along with them if they were strong in the future.

Meanwhile.

At the Lingyun Immortal Pavilion.

There were lightning flashes in the sky. A ray of bright light slashed through the clouds and headed straight for the Lingyun Immortal Pavilion.

The figure arrived in a blink of an eye!

He was flushed and had deep eyes. He looked very cool. His full black outfit made him look powerful, too, and it gave him a fierce aura. His long hair moved with the wind and it looked like he had strands of shiny swords.

The disciples of the Lingyun Immortal Pavilion fell into chaos. They all looked afraid.

Just by a single glance from the man in black, they suddenly realized that they were being overwhelmed by Sword Qi. Their hair stood on ends as they realized they were about to die. 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝙘𝙤𝙢

They could not even resist it.

Lin Mufeng was terrified. He rushed into the hall and spat a mouthful of blood on the Immortal Stone.

Suddenly, the Immortal Stone glowed brightly.

He said in a serious tone, "I'm the Sect Master of the Lingyun Immortal Pavilion, Lin Mufeng. I summon the Immortal from above."

He was frantic. He was usually nice to everyone, so why was a powerful enemy attacking them? Was he perhaps in the wrong place?

Thankfully, he got an Immortal Stone from the expert the last time. However, he was unsure if the Immortal was dependable or not.

Buzz!

The Immortal Stone glowed and emitted a special scent.

However, no Immortal showed up.

Lin Mufeng was sweating bullets. He was about to spit out more blood when he heard, "No need to summon me anymore. I'm the owner of this Immortal Stone!"

Bam!

The light flew out the door and landed on the man in black robes.

Lin Mufeng was dumbfounded. Then, he respectfully said, "I'm Lin Mufeng. Welcome, Immortal!"

The man in black robes was very excited and happy. He quickly asked, "Where's my precious disciple? Hurry up and let me meet my precious student!"

Lin Mufeng freaked out slightly. He tried his best to say, "Immortal, there's no disciple of yours here."

"Impossible!" yelled the black-robed man. "He has the Excalibur from the secret border, so at least, he has an unsullied body fated for swords! I didn't think that the Immortal Realm would have someone like that. He's born to be my student!"

The black-robed man glared with wide eyes. "Speak, who's got the Excalibur?"

Lin Mufeng almost cried. He smiled awkwardly and said, "To be honest, it's me."

The black-robed man observed Lin Mufeng closely for a moment. "Blasphemy! You don't have a body fated for swords. You think you can inherit my Excalibur?"

He frowned and said coldly, "I set up ten tests. No ordinary man would be able to pass the tests, and even if they did, they'd have to have an unsullied body fated for swords to pull out the Excalibur. Otherwise, the sword would just puncture their hearts!

"I spent a lot of effort just to find a worthy student! Not a lot of Masters are as passionate as I am in the world!"

Lin Mufeng had cold sweat all over. He was petrified.

He pulled out the sword. Thankfully, the expert reminded him to bring the lantern. Otherwise, he would be long dead by now, right?

Thankfully, he had the expert. He saved his life.

'It was such a sick and twisted test. Are you sure you're looking for a student?'

Chapter 236

"I get it!"

The black-robed man stared at Lin Mufeng with wide eyes. He looked like he realized something. "It's you! You must've killed my precious student and stole the treasure! My student died tragically! I have to avenge him!"

He was menacingly strong. The wind blew like sharp blades, slashing through the clouds.

The Lingyun Immortal Pavilion was about to be destroyed.

Plop!

Lin Mufeng went weak in the knees. He knelt and begged, "Immortal, don't be angry. Please, don't be angry! I really did pull out the sword."

The black-robed man sneered, "Impossible! You wouldn't be able to pass the first three tests. Quick, tell me, Where did you get it from?"

Swoosh!

A sword flew past his neck swiftly. A strand of Lin Mufeng's hair fell off.

Lin Mufeng instantly went stiff from fear.

He struggled for a long time. Then, he said, "I didn't go to the secret border alone. There's an expert!"

The black-robed man looked convinced. "I see. That person's most probably my student! Why did the expert give you the Excalibur?"

He was an expert. Would he even be impressed by the Excalibur?

Lin Mufeng put the words together and said, "This expert is incredibly powerful, free from the bonds of status. He's beyond Immortals or ordinary folks. I'm afraid he has no use for the Excalibur."

The black-robed man frowned. He said coldly, "You think I'll believe that?"

"Immortal, I'm telling the truth!" Lin Mufeng looked serious. "Although I'm weak in cultivation and I've never seen the Above Immortal Realm, I'm certain he's more powerful than an Immortal!"

"Oh?" The black-robed man was slightly surprised. "Bring me to him!"

Lin Mufeng awkwardly smiled and shook his head. "Immortal, without the expert's hint, I can't bring you to him. Perhaps you can wait until I get his permission?"

"You dare speak to me like that? It's as if he's the real deal," growled the black-robed man. He said, "I have a way to know if you're telling the truth. Follow me to the Immortal Relic!"

Then, he carried Lin Mufeng with him to the Clear Moon Lake.

Meanwhile, Li Nianfan had already rented a raft with an awning. It was drifting slowly across the Clear Moon Lake.

There were a lot of boats around the Clear Moon Lake. Fishermen boats came and went. They all looked really happy as if they had won the lottery. It was probably because they could catch all sorts of fish and shellfish through their fishing nets.

It also attracted a lot of cultivators who frequently flew by in the sky.

Of course, a lot of men and women came to lake drift, too. Many fancy boats were floating on the water.

This was why the rental fees were doubled.

Li Nianfan rowed the raft to the center of the lake. The oars disturbed the fishes that were swimming in the lake, causing them to swim away rapidly.

Suddenly, a big fish leaped out of the water's surface. It leaped over the raft and plopped back into the lake.

The fishes in the Immortal Realm were so lively!

Li Nianfan said weirdly, "Awesome. It's been a month, right? Why are there still so many fishes in the lake? Does more fishing lead to more fish?"

He did not say anything unnecessary. He immediately took out his fishing tools and sat crossed-legged on the raft, ready to fish.

He attached the bait and cast his line.

Pap!

The fishing line zipped through the air and landed nicely in the water.

An old fisherman was watching. He said, "Young man, just cast a fishing net. It's rare seeing so many fishes like this. Using a fishing rod will be a waste!"

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Old man, I'm enjoying the process of fishing. I'm not here to hunt for fishes."

The old fisherman shook his head. "Wasteful, what a waste!"

Li Nianfan did not say anything else. He quietly fished while enjoying the beautiful painting-like view. He was accompanied by a beautiful lady, too. This was a great life.

Daji leaned against Li Nianfan as she dipped her pretty fair feet in the water. Li Nianfan looked at her bare feet and thought to himself, 'Huh, now that's the real fish bait.'

The little red bird on his shoulder spread her wings. She flew and perched on top of the awning.

She curiously tilted her head and looked around, observing everything with interest.

Then, she spread her wings again and glided across the surface of the lake. She was slightly annoyed.

At the bottom of the Clear Moon Lake.

It was extremely turbulent. Water pillars were being formed and powers were shooting back and forth like waves. It was kind of like a boiling fountain down there.

It was happening everywhere, and it seemed to be coming from the Eastside ocean. The water was full of power, causing all the fishes to swim up to the surface.

There was a golden door at the bottom of the Eastside ocean. A terrifying amount of fishes seemed to be swimming into it. Upon closer inspection, it was not the fishes that were swimming into to door. It was the water's current that was forcing the fish to swim inside!

Buzz!

Suddenly, the golden door started to shine. A powerful aura emitted from within it. It sucked in the ocean water, causing a huge wave.

The surrounding fishes instantly fled.

A voice could be heard.

"The Dragon Door's open! The Dragon Door's really open!"

"How did this happen? I thought the Immortal Realm was dead?"

"Hold on, hold on a second. The door isn't completely opened yet. I wonder how the outside world's doing?"

Suddenly, a panicked shriek could be heard. "Stop gossiping, the Seventh Princess is missing! Hurry up and find her!"

...

Plop!

Li Nianfan raised his fishing rod gently and fished out a big carp. The fish's tail flapped about, causing water to splash in the air.

Splash!

The fish landed right into the bucket.

It was a big red bucket with twenty big fishes of various types inside. Li Nianfan looked at them swimming actively. He felt joyful and proud.

What nice gains.

Maybe this was the fun part of fishing.

"Too bad. There are too many fish here. I feel like I'm lacking a bit of a challenge." Li Nianfan put his fishing rod aside. He did not want to fish anymore.

Fishing was just for entertainment on this trip. He mainly focused on the fun of it.

Suddenly, a fisherman's boat passed by coincidentally. There were three people on the boat—an old man, a middle-aged man, and a lady.

The lady was responsible for sailing the boat. The old man and the middle-aged man were drawing their fishing net. The veins on their arms were popping out from the sheer force they were exerting. However, they looked excited.

The heavier it was meant that they had caught more fish.

The middle-aged man worriedly reminded, "Dad, back up a little. Be careful. Don't get dragged down there."

"Hey, you were just learning how to walk when I first brought you fishing. You think you can teach the old man how to do things now?"

The old man scolded, "Look closely!"

He stepped back and bent backward. Then, he lifted the fishing net.

Splash!

The fishing net came out of the water. Splashes were everywhere.

Countless prawns and fishes were wiggling in the net, their scales brightly reflected under the sunlight.

Plop.

The fishing net was pulled up to their boat. The father and son instantly sat down and panted.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Old man, you gained a lot."

"Haha, it's alright." The old man instantly smiled. "You came here to lake drift?"

"Yeah." Li Nianfan was slightly curious. He asked, "You guys have so much fish. Where are you going to ship them to?"

The old man replied, "The Xia Kingdom, of course. They're at war now and they lack food."

"I see," Li Nianfan nodded. He was previously worried by the sudden increase in fishes. Would it not disrupt the fish market? He got his answer.

It seemed like the fish came at the right time.

"Sir, let me tell you. The war's crazy. I sent fish to the injured soldiers before. It was a gory sight!" said the old man. Then, he pointed in a direction and said, "If you keep drifting in this direction to the other side, you can see the battlefield. You might even see floating corpses in the water, too."

Li Nianfan looked across the horizon, toward the Southside of the Clear Moon Lake.

"Thanks for the notice, old man. Goodbye." Li Nianfan smiled and rowed. He gently drifted away and stopped disturbing that family.

The raft drifted. The gentle breeze on the face was very nice.

Plop! 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Suddenly, there was a loud 'plop', followed by chaotic screaming.

"Somebody fell into the water! Everyone, help!"

"Quick, who can swim?"

Li Nianfan looked over with arched eyebrows.

Usually in this situation, most people around here would know how to swim. It would be easy to save them.

However, the one who fell into the water was a rich guy from a fancy boat. The fishermen were far away from the fancy boats and the other people on fancy boats may not know how to swim.

The rich guy was struggling in the water. It would probably take a while for someone to go save him.

Li Nianfan rowed his boat closer.

"Huh?" said the Fire Phoenix on his shoulder. She looked straight into the water.

Li Nianfan was slightly curious. He stared at the guy who fell into the water, too.

He realized something odd was happening.

The guy did not know how to swim, but he was not sinking. It was like something was pushing him up from beneath the water.

He arched his eyebrow. He noticed that whenever the guy was about to sink deeper into the water, something would push him up from his waist. He rowed closer and looked closely. There was a red-tailed white carp in the water. It was constantly pushing the guy up from his waist.

The carp was not strong. It used all its might to push.

"A kind Carp Demon!"

Li Nianfan was intrigued. He instantly listed it in his list of bigshots.

There were not a lot of kind demons. Since he met one, it would be beneficial to befriend it. Moreover, this was a water demon. He would have someone to look out for him in the waters.

The rich guy was soon saved thanks to the help of the Carp Demon.

However, a figure suddenly swooped down from above. The figure transformed into a young lad in a green shirt. He was levitating above the water's surface.

He had a Gold Net in his hand. It was shiny. He threw it into the lake and instantly captured the Carp Demon. Then, he pulled the demon out of the water.

"I thought I could get lucky at the Clear Moon Lake. I wasted so much time here so I can't go back empty-handed. A white carp with a red tail, a soon-to-be demon, interesting," said the smiling young lad in a green shirt. Then, he hooked the Carp Demon to his belt.

Li Nianfan saw that. He frowned and hesitated for a moment before he rowed over.

He knew a lot of bigshots and he had the Fire Phoenix to protect him. He was slightly confident.

"I'm Li Nianfan. Greetings... bro."

The green shirt lad glanced at Li Nianfan. He seemed hostile. However, he paused for a moment when he saw Daji. Then, he arrogantly asked, "What do you want?"

Li Nianfan said, "Bro, this Carp Demon saved someone. I don't think it'll hurt anybody. Why don't you spare its life and I'll treat you to some drinks. Okay, bro?"

"You're just an ordinary man. You dare drink with me?" sneered the green shirt lad. "Do me a favor and look at your reflection in the water. Do you think you're worthy?"

Li Nianfan felt his heart drop. It seemed like he was not lucky this time. He had met an unfriendly cultivator.

However, he was not surprised. Not everyone was nice.

He looked at the struggling Carp Demon on his belt. The red tail flapped around like a flickering flame. It was frantic and afraid, looking at Li Nianfan like it was asking for help. A very humane demon.

He groaned and continued, "Bro, the Holy Emperor of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty's my friend. This Carp Demon isn't that valuable. Spare it for me. We can be friends."

"Shameless nonsense! You and the Holy Emperor are friends? Then, I am God's brother."

The green shirt lad burst out laughing. He was still looking at Daji when he shook his head and said, "It's a crime to be unworthy. How did you, an ordinary man, get such an outstandingly beautiful wife? Be careful! Lady, why don't you follow me instead? I have a Beauty Pill that can stop your beauty from aging for up to ten years!"

A figure darted across the sky.

Then, it turned back quickly.

The black-robed man was carrying Lin Mufeng with one hand but he was staring at Li Nianfan. His gaze was filled with a burning passion.

He was trembling from excitement. It was as if he saw the most precious jewel in the world. "A body made of Dao? He's a natural!

"God bless. You sent me such an outstanding student!"

He laughed maniacally and swooped down.

"The audacity. How dare you insult my precious student. Die!"

Endless swords fell from the sky along with his roar. Even the clouds in the sky were affected. The clouds were also shaped like swords.

Swords were raining down on the green shirt lad. He was gone in an instant before he could react. It was like he vanished into thin air.

"I'm here in time to save the day from such an insult. Plus, my attacks look so powerful and cool. This student...is mine!"

The black-robed man smiled and stood proudly on the water. He looked mysteriously compassionate.

He said slowly, "Fella, say hello to your Master?"

Lin Mufeng witnessed it all from the air. His mind buzzed and he almost went blind.

He was horrified. His soul almost left his body.

What was a natural body made of Dao?!

He was a real freaking bigshot!

Chapter 237

A natural body made of Dao?

'He wants me to be his student?'

Li Nianfan was stumped.

Perhaps this was his hidden talent?

He was slightly excited. He asked, "Sir, I don't have Spiritual Root. Can I still cultivate?"

"You don't have Spiritual Root?" The black robed man was baffled. He looked at the Fire Phoenix that was perched on Li Nianfan. Then, he immediately denied it, "Impossible! Your bird isn't ordinary either. How could you not have Spiritual Root?"

It seemed like it was useless since he did not have a Spiritual Root.

Li Nianfan smiled awkwardly and said, "Sir, I just coincidentally befriended it out of luck. Truthfully, I'm just an ordinary man."

"You're an ordinary man?" The black-robed man was dumbfounded. He stared at Li Nianfan. After multiple confirmations, he exclaimed like he was attacked, "You're just an ordinary man! But you're a natural body made of Dao. Why don't you have Spiritual Root? It's not justified, it's not justified!"

He looked weirdly at Li Nianfan.

He was a natural body made of Dao, which meant he was extremely compatible with Dao. Every move he made would be delicate yet powerful. He was blessed. He would be unstoppable with cultivation training and if he were to become a swordsman, his swordsmanship would be off the charts.

However, he did not have any powers. It meant he did not have a Spiritual Root!

A natural body made of Dao would improve over time even without cultivation.

Li Nianfan felt like it was necessary to correct him, "Sir, it's 'just'. Not 'justified'."

He saw that carp on the surface of the lake. It was blowing bubbles while looking at Li Nianfan. He was instantly happy.

He bent down and waved. He said, "Little Carp, be careful next time. Don't get easily captured."

Then, Lin Mufeng swooped down, too. He smiled at Li Nianfan, "Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan saluted, "Brother Lin, who knew I'd run into you here, too."

Lin Mufeng was slightly scared. He said, "Mr. Li, I'm here with the Immortal. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "It's not a bother at all. Do you want to get onto the raft?"

He looked at the black-robed man oddly. He did not expect him to also be an Immortal.

So many new Immortals in the Immortal Realm.

Sigh!

The black-robed man sighed defeatedly. He looked demotivated. He did not want to go to the Immortal Relic anymore. He hopped onto the boat with a dispirited look.

Lin Mufeng smiled apologetically, "Sorry for the disturbance."

The Immortal on the boat made Li Nianfan slightly nervous, especially when he witnessed him disintegrate the other cultivator within seconds. He would be lying if he said he was not fazed by that.

He picked up the oar and rowed.

The Carp Demon unexpectedly followed the raft. It leaped out of the water from time to time, too, making splashes.

The Fire Phoenix stared at that white carp with sparkles in her eyes. She suddenly said, "Looks like that Carp Demon likes following us around. Why don't I train it?"

"Nice!" Li Nianfan was instantly excited. He immediately said, "It's a breakthrough for it to train with you! I think it's a nice thing!"

He approved it wholeheartedly.

If the Fire Phoenix took the Carp Demon in as her student, it meant that she would be staying longer in the Immortal Realm. The Carp Demon was pure and naive. It must be touched by its hero that saved its life. It wanted to be thankful.

It could be a kind and helpful demon with the teachings of the Fire Phoenix.

Yes to that!

He dipped the bucket into the water. Then, he waved and said, "Little carp, come over here."

The little carp was hesitant.

Li Nianfan quickly tossed some orange slices into the water. He tempted it like a bad uncle, "You want some? Do you like fruits? I have a lot of delicious food here. It's tasty."

Meanwhile, Lin Mufeng wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He calmed his racy heart.

That was a torturous sight. A sight that was bad for his heart. Thankfully, he did not make a huge mistake. Otherwise...

Lin Mufeng felt a shiver go down his spine again. He did not want to think about it. He almost cried.

He looked at the dazed black-robed man and rolled his eyes. The ignorant were always fearless!

The black-robed man asked in a calm tone, "You seem upset?"

Lin Mufeng took a deep breath. In a trembling voice, he said cautiously, "Immortal, you almost got into huge trouble!"

The black-robed man smiled and said proudly, "Ha, I'm never afraid of getting into trouble! Tell me about it. Entertain me."

Lin Mufeng shook his head. He sighed quietly and said, "Remember the expert I told you about on the way here? That's the expert!"

"It's him?" asked the black-robed man.

"That's him! For a bigshot, it doesn't matter if he's a natural body made of Dao. It's nothing even if he's a Saint body, God body, or Invincible body." Lin Mufeng said, "Stop questioning it! Look at that lady next to him. That's actually the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Really?"

The black-robed man arched his eyebrow when he looked at Daji.

He realized something was off. He could not read her cultivation. She should be an ordinary woman.

However... It proved that she was either an ordinary woman or he was inferior to her.

He looked at the little red bird bafflingly, too.

The Fire Phoenix did not hide her aura so he could instantly tell she was extraordinary. He thought she was just a little bird demon, but when he looked closely, he realized he could not read the cultivation of a tiny bird demon either!

Yikes—

He gasped and his eyes went wide. He could not accept it.

"Are you for real?" He could not stay calm. He was worried.

"It's real. I told you on the way that the expert likes living as an ordinary man. You have to be careful next time!" Lin Mufeng secretly felt good.

'Oh, you know how to gasp?

'Where did your cool gusto go? Didn't you say you wanted to be entertained?'

The black-robed man was dumbfounded.

"Did I just ask a bigshot to be my student?" His mind was buzzing. He had goosebumps all over while his heart raced. "No, I have to find a good land to bury myself!"

It was like a man asking his boss to work for him without knowing who was the actual boss. The moment of realization...was a cringy sensation!

Lin Mufeng quietly said, "It's not that bad. At least you didn't cross the line."

"No, I have to make up for it! I have to save myself!"

He flicked his wrist and a jar of alcohol appeared. He slowly walked toward Li Nianfan.

"Mister, I was impolite just now. Please, pardon me."

"You're too courteous, Immortal. It's not a big deal." Li Nianfan waved and said in a slightly pitiful tone, "Too bad I don't have Spiritual Root. I've disappointed you, Immortal."

The black-robed man jumped.

The expert was clearly blaming him! He held a grudge!

He started to sweat. He said, "Mister, I heard from Cultivator Lin that you're talented and educated. You can do things no one can. You're incredibly respectable even if you can't cultivate. Cheers to you!"

"Haha, thanks a lot," laughed Li Nianfan. It was very effective. "Orange?"

The black-robed man respectfully accepted the orange. "Thanks."

He still felt uneasy. Then, he ate the orange.

Suddenly, he felt a wave of Power Fragments go straight to his brain!

His eyes widened. He was excited yet terrified inside.

Power Fragments! It was Power Fragments!

He quickly looked at the orange and observed it. Was it a real orange?

Why would an orange like that exist?

Expert, the ultimate expert!

He twitched. How was he alive? Thankfully!

Li Nianfan asked curiously, "What? Is it not okay?"

"No, of course, it is!" The black-robed man put the whole orange into his mouth. "It's too delicious. I've never tasted oranges like this before!"

Li Nianfan smiled and said in a slightly pleased voice, "Good, I planted it myself. It's good enough to serve guests."

Good enough to serve guests?

Only maniacs in the Immortal Realm would serve this orange to guests!

Was this the world of the bigshot?

He quickly adjusted his attitude and said, "Mister, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Xiao Chengfeng. I'm a sword cultivator."

Li Nianfan replied politely, "I'm Li Nianfan, an ordinary man."

Xiao Chengfeng was slightly nervous. He said, "Mr. Li, I was too reckless to ask you to be my student just now. Please, don't mind me."

Li Nianfan asked curiously, "Brother Xiao, you're great at cultivation. Why can't you get a student?"

"It's easy to take in a student, but hard to find one that I'm satisfied with." Xiao Chengfeng shook his head. "There are too few genius cultivators and even fewer genius sword cultivators."

"I see," nodded Li Nianfan.

Xiao Chengfeng sighed softly.

It was one of his unsolvable problems.

It had been more than 7000 years. He did not grow or improve that whole time because he was at the end of his sword cultivation journey. He was lost.

If it kept going on like that, he could only wait for his death. Therefore, he needed a student to pass on his legacy. 𝘭𝒾𝑏𝑟𝑒𝒶𝒹.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Li Nianfan asked, "Brother Xiao, have you ever considered that your student doesn't have to be a rare genius?"

black-robed

Brother Xiao shook his head. "That won't do. The most important thing for sword cultivation is natural talent. They can't be a sword cultivator if they're not a genius, right?"

The old man was a bit extreme. Cultivation required natural talent but it was wrong to rely purely on talents.

Li Nianfan was prepared to share his theory, especially in sword cultivation. He debated, "Brother Xiao, I think sword cultivation has nothing to do with natural talent. A thousand people can hold the sword and have a thousand ways of understanding swords. Ordinary people can hold the sword and point it at an Immortal, too, while Immortals can hold the sword but flee at the last moment. Swordsmanship comes from the heart. Why limit it to just talent?"

Chapter 238

'Swordsmanship comes from the heart. Why limit it to just talent?'

Xiao Chengfeng breathed heavily. He kept replaying that sentence in his mind. He seemed to be out of it.

Buzz!

There was a buzzing in his ears like an alarm clock. He felt like his soul was about to ascend.

The Answer of sword cultivation. It was The Answer!

He suddenly felt like crying because he felt enlightened.

No wonder he did not improve for 7000 years. He was at the end of the road. He relied too much on talent. It was not a commentary on taking on a student. It was a commentary on himself!

The expert was trying to help him!

He thought talent was the most important thing in sword cultivation. He expected to transcend relying purely on talent. Ridiculous, it was ridiculous!

He did not have good swordsmanship. How could he improve?

At that moment, he finally understood!

His dead-end journey had a new path. The new path was wide and endless. It would be amazing for sure!

Xiao Chengfeng looked serious. He suddenly stood up and felt his cells jumping around. "Mr. Li, your quote enlightened me. I learned a lot today. Please, accept my bow."

It was exciting to be enlightened. It could make anyone happy.

"Brother Xiao, no!" Li Nianfan quickly stopped him. "You're an Immortal and I'm just an ordinary man. There's no such thing as Immortals bowing to ordinary people. It's just a casual saying. You know, the observer sees more clearly than the participant. Brother Xiao, you were just too stubborn."

"Regardless of that, thanks, Mr. Li."

Xiao Chengfeng was confused. Such generosity was simply shrugged off by the blesser.

'The observer sees more clearly than the participant'.

What a simple way to put it.

It was terribly difficult to wake the participant up. How would one convince a stubborn person? He was indeed filled with wisdom. There was no one else like him!

However, the expert did not seem to care. What realm did he come from? What kind of suave attitude was that?!

He had never met a bigshot like him before!

"Mr. Li, cheers!" He did not know what else to say. Words were fleeting and meaningless. Only actions mattered!

"It's a good thing that you realized, Brother Xiao," said Li Nianfan. It seemed like his theoretical knowledge was elite. He had befriended another Immortal.

He suddenly realized he had another forte—saved knowledge. 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝘮

For example, 'Journey to the West' attracted Immortals. If he put his knowledge to use in the Immortal Realm, it would be too edgy and superior. Besides ordinary people, some cultivators might find it futuristic, too.

Xiao Chengfeng was emotional. He asked, "Mr. Li, how many levels do you think there are in sword cultivation?"

Li Nianfan sipped on the alcohol and asked, "What do you think, Brother Xiao?"

"I used to think there were three levels. The first level would be using sharp swords. The second level would be using Sword Qi, and the third level is Sword Intent. However, after hearing what you said, I think there's another level—Sword Passion!"

Xiao Chengfeng was like a student giving the teacher his opinion at that moment. He wanted to be praised by the teacher. "What do you think, Mr. Li?"

"You're not wrong."

Li Nianfan groaned for a moment. It was time to show off. He said, "But it's still very surface-level."

Xiao Chengfeng excitedly said, "Please, enlighten me, Mr. Li."

Lin Mufeng immediately turned sideways to listen carefully. Daji and the Fire Phoenix also looked at Li Nianfan.

They could not help being excited and emotional. Whatever the expert was about to say must be awesome!

It was the first time the expert directly answered a cultivation-related question. It would be astonishing, groundbreaking!

Li Nianfan said slowly and calmly, "The first level—a sword was once the teacher of millions for a lifetime battle worth three thousand miles!

"The second level—three million sword Immortals from above must be humble when they see me!

"The third level—God wouldn't accept the birth of Li Chungang, but my sword cultivation is still historical like the long night!"

Boom!

Everyone was blown away. It was just a few sentences but their hair stood on ends after hearing that. It was as if they were surrounded by sharp swords.

Li Nianfan did not say it loudly but everyone thought they heard thunder!

Hold on... It was not an illusion. It was actual thunder!

It was Echoes of Wisdom! Even nature was moved!

They thought of a vision—a man with a sword on a mountain full of dead bodies looking over a bloody ocean. The sky was dim. Only the man stood still!

Then, the vision turned into a transcended Immortal with millions of swords. Every sword cultivator looked up to him!

The third vision was a little blurry. They could somewhat see a wasteland that was covered by a gigantic sword!

They almost choked from being shocked. They were also mesmerized by that state of mind.

Suddenly, everything was silent.

Then, they jumped as if they were all suddenly woken up from a dream.

However, they were drenched in cold sweat.

It was a very complex feeling to discover such Wisdom.

"This..."

Xiao Chengfeng kept gulping. He wanted to say something astonishing, too, but he could not say anything. He lacked the vocabulary for it.

How could he talk about something he never learned or experienced?

Finally, he sighed. He sincerely complimented, "Mr. Li, you're wonderful. Respect."

He smiled awkwardly. His four levels of sword cultivation were trash compared to Li Nianfan. Shallow! He did not realize how shallow he was until he met Li Nianfan.

"You're too courteous, Brother Xiao," said Li Nianfan. It felt good to impress everyone with astounding words, especially when these people were not of the ordinary crowd.

Truthfully, the real three levels he described were the Ordinary level, the Immortal level, and the Godly level. It was not that much better than what Xiao Chengfeng said.

However, he said it with ancient grammar so it sounded much cooler—highly effective, highly impressive.

That was the difference between a cultured person and an uncultured person.

Xiao Chengfeng self-deprecatingly said, "I thought I was at the highest level of sword cultivation. Now, it seems like I'm still far from the second level!"

He looked away. He resonated deeply with the third level Li Nianfan described.

He mumbled, "God wouldn't accept the birth of Xiao Chengfeng, but my sword cultivation is still historical..."

He went silent. He realized he could not say it even if he sneakily tried to.

It was too cool. He was not able to handle it.

Only two types of people could say something like that—someone who was extremely powerful in sword cultivation and could understand everything, or someone who was extremely weak and shallow in sword cultivation.

Xiao Chengfeng did not have the confidence to say it because he could not accept that.

"If I can confidently say that in front of everyone, my life would have...no regrets!" His eyes glinted. He looked determined.

Meanwhile, the raft reached the shore.

Li Nianfan saluted and said, "I should go back."

Lin Mufeng instantly said, "Mr. Li, let me fly you all back."

Li Nianfan smiled and rejected his offer. "No need. Daji and I are going to look at the view on the way back. It's nice to walk around."

"Mr. Li, your words are like lanterns on a dark path," Xiao Chengfeng said seriously. "Thanks a lot!"

"As long as it's useful. You're welcome. Goodbye," waved Li Nianfan. He slowly walked away with Daji.

Lin Mufeng and Xiao Chengfeng watched Li Nianfan leave with complex gazes. They felt like he was oddly cool. They wanted to worship him on the spot.

Truly an expert.

Xiao Chengfeng thanked Lin Mufeng, "Cultivator Lin, it's a lucky thing I got to know the expert because of you. Thanks a lot!"

Lin Mufeng hurriedly said, "You're too courteous, Immortal. Since the expert took me to the Immortal Relic to retrieve your Immortal Stone, I suspect he must've already planned this."

"No matter what plans he had, I'm willing to be his sharpest sword!" Xiao Chengfeng was determined. Then, he curiously asked, "Oh, yeah. I didn't dare to ask the expert. Do you know who Li Chungang is?"

Lin Mufeng shook his head. "No. But since the expert said his name, he must be an amazing elite!"

Xiao Chengfeng respectfully said, "Sigh, who knew such a sword cultivator exists. I wish I could witness his glory."

"Might be a bigshot from the same era as the expert." Lin Mufeng was also respectful. He guessed, "He has the same surname as the expert, Li. They might be related."

Xiao Chengfeng looked like he realized something. He said, "The relatives of the expert. No wonder."

Chapter 239

Nighttime.

They were out on a trip for the entire day. It was fun but a bit tiring. They brought back a lot of things.

Li Nianfan worked on the 'Bootlicker's Guide to the Immortal Realm'. Then, he added Xiao Chengfeng and the Carp Demon on the 'List of Bigshots'. He soon fell asleep.

The Fire Phoenix walked out of her room in the four-part architecture. She looked at the playful little carp swimming excitedly in the small pond. She instantly smirked.

She said quietly, "Little Dragon, stop pretending! Drop your disguise." 𝓁𝘪𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The little carp instantly jumped. Then, it leaped out of the pond and transformed into a five-year-old child. It was a little girl in a white dress.

She looked nervous and pitiful.

She had a baby-ish voice, too. She nervously said, "You... You're a Phoenix?"

The Fire Phoenix said, "Don't be scared. The grudge between dragons and phoenixes was squashed a long time ago. We both vanished. There's no use for a fight."

"Oh," replied the little girl.

The Fire Phoenix asked, "Why are you here? You were almost captured by a cultivator if it wasn't for the expert."

The little girl fearfully said, "I sneaked out of the Dragon Palace to play. Then, I saw a gold door. I think it's called the Dragon Door. I tried to get through it and I did, but I wasted a lot of power. I couldn't even stay in my form."

The Fire Phoenix asked, "How are the Dragons?"

"It's just me, my father, and my Fifth Brother. Even my mother died giving birth to me," said the little girl truthfully. She looked sad.

The Fire Phoenix sympathized with her. She said, "You're too naughty. You have to protect yourself better."

"Sister Fire Phoenix, who's the man who saved me today? He's an ordinary man but he seems awesome. Also..."

The little girl looked at her pond. It was filled with Spiritual Water. It was too nice to swim in it, and the orange...delicious.

The Fire Phoenix shook her head. "Ordinary man? He's a Godly character. He knows how to retrieve glorious things from faraway eras, but I'm afraid that was just a one-time thing.

The little girl was confused. "He can recreate things from the eldritch times? I heard from my father that it's only a myth and it's impossible."

"Let's not talk about this." The Fire Phoenix changed the subject. She said, "The Master said you're a Carp Demon, so you have to be a good Carp Demon from now on. Since I took on the responsibility to teach you, I have to be responsible! First of all, since you're staying here, I think you should help out with some chores like washing the dishes, splitting the firewood, gardening in the backyard, or something."

The little girl was suspicious. "Sister Fire Phoenix, I think you're causing trouble for me on purpose."

"I can assure you, she isn't." Xiao Bai walked over. "I call the shots. Apart from cooking, chores are your responsibility from now on!"

The little girl hesitated for a long while before saying, "Then, remember to bring me food..."

At the borders of the Southern land and Northern land.

It was still peaceful and quiet in the dark night.

All of a sudden, it was bright with fire.

Followed by murderous screams!

Menacing swords glinted in the dark night. It sent shivers down their spines.

Stab!

A tent fell apart from the stab. Then, blood was spilled everywhere.

Kill!

Suddenly, it got more intense. Heavy, chaotic footsteps could be heard along with sounds of weapons clashing.

The strong wind blew, carrying the menacing aura everywhere.

Zhou Yunwu stood on a nearby hill. He looked at the war and clenched both his fists.

Rich stood next to him and said, "Don't worry, my King. We initiated a surprise attack this time. It must be as effective as expected."

"We're betting everything on one strike. How am I not supposed to be nervous?" Zhou Yunwu took a deep breath. "If we can't win when the time and setting favor us, how can we continue with the war?"

Their opponents were ferocious. They were unstoppable and they had a strong will. It was no use to fight fire with fire so they initiated a sneak attack. Prideful soldiers were the first to fall. It was not smart to face them head-on and their opponents would not be ready for the sneak attack.

If they won, they could destroy the faith of their opponents, but if they lost, it would be hard to win this war. It was a crucial battle.

Both sides tried to kill each other on the battlefield.

One side held saber swords while the other held axes. The swords were more intimidating under the moonlight.

The sharpness of the swords was far better than the axes. The strikes were unstoppable—violent and murderous.

Rich was pumped. He exclaimed excitedly and respectfully, "Mr. Li's such a genius. He thought of such a brilliant technique to forge the swords. If we win, sixty percent of the credit goes to him!"

"The army advisor, Mr. Li's apprentice, was the one who came up with the sneak attack plan. So, if we win this one, ninety percent of the credit goes to Mr. Li!" corrected Zhou Yunwu. He then said, "Mr. Li's the Chosen One. He was born in excellence but he's far beyond that. It's my honor to be chosen by him."

The battle was going well. It seemed like they were going to win. However, things changed when a buff dark figure joined in.

"Shameless rats! How dare you attack sneakily?!"

The dark figure held a giant ax. He yelled and his soldiers behind him sprinted forth like tigers running into a flock of sheep. Several soldiers died under his ax in an instant.

Zhou Yunwu and Rich looked troubled. They clenched their jaws. "Tu Jiu!"

"Die!"

Tu Jiu was as strong as a bull. He swung his ax.

Bam!

The saber sword blocked the ax but could not withstand the force of the attack. The soldier thought his right wrist was about to snap out of place. He was thrown aside.

"Who can stop me?!" Tu Jiu yelled and looked up. His gaze was as sharp as lightning. He targeted Zhou Yunwu.

"Human Sovereign!"

He smirked menacingly and ran toward Zhou Yunwu. He was unstoppable!

Rich hurriedly yelled, "Protect the King!"

The soldiers around Zhou Yunwu joined the battle and ran toward Tu Jiu.

Clang!

Hundreds of soldiers tried to stop him. Their swords collided loudly with the ax. Zhou Yunwu felt that. He looked terrible.

Tu Jiu was alone. He was being surrounded but he did not seem to be at a disadvantage. He was covered with sword cuts but he was still energetic. More soldiers died from his ax.

The key part was that he used a lot of force, so his energy should not have been able to keep up with that. However, his energy seemed to be endless. He grew mightier as he fought, killing anything in his way.

He...was getting closer.

Closer.

Closer!

His path was filled with dead bodies and a long trail of blood.

The soldiers were thinning out. However, they did not retreat. "Protect the King, kill!"

Zhou Yunwu teared up. He stared at Tu Jiu with red eyes. The veins in his arms were popping up because he clenched his fists too hard.

"King, that ax is cursed. It must be the doings of the demons!" Rich had teary red eyes, too. He pulled out his sword and slowly stepped forward. He said, "King, you can't stay here. Go!"

Zhou Yunwu stood still. He did not want to leave. He pulled out his weapon instead.

"King!" yelled Rich.

"Haha, Human Sovereign. You dare to stay? Whoever runs is a coward!" laughed Tu Jiu maniacally. He murdered more soldiers with gusto.

He was tall and buff. In an instant, he was merely a few miles away from them.

"Stop right now!"

Rich ran with his sword in his hands. He ran towards Tu Jiu, about to risk it all.

"Puny insect, you dare fight a stone as an eggshell?!" Tu Jiu sneered and raised his ax. He attacked with the ax!

The saber sword collided with the giant ax. The surrounding soldiers watched horrifically with wide eyes. They rushed to help.

Clang!

The sound was deafeningly loud. Then, everyone's jaws fell to the floor as they watched the ax snap. Half of the ax flew across the sky.

Chapter 240

Plop!

That was the sound of the ax dropping to the ground. It was loud even on the noisy battlefield.

Everyone was frozen in place with wide eyes. They looked like they were in disbelief.

Especially Tu Jiu's army. They conquered battles alongside Tu Jiu, so they knew how powerful the ax was. They were sure they would win. However, the ax broke!

Tu Jiu pulled back, looking dumbfoundedly at the remaining half of his ax. It was like his mind had not come around yet. He still could not believe what happened.

The treasure given by the Lord Demon God...was broken?

He looked at Rich's saber sword. It was still shiny without any cuts or damages.

Rich and the others were also stumped.

They could tell that the ax was extraordinary. They were ready to die with a fight. They had planned to go down with Tu Jiu.

However...they might win for some weird reason!

Rich looked at his saber sword. It was ordinary but it was shinier than most swords. However...it sliced the giant ax in half.

"This... This sword was personally made by Mr. Li!" mumbled Rich. He had sparkles in his eyes and he was instantly joyful.

His voice was trembling because he got too excited. He said loudly, "King, this sword was made by Mr. Li."

Zhou Yunwu took a deep breath and calmed down. He said in a sentimental voice, "I know."

"Mr. Li's the Chosen One. He gave us the ultimate weapon! Everyone, follow me, kill!"

"Kill them!" yelled the soldiers. It was as if they all had steroid shots. They fought back hard.

"This sword was made by Mr. Li. It's the first steel-infused saber sword to ever exist. Today, I'm willing to kill them all with this sword!" He caressed his favorite weapon and sprinted towards Tu Jiu.

The battle was one-sided. It was obvious who was going to win.

Tu Jiu could be heard from the battlefield. He sounded frantic and mad. "Just you wait. I'm going to go back and pick a decent weapon. I'll be back to kill you all!"

"We won, we won!"

Everyone was flushed from excitement and drenched in blood. They celebrated.

Rich wiped his saber sword and mumbled, "My King, we won."

He could not believe it. They won the battle because of one weapon. They managed to turn the situation around. 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝓶

Moreover, that victory was the first time they stopped the enemy. It could change the course of the war!

The saber sword...was too important!

Zhou Yunwu picked up the sword and said, "From now on, this saber sword is the kingdom's treasure. It carries the Luck of the Xia Kingdom!"

The expert's writings were the Faith of the Kingdom!

The sword made by him was the Sword of the Kingdom!

The golden advice from him was the Legacy of the Kingdom!

Zhou Yunwu suddenly thought of what Meng Junliang said. Li Nianfan was beyond it all but he still came to the Immortal Realm, not for anything else besides passing on his knowledge, preaching... The Answer!

Rich clenched his jaw while he watched the fleeing figure. He said, "It's too bad we let Tu Jiu escape."

"It won't happen next time!" Zhou Yunwu was determined. "I won't let Mr. Li down!"

Rich asked, "My King, this is our first victory. Should we tell the expert about the good news?"

"Do you need to ask? Of course!"

Demons were causing a violent ruckus in the Southern area.

Amon and Backo frowned at the same time.

Amon had a red glare. He screamed, "That useless Tu Jiu. How did he lose with the ax I gave him!"

"It's apparent that someone butted in!" sneered Backo. He said, "I told you. It's not going to work if we only rely on army expansion. We've wasted too much time!"

Amon screeched, "We're not waiting anymore! We, the demons, should move. Find the targets. We have to destroy the sects that have demon entrances! Two birds in one stone!"

Backo immediately said, "We don't need to look for it. There's a famous one, Azure Ville. I think Yuecha's there!"

"Really?!"

Amon was shocked. He angrily said, "How dare someone use the demon seal as their local marketing. How dare they?! What are we waiting for? Let's annihilate them!"

"They look down on the demons. So we have to show them how cruel we are!"

Backo added, "Also, about the Human Sovereign. We have to deal with him when we can."

Amon said, "He has a high status and great Luck. It won't be that easy to make a move. We need to report it to the Lord Demon God and set up a good plan."

...

At the four-part architecture.

In the morning.

Li Nianfan walked out of the room and comfortably stretched. "What a good night's sleep. I feel re-energized."

Then, he was taken aback.

He rubbed his eyes to look closely.

Damn. Why was there a little girl in the yard? She looked pretty and quirky. She also had bubbles on her face. She was doing the laundry very seriously, washing the clothes hard with her little hands.

Where did the child come from?

The little girl saw Li Nianfan. She immediately said, "Brother."

Her voice was soft and adorable.

"You're..."

Li Nianfan walked over. He then noticed that the little girl's neck was covered with a thin layer of shiny scales. There were scales on her wrist, too, but it did not look weird. Instead, it looked kind of like accessories.

"Yesterday... Carp Demon? You can transform into human form?"

The little girl nodded. She stood up and thanked him, "Thank you, brother, for saving my life."

"You're welcome," laughed Li Nianfan. He felt kind of bad. He asked, "Why are you washing the clothes?"

The little girl pouted and pitifully said, "Sister Fire Phoenix told me to. She said she was trying to teach me."

"Morning."

The Fire Phoenix walked out of the room. She looked at the little girl who was pretending to be pitiful and said, "Since I said I was going to train her, I'm going to start when she's young. Don't be fooled by her obedient demeanor. She's quite naughty."

No wonder.

The Fire Phoenix was her teacher. It was not hard to teach her how to have a human form.

She was not fully in human form though. The little girl still had her scales and her red tail peeked out from under her clothes, too. It wiggled from left to right. It was quite funny.

He felt bad for such a cute little girl, but the Fire Phoenix was her Master. He could not do much since it was part of her training.

He smiled and reminded, "Kids, right? It can't be helped if they're a bit naughty. Don't tire her out.

"Oh, yeah. What's your name?"

"I'm Dragin."

"Dragin? Like Dragon? Like the popular saying, 'the carp has leaped through the Dragon's gate'. What a nice name," complimented Li Nianfan.

He stood aside and watched Dragin as she washed the clothes. Then, she carried the wooden bucket and clumsily laid the clothes out to dry.

Dragin wiped her hands and proudly examined what she did. Before she could smile, the Fire Phoenix said, "Next, go water the plants in the backyard. After that, chop more firewood."

Instantly, Dragin looked upset.

Li Nianfan could not help but smile.

He looked at Dragin and thought of the times he was constantly exploited by the System. Thinking back, it was quite relatable.

'Work hard. It'll be your time to order others around when you grow up.'

"Brother, I was injured yesterday," pouted Dragin. She rubbed her little belly and pretended to be pitiful. "So hungry."

"Rest for a while, then. Don't worry, your brother won't let you starve!"

Li Nianfan laughed loudly and said to Xiao Bai who was frying eggs, "Xiao Bai, add two more eggs for breakfast!"

Chapter 241

As requested by Li Nianfan, today's breakfast was richer than usual.

The usual white congee had turned into eight-treasure congee. The usual boiled eggs had turned into fried eggs, and the usual steamed buns had turned into green vegetable buns.

This was indeed a luxurious, nutritious, and appetizing meal, especially to Dragin. She was eating happily. Her small body was able to take in as much as eight buns, four eggs, and three bowls of congee. Li Nianfan was shocked!

He suddenly realized that he may have brought home a big eater!

Dragin's tiny tummy had become rounded. She felt her tummy and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Pheww...so comforting. I'm seventy percent full now. I haven't been this satisfied in a long time. I'm so loved!"

It was apparent that he had brought home a big eater!

Li Nianfan started to wonder if bringing her home was the right decision.

By the side, the Firefinch Demons were jumping uneasily, their feathers falling off from anxiety.

Oh no! If a big eater came, how were they supposed to survive?

The Fire Phoenix merely glanced at the lazy Dragin. "Go work at the back!"

"Oh." Dragin's little ears dropped down. She hopped off her chair and wobbled away to the back.

She would turn back to look at Li Nianfan from time to time, wearing a pitiful look.

Li Nianfan did not speak. He was actually slightly delighted. She had eaten so much. She should be doing some work indeed.

Suddenly, Dragin paused. She looked at him and asked with anticipation, "Brother, can I eat the fruits from the back?"

"Yes," Li Nianfan nodded. Then, he added, "However, don't take more than five."

"Yay! Thank you, brother!" Dragin's eyes were squinted. Instantly, she rushed to the back.

It was apparent that this was not her first time entering the back of the mountain. Out of habit, she went under an orange tree and climbed up with agility. Her lips were dripping with glowing saliva while her eyes were fixated on the big, yellow oranges in front.

"Brother did say that I'm allowed to have five of those. I don't have to hide this time!" she mumbled to herself as she raised her small hand to grab one. She clutched an orange in her hand.

"Thank you!" Dragin was delighted. She sat on the tree branch and started eating.

Soon, she had finished eating a whole orange. With much anticipation, she reached out her hand again, ready to grab another one.

Meanwhile, a branch swatted her little buttock, pushing her off the tree.

Smack!

A mocking voice rang in the air, "Wanna eat? Get to work!"

"Hmph! You always bully me!" Dragin rubbed her buttock and her eyes flickered. "You better watch out!"

She turned around and her tiny figure ran away. Soon, she returned with the Fallen Demon Sword. She smiled and said, "I should start cutting up some wood."

Bam!

The tree branches were shaking up and down before falling off the tree. "Come on!"

Dragin held the Fallen Demon Sword tightly and chopped the branches as if letting out her frustration from within.

"You didn't let me have the orange!"

Bam!

A faint white mark appeared on the tree's trunk. Dragin jumped up and flew a few meters away. Both of her hands were numb. She tossed aside the Fallen Demon Sword.

"So hard!"

She shook her hands. Her entire body was stunned. "It's so thick as well! How am I supposed to chop this?"

She was hoping to let out her frustrations while she was chopping up some wood, to treat this activity as a form of entertainment. However, she now realized this was a punishment!

The Dragons were born with immense strength. Though she was in her youth, she was not weak. However, she had used up all of her strength earlier. She initially thought she could enjoy cutting branches into half, but all she managed to do was leave a white mark on it.

Even if she only wanted to chop one trunk, even if she worked without stopping for hours, she might not succeed either.

"Argh! Why are they being so cruel to me?" She was in despair. She wanted to cry.

Perhaps she should water the plants first.

She put the Fallen Demon Sword by her side and cast a spell at the pond in the middle of the backyard.

"Diversion!"

Glowing light poured out of her fingers. The water in the pond started to vibrate and eventually, a few water droplets floated up.

Yeah. Just a few droplets.

One, two, three, four, five. Five droplets, so little. So strangely little.

Dragin's mouth was partly opened. She was unable to believe what she saw.

This was unbelievable! How shocking!

Besides the limited number of water droplets, she felt a pressure she had never felt before on her palms. It was as if she was holding on to something as heavy as a thousand pounds—way beyond her strength.

Whoever saw this scene would be so shocked!

Nobody would believe this. The Princess of the Dragons, the most precious daughter of the Dragon King, was only able to conjure five droplets of water.

Drop! Drop! Drop!

The five droplets fell right back into the pond. Dragin felt a huge relief. She laid on the ground, panting breathlessly.

"I can't do it anymore. It's too difficult!"

There were tears in her eyes. Her little face had a helpless expression that was beyond her years. "The outside world's too dark. Home... I want to go home..."

Originally, she thought she had made a bargain. There was so much good food here and so many powerful benefits, all she had to do was some house chores. It sounded simple.

Now, she realized how difficult it was!

The entire yard was filled with the Power of Law. If one wanted to cast a spell in here, one had to use up way more power than usual. Even if a spell was successfully cast in here, its effect would be greatly reduced.

That was because everything in this yard, from up to down, was extraordinary. Even the pond weighed like a thousand pounds. It was not something manageable by ordinary people.

The five droplets had already used up all of Dragin's strength.

If she had to water the entire land in here, the thought alone was already deadly and scary.

I can't even water plants and cut wood anymore...

The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Finally, she could not take it anymore. She cried out loud.

"Waa!"

Inside the pond, a golden phantom was swimming in there as if it was hesitating. After spinning around, it finally sighed and gradually floated to the surface of the water. 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Yo, my descendent, do you want more strength?"

Dragin's wailing stopped abruptly. She looked at the pond blankly. Instantly, her eyes grew as wide as they could. She was in disbelief!

In the water, a long, golden dragon was swirling around. Its golden scales were shining under the sunlight, shaped like a painting. Its body was moving while exuding a powerful air of authority. It was a sight not to be missed.

"Dragon...dragon?" Dragin was unable to believe her eyes. She did not expect to meet her own kind here. It was like a dream!

"It's me," the Golden Dragon's voice was heard. Its eyes darkened as it looked at Dragin. "You don't have to wail. In comparison to everything in this yard, you're weaker and smaller. Follow me if you want to become stronger."

The Golden Dragon descended back into the pond.

Dragin used her hand to rub her eyes, still feeling unreal. Swiftly after, she turned into a small white dragon and went into the water.

"Is that...my ancestor?"

She was stunned and shocked.

It seemed to be her ancestor.

The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon?

Although this was shocking, it had to be the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon!

The ancestor of the Dragons. Why was it here?

Perhaps her ancestor was cutting wood and watering the plants, too? Was Dragin here to take on some shifts?

Dragin was thinking wildly.

The Golden Dragon did not stop until they had reached the bottom of the pond.

The setup here was very simple. There were only a few big stones. By the side, a huge tortoise laid there without moving.

Dragin looked at the claws of the Golden Dragon. She was assured that this was indeed the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon!

A child-like voice came out of her mouth, "Ancestor..."

"Don't simply call me that!" The Golden Dragon said right away, warning her with a serious tone. "Your ancestor's dead from the last natural tribulation. So, you have to promise me not to tell anyone about meeting me!"

Dragin looked suspicious. She could not help asking, "Why? Ancestor, the Dragons are doing so badly now. We're going extinct!"

"Just remember what I said!" The Golden Dragon reminded her. "The world is too dangerous, it's not bad to stay alive. Therefore, at any given time, always have a backup plan and prioritize your life. Remember! Remember!"

"Oh!" Dragin still looked perplexed.

"During my natural tribulation, I should've failed. However, the expert saved me and I was able to gradually recover. In front of the natural tribulation, the dragons are nothing! However powerful you may be, you're still like an ant! I've lived for countless years and had a second life to be able to come up with a quote that I won't tell anyone else. Since you're my descendent, I won't keep that from you."

The Golden Dragon's eyes sparkled as it said, "Living in this world, bootlicking and surviving are the two main things in life. The rest means nothing!"

Dragin said, "I'll take note."

"I live here under the protection of an expert, I wasn't going to get involved with the outside world, so it wasn't hard to stay alive." The Golden Dragon paused. "Since I've met you, I'll pass on some Dragon Power to you. However, you have to promise not to reveal anything about me to the outside world."

Dragin kept nodding. "Don't worry, ancestor. My lips are the tightest, I promise not to tell anyone."

"Alright." The Golden Dragon looked delighted. "You may come to me every day. I'll pass on some Dragon Power to you!"

Chapter 242

On the same day at the Azure Ville.

Nighttime arrived, engulfing the entire Azure Ville in darkness.

From the sky, the moonlight shone from above, illuminating the Azure Ville in a cooling glow.

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan were standing at Azure Ville looking up at the full moon. They frowned, looking concerned.

Gu Yuan let out a long sigh. "I wonder how's our Sect Master?"

Gu Changqing asked, "Grandpa, who's that Sect Master of the Heavenly Water Sect?"

"Her name's Ding Xiaozhu, a good friend of your Sect Master in the Immortal Land. I heard that when your Sect Master first Immortalized, he was new to the area. Luckily, she was there to help him."

Gu Yuan halted and seemed hesitant. He said, "However, the two of them had some miscommunication and things ended between them."

Gu Changqing's eyes lit up, interested in the gossip. "What kind of miscommunication?"

Gu Yuan shook his head. "I can't tell you. Only a few people know about this. I also heard about it from an elder of the Azure Ville. I promised not to tell anyone."

Gu Changqing said instantly, "Grandpa, there're only the two of us here, and I'm your Grandson! What's there to hide? I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Gu Yuan frowned and said hopelessly, "Whatever. I'll just tell you and you alone. This is an embarrassing incident of your Sect Master, don't spread it."

"Grandpa, don't worry." Gu Changqing was waiting to listen.

"Our Sect Master was good in everything, but he liked growing Goblins. The more exquisite the better. However, you have to know that growing Goblins was energy-consuming. Furthermore, most of the exquisite Goblins have high bloodlines. So, along with how our Sect Master spoiled them, they were very arrogant."

Gu Yuan's face was looking quite strange. He continued, "There was a phoenix that your Sect Master treasured very much. Not only did he keep it inside his house, he almost worshipped it. He stopped cultivating and gave it all his treasures. Do you think anyone would be able to take it? On top of that, this phoenix would point its finger at Ding Xiaozhu and boss her around."

"Then?" Gu Changqing could not help asking.

"Then, of course, it turned into soup." Gu Yuan sighed and continued, "Ding Xiaozhu was already angry. Yet, the phoenix was still doing that to her! How daring!" 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I see," Gu Changqing nodded.

He did not have to say what happened next. The Sect Master's love bird had turned into a bowl of soup. Of course, he was unhappy about it.

Gu Yuan sighed, "The only person who could get our Sect Master to give up his love for birds is the expert."

Gu Changqing was slightly concerned. "I wonder how Senior Ding's doing."

"I'm not sure. Shouldn't be too life-threatening." Gu Yuan sighed. "The Lord Immortal came here to look for the Sect Master. It must be related to the expert. They shouldn't be fighting."

Gu Changqing asked, "If Sect Master doesn't cooperate, would he agitate the Lord Immortal?"

"A Lord Immortal wouldn't be foolish enough to offend someone who has an expert supporting him. Anyone with a brain wouldn't do so." Gu Yuan smiled. "The so-called fighting is merely an interactive greeting, to check out the ability of the opponent. If not, we won't be able to know how we're going to die. At least for now, we're people with an expert on our backs."

"Hopefully our Sect Master succeeds." Gu Changqing went silent. He then continued, "The demons seem to have stopped moving around recently."

Gu Yuan smiled coldly. "The reason they were able to spread so quickly was due to the plague and that we were underprepared. Now that both the ordinary men and cultivators have reacted, of course, they wouldn't be how they used to be."

Gu Changqing said with admiration in his tone, "Yeah, no wonder the expert appointed a Human Sovereign. The setting was astonishing."

"The expert doesn't like demons, and thus, this is the outcome for the demons!" Gu Yuan smiled coldly. Swiftly after, he then said, "However, the halting of their activities could also mean they're plotting something. We have to be careful."

Ring!

Just as he finished the sentence, the bell hanging outside the Azure Ville was ringing loudly and vigorously. It was sharp to the ears under the night sky.

Gu Yuan and Gu Changqing's faces sank. "We were just talking about the rats. Here they come!"

Swash!

In the darkness, countless black shadows darted into the Azure Ville. Their target was very obvious—it was the sealing spot.

This bunch of demons had no intention to stay hidden. Their speed was fast as they exuded black smoke all over the place, making the Azure Ville darker and more eerie than usual.

"How dare you!" Gu Yuan scoffed and raised his leg. His figure appeared at the heart of the seal. His face was dark as he made a wave. Instantly, flames washed in like seawater coming in from all directions. Instantly, the black smoke evaporated as light shone in the dark sky.

Under the bright red flames, 20 demons appeared mid-air. They all had black robes on and were covering their faces, exuding the air of the Combination realm from their bodies.

"Just a few of you and you're trying to barge into my Azure Ville?" Gu Yuan did not want to waste any word on them. He raised a finger and instantly, one of the pillars turned into a flaming long dragon flying in the air, rushing toward the demons.

The strong heat twisted in the air. Although one could not clearly see the demons' faces, one could feel their fear and uneasiness from within. They were unable to fight back.

They were unable to fight against an attack from the Immortal.

"Huh? An Immortal came down to the Azure Ville?"

In the air, a sound rang. Swiftly after, layers of black smoke rose from below their demon feet. The black smoke started swirling, rising in layers before it transformed into a black bell that trapped the demons inside.

Sizz...

The flame and the black bell crashed into each other, burning one another as black smoke rose in the sky.

Gu Yuan was casting the spell, turning more of the pillars into flames. Below him, a sea of flames rose. He then looked at the air and asked with a serious tone, "Demon servant, are you Amon or Backo?"

A tall figure in black armor marched out. "Since an Immortal's here, it's going to be rather challenging. I'm Backo."

Meanwhile, rays of light arose from the Azure Ville and surrounded it. A hundred or so disciples started to panic. They looked at the demons with caution.

Gu Changqing came to the side of Gu Yuan. He said, "Grandpa."

"Don't panic. I'm here." Gu Yuan's face remained calm. His tone had a hint of arrogance as he said, "Today, it's finally time to show you how powerful your Grandpa is! I'll show you how a man can be old and strong!

"Don't get in the way of the battle between the Immortals, just keep an eye on the seal. Be cautious of the twenty combination realm demons, don't let them ruin the seal!"

"Don't worry, Grandpa. Leave it to me," Gu Changqing nodded seriously. He then said, "Actually, I can be old and strong, too..."

"You're Backo, right? Since you came, why don't you stay!" There was a chilling glare in Gu Yuan's eyes. He raised his palms and instantly, the black patch of soil on the seal suddenly burst into flames. Swiftly after, a small red flag gradually rose from the heart of the land, swaying in the air while exuding a soft glow.

It was the Fire Flag.

The flaming soil and the flaming pillars were matching and complementing one another. Instantly, it had been transformed into a flaming world. Looking from afar, the ocean of flames had turned into the head of a dragon, opening its mouth wide and roaring.

The bunch of demons was inside the mouth of the dragon!

The flame had overwhelmed the darkness.

The high heat had turned the place into a furnace made to incinerate the demons.

Gu Yuan stood at the heart of the ocean of flames. His aged look had vanished. His Immortal Qi increased as if he was a battling God!

Chapter 243

"As long as I, Gu Yuan, am here, the demons have no place here!"

Gu Yuan's voice rang from his mouth, shaking up the world threateningly.

Gu Changqing and all the disciples of the Azure Ville looked at him in admiration.

He was the Immortal of the Azure Ville!

Gu Changqing smiled and could not help saying, "Even though Grandpa likes to boost his ego, he...has the right to!"

"Go and sort out the Golem!" Backo's voice rang out quietly. It was cold and calm. He rested his glowing red eyes on Gu Yuan. "It's my first time coming across an Immortal in the ordinary realm. It's been a while since I last killed one, too!"

As he spoke, he reached out and a white bottle appeared in his palm. The bottle looked ordinary, but the moment it appeared, it seemed as if the entire world froze for a second. It was as if everyone was hallucinating. The surroundings were affected.

"Let me show you the top demonic spirit in the Demon Realm!" Backo scoffed coldly and cast a spell. He pointed at the bottle, and instantly, a wave of black smoke rose from the bottle.

The black smoke looked as if it was alive, twisting and twirling in the air. Instead of getting burnt by the flames, they turned into a black shadow, hovering above the flames.

It seemed as if the entire world had been tainted with this undetachable black demonic black smoke.

Gu Changqing could not help changing his expression. "So poisonous! Even local demonic black smoke was brought out!"

Vroom!

Meanwhile, the black smoke from earlier seemed as if they were being stimulated. Instantly, they thickened and darkened. It seemed as though light was unable to shine through them anymore. The black smoke was spreading, forcing the flames to retreat.

"Hah! Small trick!" Gu Yuan scoffed coldly. He waved and the Fire Flag flew into his hand. He waved it at Backo.

Vroom!

The surrounding flames were boiling in the air rapidly. Soon, it had turned into a gigantic flaming dragon, rushing toward Backo.

Swiftly after, the flames did not stop. It continued growing. In the blink of an eye, nine dragons appeared, almost covering the entire world. In the air, one could almost hear the roaring of dragons.

"Nine Dragons to the Sky!"

This majestic sight made everyone's eyes in the Azure Ville light up with pride and awe.

All of them could not help holding their breaths as they watched the nine dragons rushing into the limitless darkness.

One was a burning flame, another was a darkening chill. The two of them were born to go against one other. The collision between them would make one's heart skip a beat.

Bam!

Even though they were in the same space, because of the black smoke, it seemed to have been cut into two. When the nine dragons rushed into the darkness, it seemed as if they had collided into a screen. There was a soft ring.

The air vibrated like water ripples.

However, after entering the dark space, the nine dragons' speed had decreased extremely as if it was hard to move forward.

Under the layer of black smoke, the 20 Combination Realm demons placed a demonic woman's sculpture on the ground. Instantly, black swirls of smoke started to swirl around the sculpture.

Although they did not know what these demons were doing, stopping them would be the right thing to do!

Gu Changqing's face darkened and he roared, "Listen up! Disciples of the Azure Ville, we'll fight against the demons!"

Instantly, the Spiritual Qi in their surrounding started to move around. Everyone casted the spell at the same time. A wild gust of energy rushed out, turning into a glow that rushed toward the demons.

However, when the energy touched the black smoke, it was like mud dropping into the sea—they vanished out of sight instantly.

Backo reached out with both his hands and controlled the surrounding black smoke, pressing them against the nine dragons.

Sizz!

Layers of black smoke kept eating the bodies of the flaming dragons. Their flames were flickering in the air as they started to extinguish.

Sizz!

The nine dragons could not hold it together anymore. Along with a soft cry, they disintegrated into flames like burst balloons, exploding all over the place.

Meanwhile, Gu Yuan froze and gently scoffed.

Suddenly, the flames on the ground started to shoot up like flaming snakes. They moved rapidly and rushed into the darkness. Along with the explosive fireworks, they rose little by little.

Suddenly, the black space behind Backo had turned into a net of flames, dancing in the darkness. It was an eye-catching sight.

"Nine Dragon Lock!"

Gu Yuan's voice resounded. The surrounding pillars were moving wildly. They turned into a massive flame, adding on to the already-burning flames that were rising in the air!

The net of flames grew bigger, trapping Backo and the demons in it. As if fishing with a net, it was gradually tightening.

Backo looked at the surrounding flames without any trace of fear on his face. He said calmly, "What I hate most about cultivators is their use of spells and treasures. Be it a spell or a treasure, it helps the combating ability. Especially extreme treasures that can bring the battle to the next level. Of course, we demons don't use such things. We don't have as many treasures as the Immortal Land," Backo's cold voice rang out gradually. "You rely on spells and treasures. Don't blame us for outnumbering you all!"

"Hahaha, I'm coming!"

Following a burst of wild laughter, Amon's figure gradually appeared from the darkness. He raised both hands and a black ax appeared. Instantly, it fell.

Sizz!

The black ax fell and smashed through the flames from above, cutting the flame off!

Swiftly after, Amon pushed further. He raised his hands and swung the ax toward Gu Yuan's head!

A cutting sound resonated in the air. The ax cut through the sea of flames. It was heading toward Gu Yuan's head!

The Fire Flag reacted instinctively and flew above Gu Yuan's head. It flew and started spinning in the air, creating a flaming shield.

Vroom!

The gigantic ax smashed onto the light shield, letting out a deafening roar. Swiftly after, they all vanished and the world regained its peace.

The flames around the Fire Flag were slightly dull as it floated in front of Gu Yuan.

Amon could not help saying, "So, it's indeed an Immortal Item!"

Gu Yuan's eyes flickered. He did not show any fear on his face. "Since the two demon servants are here, you two really appreciate my Azure Ville!"

Amon smiled and said coldly, "How dare you make an event out of the sealing! You're insulting us, the demon servants! We've reserved your life long ago. Today's the right date to come and claim your life!"

Backo said, "We wanted to work together to take down the Azure Ville more cruelly. We didn't expect to have accidental gains as well."

"Accidental gains? Actually, I have that, too!" Gu Yuan wore the same cold, mocking smile. In his eyes, a golden light suddenly appeared.

In that instant, the surrounding flames seemed to have sensed something. They started to tremble vigorously. It was as if they were ready to meet their King.

Yet, Gu Yuan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

The blood floated in front of his chest, moving along with his spell. The blood turned into little golden flames.

The little golden flames were burning gradually. It was as if they could extinguish any time. However, it was letting out its shocking energy from within, changing the looks on everyone's faces.

Including Backo and Amon!

They both widened their eyes at the same time, letting out a look of disbelief. They cried out in shock, "This is...the Flame of the Golden Crow?!"

"Although it's different from the actual Golden Crow, it's...enough!" Gu Yuan gloated.

All of these came from the expert's painting.

Although they were suffocated by the Golden Crow, they did get along with it during life or death. They had gained a few things out of the painting.

By sacrificing their clothes, being roasted for over an hour, and running around naked, they gained this power in exchange. What a bargain!

An expert was an expert! One little gift from him was something that could benefit one forever!

Gu Yuan controlled the golden flames, directing them into the Fire Flag.

Instantly, the originally small flag had become bigger and as tall as an adult.

"Second Lock Formation!" Gu Yuan held the flag and waved the flag forcefully.

Phew!

The flames rose to the sky, almost burning everything from the ground to the sky. Swiftly after, it seemed as if it was unhappy about just burning on the ground, so it rose and shot up into the air.

It only took a moment before the sky had turned into a flaming sky.

From all directions, one after another, rays appeared, connecting the sky from the ground. More importantly, the flames were no longer red. There was a hint of gold in them!

Before this, for the sake of safety precautions, Payne had strengthened the sealing formation with the enlightenment of the Flame of the Golden Crow. Therefore, both the formation and the flame had been strengthened a notch higher. They did not expect to see this to be put to use.

The land seemed to have turned into a land of flames. 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Blacko and Amon exchanged a look. They both raised their hands in unison as black smoke rolled over.

A dark phantom gradually appeared behind them. This figure was holding an ax. As it raised the ax, the surrounding flames were cut. The darkness slowly expanded as it surrounded the flames from both sides.

"Fire Falling!" Gu Yuan pointed a finger at the phantom. The flames in the sky instantly turned into a gigantic flaming ball, falling from the sky toward the phantom.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Countless fireballs flew past like shooting stars, attacking the darkness and making it vibrate as if it could be extinguished at any given time.

Amon's eyes looked as if he was in pain. Finally, he sighed softly, "Whatever. We'll just have to sacrifice these bunch of people!"

His eyes fell onto the bunch of demon servants. He gritted his teeth and waved at them. The surrounding black smoke was instantly affected. Like the wave of the sea, it rushed toward the 20 demon servants in their Combination realms.

"Demonic Spirit Infusion!"

Vroom!

With that, the 20 demon servants' cultivations grew rapidly. Instantly, they had surpassed the Combination realm and went into the Mahayala realm!

20 demons in their Mahayala realm. It would have been beyond imagination in the past. Even now, it was something impressive.

They did put in quite some effort developing this bunch of Combination realm demon servants. Yet, now they had to be sacrificed.

Amon's eyes turned red as he pronounced one syllable after another, "Sa-cri-fice!"

Vroom!

Demonic spirit boiled even more violently.

The demon servants were still filled with joy, thanking Lord Demon for blessing them. However, their faces changed as the demonic spirit was approaching them without stopping, gathering in them and making their bodies grow bigger and bigger. It was as if they could explode anytime!

The truth was that in the next instance, their bodies did explode.

Along with a loud 'ping', all of them burst like overfilled balloons, followed by a bunch of black smoke that came from their bodies. It was very thick and concentrated.

This black smoke was rushing toward the sculpture of a woman. Another portion of it went to Amon and Blacko.

Behind them, the black phantom grew even bigger, the ax in hand became clearer.

Hand up, chop down!

"Break...it!"

The gigantic ax chopped the air with all of its energy. The flames in the air were cut into halves instantly. The surrounding flame pillars flickered as a loud ring was heard in the air.

The air blew and the flame dispersed.

Bam!

Gu Yuan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His face looked astonished as his body flew up.

Many disciples of the Azure Ville instantly died under the ax. Even their bodies had vanished.

Gu Changqing and Gu Yuan's face instantly turned as white as paper.

They realized that black smoke was coming out from the soil on the ground, just like the burning black smoke that was rising upward.

Gulp!

The ground looked like it was breathing, as if something was about to break out.

On top of it, the flames on the ground had already died off.

Amon said with a pitiful tone, "We sacrificed twenty demon servants in exchange for this blow. However...it's worth it. Yuecha, time to come out."

The woman's sculpture started glowing after absorbing the black smoke. Some black smoke around it started to swirl up like sea waves, gathering around the sculpture.

Gu Yuan gulped and said with a shocked voice, "Oh...no!"

He staggered a few steps backward instantly and rushed toward the sculpture.

"Flame!"

Vroom!

The surrounding flames were instantly affected. They gathered around him to form a gigantic flaming dragon, exuding an air of authority that was ready to destroy the sculpture.

"Ha-ha! Not giving up yet?" Amon scoffed coldly. The black smoke condensed into the black ax as it reached for Gu Yuan.

Sizz!

The flame was cut open. Gu Yuan flew back to where he was.

He did not stop. He cast the spell again. The Fire Flag formed a long flaming rope, reaching out to beat up the sculpture.

However, it was cut again!

Gu Yuan was feeling worn out. His energy had started to run out, but he did not stop trying to speed up the spell.

Gu Changqing could not help walking in front of him. He said, "Grandpa!"

"Changqing, listen carefully!" Gu Yuan panted and said. "Thinking of ways to bootlick isn't embarrassing because it adds value to our lives. I hope you don't look down on your Sect Master and I for doing so. Now's the real time to test our honesty. I'd rather die than take a step back!

Gu Changqing and many of the disciples of the Azure Ville had red eyes. They used up all of their strength and lowered their heads. "Kill! Kill the demons! We'd rather die than to take a step back!"

"A bunch of ants!" Backo scoffed coldly. He raised his hand and black smoke engulfed the people.

Meanwhile, black swirling smoke appeared gradually from the ground. A woman dressed in black leather appeared.

When they saw this, everyone felt their heads exploding in despair.

Another demon servant came to the ordinary realm!

"Ha-ha-ha! The demons are undefeatable! We'll rule the world!"

Backo laughed and looked at everyone mockingly. He walked toward the woman and said, "Yuecha, welcome to the ordinary realm."

Yuecha gradually opened her eyes. Seeing Backo in front of her, she raised her hand out of the blue. Her palm was sparkling gold. She slapped Backo on the chest.

Slap!

Backo instantly flew into the air, his mind blank and his face perplexed.

What just happened?

However, he heard a voice saying calmly, "Sorry, I'm a spy."

Chapter 244

A spy?

Amon and Backo were perplexed.

Backo nearly threw up blood.

A golden light exuded from his body like cancer being imprinted on it. On the part Yuecha attacked, there was a golden Buddha sign glowing like the brightest star in the night sky.

'Is this a...buddha sign?!' Backo's pupils dilated. He was so shocked that he almost cried out loud as if he had just seen a ghost. 'Are you crazy? We're demons! Yet, you went and practiced Buddhism?!' Amon snapped out from his thoughts. He cried out, "Possessed! Yuecha's possessed! Tell me, who're you?"

"Who am I before I was born? Who am I when I'm born? Who am I when I grow up? Who am I when I close my eyes?" Yuecha looked at Amon with an astonishing look, her eyes filled with awe. "You're so wise. You asked such a fundamental question. You're fated to be a Buddhism."

Amon was dumbfounded. He said, "Fated?! Yuecha, have you gone crazy? When did you become this way?"

"I didn't have a choice before, but now... I only want to be a good person." Yuecha took off her black armor and put on a robe. "Amitabha, Buddhist Yuecha's here."

Spit!

This time, Backo did not hold it in. He instantly spat out a mouthful of blood. "Is your brain functioning? We're demons! Demons! You should be good at being a demon, but now you're being good at the wrong thing!"

"Demons, humans, Immortals are just what we call ourselves. In this massive universe, we're just dust, similar to one another." Yuecha's voice was calm and hurt, exuding an air of Buddhism from within. Instantly, she looked sacred. "I'm doing this for the sake of all beings!"

"I...!" Backo had nothing to say. He gulped and swallowed back the blood.

"Yuecha, aren't you scared of being punished by the Lord Demon God?!" Amon scoffed coldly. "Buddhism has been washed out by time. It's acting against us, the demons. We'll live on forever, our Lord Demon God is omnipotent! You'll have a terrible death!"

"From today onward, I, Yuecha will bring back the glory to Buddhism! To enlighten all the beings." Yuecha's face was compassionate and sacred. She looked at Amon and said, "You said the Lord Demon God is omnipotent. If so, could he create a stone that he can't pick up?"

Amon replied without thinking, "How hard would that be?"

Yuecha continued, "If the Lord Demon God cannot pick up a stone, how's he omnipotent?"

"This..." Amon was perplexed.

Yuecha continued, "As you can see, the Lord Demon God can't be it! There's no end to the suffering. Just come back to the shore. Come on, come to Buddhism."

Amon was still perplexed. "Wait up. Why would the Lord Demon God create such a rock?"

Yuecha asked, "But, can he?"

Amon asked, "But, why would he?"

"It appears that you're not enlightened." Yuecha's face instantly turned serious. "So, let me transform you. First, take my Heavenly Dragon..."

Amon's face darkened. He scoffed loudly, "Backo, Yuecha's helpless. We'll join forces to take her down!"

"Take my Demon Flame Swallowing the Sky!"

"Where? Take my second Heavenly Dragon!" 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Do you only have one trick!?"

"Heavenly Dragon!"

...

Below, Gu Yuan and everyone else were like sculptures, watching this unbelievable series of events unfold.

Even as the three demons fought, their battle going further and further away, they were still unable to snap back to reality. It was like a dream!

Gu Changqing could not help licking his lips. He could not believe it. "Grandpa, that... Yuecha's a spy?"

"She said so." Gu Yuan nodded blankly. "However, she seems to be using Dharma. How can that be? Dharma still exists in the world?" He coughed gently in pain and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He simply wiped away his blood. He could not help shaking his head. "What was I doing earlier? It seems that everyone gathered together like fools!"

He used up his strength to stop the demons while the demons used up everything to unseal the Kraken.

Finally, they found out that the enemies they were trying to defeat released a spy!

What a screw-up! Perhaps nobody would believe it even if they told them.

Gu Changqing suddenly speculated, "Grandpa, do you think it was the doing of the expert?"

"Oh? How so?" Gu Yuan asked curiously.

Gu Changqing analyzed, "Grandpa, do you remember in 'Journey to the West', the main point of the story was Buddhism. It seems that the expert's into Buddhism."

"Wonderful! Your understanding has skyrocketed after spending time with the expert!" Gu Yuan praised and said, "I heard about a secret rumor in the Immortal Land. I don't know how true it is. Back in ancient times, Buddhism was at its peak and there were at least a hundred and eight Buddhas. However, since the appearance of demons that came out of nowhere, the world had a crisis and it wiped out the entire Buddhism religion. The only person who still knows about Buddhism is probably the expert alone!"

Gu Changqing sighed. "The expert's setup is indeed unmistakable. Chess pieces everywhere, how fascinating!"

Gu Yuan nodded deeply. "Yeah, even the demon servant was able to be transformed into a spy. How unbelievable!"

...

At the four-part architecture.

It was very lively. Everyone was doing their things.

This was merely because Li Nianfan suddenly thought about making a cake.

Originally, he was grinding the flour as he usually did. He was trying to decide if he should make the steamed buns, vegetable buns, or meat buns.

Suddenly, he saw the Firefinch Demon by the side and his eyes flickered. He now had eggs, flour, and flavoring. Why did he not think of making a cake?

Thinking about what the cake would taste like, he could not help drooling.

With that, he could not wait to get into action.

He had a freshly laid egg in his hands. He cracked it into a bowl and used chopsticks to whisk it. He then added a pinch of salt to make the egg even more diluted and yellow.

He then added in room-temperature water. That was a key ingredient. Too little of it would make the cake too stiff and chunky while too much of it would make the cake too watery and unappetizing.

Normally, one egg needed two eggshells full of water. In simpler terms, the water to egg ratio would be two to one.

Of course, Li Nianfan knew about these. Effortlessly, he prepared the ingredients.

Daji was helping him while Xiao Bai was in charge of kneading the flour. The Fire Phoenix glanced at the lighter, pushed it toward a corner and made a gesture. A flame appeared below the pot.

Boil-boil-boil!

The water inside the pot started to boil.

Instantly, Li Nianfan put the egg over the steaming water and closed the lid. The Fire Phoenix was supposed to control the fire.

He left a gap instead of closing the lid tight. If not, the steamed cake would be stiff and hard.

Swiftly after, Li Nianfan moved on to the second one.

Dagin was laying by the side. Her small head tilted to one side. She was watching everyone running around. Their actions opened her eyes, making her drool.

Although she did not know what cake was, it must be yummy! Waa...so excited!

The Fire Phoenix looked at her and scoffed, "Go and water the plants at the back!"

Dragin shook her head and said coquettishly "No, let me watch. I'll water them in the afternoon."

"No way! Go, now!" The Fire Phoenix was not budging.

Dragin looked as if she was wronged. She was unwilling to leave.

After a moment of hesitation, she thought it was time to show her power. She gritted her teeth and said in a small voice, "Sister Fire Phoenix, I'll tell you a secret. My ancestor's in the backyard and he's super powerful!"

Chapter 245

"Oh?"

The Fire Phoenix looked at Dragin, half-smiling. "Are you threatening me?"

Dragin looked wronged and pitiful. "I'm not trying to show off. I'm just discussing with you, Sister Fire Phoenix."

The Fire Phoenix smiled. "Ha-ha, there's nothing to discuss. Go water the plants!"

"Oh..."

Dragin was like a deflated balloon, eyeing the cake that was in the making as she slowly turned away to leave.

Her little heart was sad. She already told her such a big secret. Was her ancestor's name not big enough?

...

Meanwhile, below the mountain.

Three figures were at the foot of the mountain. They were Zhou Yunwu, followed by Meng Junliang, and Rich.

Zhou Yunwu looked concerned. He said, "Is it okay for us to come here without bringing something?"

He had prepared a car full of rare treasures, almost emptying the entire Xia Kingdom. If possible, he even wanted to pick a few beautiful women to be sent over.

Meng Junliang said, "My King, the expert's a Godly man. He won't be concerned with things like these. In fact, it might have a negative effect."

Rich said, "Yes, My King! I think by bringing this battle report to Mr. Li, it will be the best gift."

Zhou Yunwu frowned. He did not know what to do. "Sigh, Mr. Li's done a big favor for the Xia Kingdom and yet, I can't give him anything. This is so...embarrassing!"

Meng Junliang said, "My King, you attacked the demons, ruled the world, and preached to the world to help humankind. These are the best gifts you could give Mr. Li."

Zhou Yunwu nodded and said with a serious tone, "That I can do."

As he spoke, the four-part architecture appeared in sight.

Meng Junliang gradually walked over to the door and gently knocked.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Click!

Daji answered the door.

"Greetings to Miss Daji!" Zhou Yunwu and the other two wasted no time. They hastily bowed a ninety-degree bow at her.

Daji nodded at the three of them. "Please, come in."

Upon entering the four-part architecture, a strangely sweet scent greeted their noses. They could not help sniffing a few times. Then, they looked toward Li Nianfan who was busy. They greeted politely, "Greetings to Mr. Li."

"It's you guys!" Li Nianfan smiled and nodded. "Greetings to King Zhou. You're in luck today! I'm making a dessert. You're all in luck!"

Xiao Bai said, "Everyone, please, have a seat."

Zhou Yunwu and the other two instantly picked a place not far away to sit down. They could not help looking at the Fire Phoenix by the side.

The three of them jumped as they felt chills rising from their backs.

This woman... Why did she look like the woman who descended from the Immortal Land last night when the group of cultivators Immortalized?

This outlook and hairdo... There was no one else who looked like her in this realm.

As the Human Sovereign, Zhou Yunwu was naturally more aware of cultivating matters. The phoenix that flew away from the Natural Tribulation that night had become a heated topic.

Thus... She was the...phoenix?

Gasp!

Zhou Yunwu gasped. The expert was indeed an expert. His abilities were way beyond the imagination of an ordinary man.

He was glad that he did not pull over the car of treasures, or else...it would be so low! The thought of it was embarrassing!

The Fire Phoenix could feel their eyes on her. She said coldly, "I'm Fire Phoenix."

The three of them instantly stood up and made a gesture. "Greetings to Miss Fire Phoenix."

While Li Nianfan was making the cake, he asked, "What brings you all here?"

Now that the demons were messing things up, the Southern area was in a mess. They should be busy battling instead.

Zhou Yunwu smiled as he said proudly, "Mr. Li, we won the battle five nights ago. We have defeated the demons and made humankind proud!"

"Oh? Great news!" Li Nianfan's eyes lit up. With that, it seemed that his security was guaranteed for now. This bunch of people was reliable!

Rich said, "This is all thanks to Mr. Li's preaching and his tips on how the weapons should be made. Those were the key to winning the battle!"

Zhou Yunwu nodded hastily. "Yeah, Mr. Li's the reason we won! If not, the result would've been so bad!"

"No way, I only offered you some advice. The merits go to the soldiers!" Li Nianfan felt good, but he still told the truth instead of taking all the credit.

He merely wanted some security. The soldiers were the ones who were sacrificing themselves.

He could not help smiling. "No wonder I suddenly felt like making a cake. It's because there's delightful news we can celebrate!"

Daji was playing with the flour. She curiously asked, "Mr. Li, is cake related to a celebration?"

Li Nianfan simply said, "Indeed, it is. However, it's just a practice where I used to live. Whenever there was something to celebrate, we'd have a slice of cake."

"I see."

Everyone shivered without showing it on their faces. Their heads were unable to calm down.

The place he used to live must be the ancient Immortal Land.

So, the bigshots in ancient times used cakes for celebration!

They got so lucky! They were about to taste the special food from ancient times! Life would be complete!

Zhou Yunwu and the other two thought even further than that.

Was this coincidence? Obviously not!

It was likely that the expert already knew that they would succeed! Thus, he made the cake to celebrate with them!

It seemed that the expert was pleased. They had to work harder to unite all of humanity one day!

"It's almost ready."

Li Nianfan clapped his hands and walked to the pond in the heart of the yard. He put his hands inside it to wash them while Daji brought over a wiping cloth, helping Li Nianfan to wipe off gently.

"That's it for now, then. Steam it for a few minutes and it'll be done. Xiao Bai, keep an eye on it, don't overbake it. I'll entertain the guests," Li Nianfan instructed before walking toward Zhou Yunwu and the rest.

He smiled and asked, "How're the herbs? Easy to use?"

"Easy, too easy!" Zhou Yunwu nodded hastily. "Now, whenever someone falls ill, we can just mix up some herbs. Unlike before where people frequently fell ill and never got up again. Furthermore, many soldiers survived this battle due to the herbs. Mr. Li, you've helped thousands of men. You're a legend to be remembered!"

"Not a legend. You don't have to mark my name down as well. Just call me the Divine Farmer." Li Nianfan smiled and waved it off.

A man should be terrified of becoming famous, like how a pig should be terrified of growing big. Especially since he was in the Immortal Realm because he was merely an ordinary man.

Everyone was stunned. They all had words on their lips but they held their tongues.

To praise him? It seemed unnecessary. The expert's realm was way beyond that. Furthermore, the words of praise seemed rather useless.

They could only remain stunned. Perhaps this was the realm of the expert!

Li Nianfan continued, "Hope everything else goes well."

Zhou Yunwu smiled, "They should. Thanks to the herb manual given by you, I've asked for some stimulating liquid from the cultivators. Although they're not advanced yet, they're five times more effective than before. At least our soldiers won't have to worry about the shortage of food in the future."

"That's good," Li Nianfan nodded.

Suddenly, Meng Junliang sighed and said, "Mr. Li, I actually have a problem without a solution. I don't know how to fix it."

Zhou Yunwu and Rich looked concerned. Obviously, Meng Junliang's problem would be their problem, too.

Li Nianfan made a 'please, speak' gesture and said, "Please."

Meng Junliang composed his thoughts and said, "Mr. Li, the roots of the Xia Kingdom aren't deep. With such a big battle happening...the national storage is gradually being emptied out. If this goes on, we won't be able to fight any more battles."

Li Nianfan nodded. "I see."

Three words—lack of money!

One had to admit that regardless of which realm one was in, money was a treasure. Li Nianfan knew that even the Immortals had to live under the power of money. Of course, the currency up there must be different.

To a country, money represented its economics, while economics was directly correlated to how strong and powerful the country was! 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The economics determined the foundation of the architecture. Economics was the root of everything!

The Xia Kingdom was a small country. After having fought with the demons and being involved in a high-leveled battle, of course, they would be emptied out soon.

Li Nianfan hesitated for a moment. "This is a matter related to state governance."

One could tell that he had more to say.

Zhou Yunwu stood up and bowed deeply. He said with respect, "Please, teach me!"

State governance was a difficult topic to teach. Anyone could know the theory and share the theory, but how to enforce it and how to put it into action was not something the theory could fix.

Theory-wise, Zhou Yunwu had done quite well. He was kind and polite. He loved his people like his children but some matters required specific tactics.

Everyone looked at Li Nianfan, waiting for his answer.

Including the Fire Phoenix.

The expert was indeed the expert! He knew everything about the world and everything was within his grasp, easily manipulated.

Nobody would doubt whatever Li Nianfan was about to say.

However, Li Nianfan did not answer. Instead, he asked, "If you didn't come to me, what were you going to do?"

Meng Junliang did not hide. He said, "To be honest with you, I've proposed two ideas to my King. One is to increase the tax of the farmers, the other is to ask the officers to donate money."

"Both wouldn't work." Li Nianfan shook his head instantly. He said, "First of all, the farmers are using physical strength. Now, most of the men are at the front lines, leaving the women, children, and elderly behind. Yet, you want to increase the tax? This doesn't seem right. Secondly, during the war, it's important to maintain a good relationship between the officials. If you ask them to donate money, it would be bad!"

Meng Junliang stood up and said guiltily, "Mr. Li's so wise. Your words are too accurate. I've learned something today."

Zhou Yunwu was obviously excited. He said, "Please, give us some pointers."

"Now that we're facing some extreme times, it's rather hard to find a solution within a short amount of time." Li Nianfan enjoyed being a teacher. He smiled and said, "Actually, there's one way to fix this problem. Trade!"

"Trade?"

Everyone was stunned.

The order went from farmer, worker, to trader. Traders were at the end of the chain as they only cared about the profits. Nobody liked them.

Meng Junliang curiously asked, "Mr. Li, the traders are evil. They neither produce nor plant, and they don't even create anything of value. How're we going to fix the problems by trading?"

"You're only looking at it from one perspective without seeing the other." Li Nianfan shook his head. "This shows that you didn't spend enough time understanding the traders."

Meng Junliang's face flushed red. He realized that he knew too little. How ignorant was he in the past to claim to know everything in the world?

"The traders care about the profits. They resell things and determine the price of goods in the market. They sell things that one no longer needed to someone else, directing goods that have been over-produced to areas that lack those specific goods. They trade to avoid wastage, liquefying wealth, re-using resources to unleash their value. They make more than just money."

With a pause, Li Nianfan continued, "Improve the status of the traders. Provide them with benefits and then collect taxes from them. With that, your problem will be greatly solved."

"I understand! I see!" Meng Junliang's eyes widened. With just one pointer, he was able to understand the rest!

Zhou Yunwu was confused, but he tried his best to remain calm. The truth was that his head was filled with question marks.

He secretly glanced at the blank-faced Rich, and then at the frowning Fire Phoenix.

Suddenly he felt better.

Although he did not understand what the expert was saying, he understood the conclusion. He merely had to do as he was told.

Instantly, he wore a look of realization. "Thank you for helping us, Mr. Li."

Meng Junliang frowned slightly. He could not help asking, "Mr. Li, if we encourage trading, what if everyone ventures into trading instead of producing? What should we do then?"

Li Nianfan said with an unperturbed face, "The prosperity of the world is for profit, and the hustle and bustle of the world is for profit."

Instantly, Meng Junliang's head went blank after a loud ring. He had goosebumps all over his body. He felt as if this short sentence had touched his soul like the morning bell was awakening his being. His heart thumped rapidly and he had a sudden desire to cry out loud.

It was like having a problem that was unsolvable until someone uttered a simple sentence that ended up being the perfect solution. It was so on point and very powerful!

Feelings of confidence, worship, and excitement rushed into him. It was beyond words.

"Mr. Li's indeed the teacher of all men!" Meng Junliang wanted to kneel in front of him so badly. He said politely, "I'm in luck to be able to be taught by you!"

This was the grasp of the Truth, the control of the world! His understanding was too far behind!

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai walked toward them. "My master, the cake's ready."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "What a coincidence. The time's just right. Let's taste the cake."

Chapter 246

Dragin was in the backyard, but she was silently calculating the time. To a dragon, a few minutes were like seconds, but now they felt like years. Every minute was so long!

Nobody had to call for her. Dragin had already rushed out from the backyard. "Is it ready?"

Li Nianfan nodded and smiled, "Yes, it's ready."

He walked over and lifted the lid gradually. The smoke was not too thick. The air was already filled with a faint hint of sweetness. Now, it was even stronger.

Fragrance rushed to her nose. Although its aroma was not as thick as the dishes, this fragrance was more refreshing and soothing. It made one feel more enjoyable.

"What a strange smell."

Egg, flour, honey, and some oil. This recipe would not be found in this Immortal Realm. However, mixing them made them even more tempting and alluring.

One could see that the cake mix had risen, its surface glowing with a rounded look. It was different from the steamed buns. There was a layer of yellow and brown, clearly distinguished unlike the single color of the plain white bun. The outlook of this was more captivating, especially to a kid.

Gulp!

Dragin's eyes had turned into stars. She stared at the cake and wanted to lean over with her little face. She was drooling with glistening saliva, ready to drip from her mouth anytime.

Her tiny face was blushing red and her tail was quivering. She clapped in anticipation as she said, "Brother, I want to eat it! I want to eat it!"

"Of course, you'll get to eat it." Li Nianfan shook his head and gave her a slice first.

"Thank you, Brother!"

Dragin accepted it. Unafraid of the heat, she opened her mouth and took a bite.

"Wow! So soft!" Dragin's eyes sparkled. It felt as if she was biting into a layer of cotton. The texture was soft and delicate, brushing against her lips while coating her teeth. She could not help falling silent.

When the cake went into her mouth, the fragrance of the egg mixed with the sweetness of the honey. Most importantly, it melted upon entering her mouth. It did not choke her.

If one had to use a word to describe, it would be...comforting!

The texture was so comforting, the taste was wonderful.

Although the buns made by Li Nianfan were already delicious, compared to this cake, they were far behind!

Dragin cried out in awe, "So, so, so delicious! I've decided, cake will be my favorite from now on!"

"This small girl likes to make a big deal out of everything. Sorry for embarrassing you all." Li Nianfan smiled and shook his head bitterly, he handed each of them a slice.

Zhou Yunwu said, "Mr. Li, this is an instinct. We've merely conquered this, a reaction like this to delicious food is normal."

Li Nianfan laughed and said, "You're wrong. You haven't even tried it and you know it's delicious?"

"It's made by Mr. Li! Of course, it isn't bad!" Meng Junliang said.

As they spoke, they each took a slice of cake. The cake was half as big as a palm. It seemed tiny and delicate.

Everyone opened their mouths more delicately than Dragin. They each took one bite.

"Hmm?"

One bite of the cake made them jump. The ingredient was flour as well, but the texture was completely different from the buns. They did not have to use force to bite. With just a touch, it was broken off. Also, the cake bounced inside their mouths, attacking the oral cavity as if massaging them.

They looked at the inside of the cake. Below the milky-yellow surface, the inside of it was a sparkling yellow that was slightly paler than the color of the egg yolk. However...it was so beautiful!

Although the cake was sweet, it was not overly sweet. As their tongues touched the cake, it disintegrated in their mouths and unleashed an exquisite taste that attacked their taste buds. Along with that, a faint heat came from within the fragrance, spreading warmth all over them.

When they swallowed it, the taste of the cake seemed as if it had only started. The fragrance lingered between the oral cavity and esophagus. It was like silk penetrating the heart. Its taste stimulated one's soul as if imploring them to continue eating.

"So...so delicious!"

Everyone had dreamy looks on their faces.

"Unbelievable! There's such delicious food in the world." Rich was very excited. Although he did not move too much, his inner heart was even more unstable than Dragin. His body was slightly shivering throughout the whole thing. There were even tears in his eyes.

He was a physical man. He did not know how to repress his emotions. If it was delicious, he would react accordingly. If not, he would also act accordingly. And this...this was so delicious that he wanted to cry!

He did not know how to describe it. He could only say, "Immortal food! This must be the food of the Immortals!"

Zhou Yunwu said, "Mr. Li, such delicious food doesn't seem like food for ordinary men!"

Although he had prepped himself mentally and he knew Li Nianfan was no ordinary man, he did not expect it to be so unreal! He was so shocked!

The tastiness of the food was beyond the grasp of an ordinary man. Eating was a natural instinct, so they could not get away from the temptation of delicious food. However, would Immortals be able to find such good food?

Unlikely!

What had they done in their previous lives to cultivate such blessings and meet the expert in this life?

Li Nianfan smiled, "I'm glad you like it. Actually, this cake is just the first stage. It's only a plain cake. The actual cake is more complex."

Dragin was already drooling unstoppably. She wiped it off and said in shock, "It can get even better?!"

Li Nianfan nodded, "Yeah, if I add some fruits and butter, the taste will go up a notch."

Meng Junliang jolted slightly, "Butter? What's that?"

"The main ingredient of butter is milk," Li Nianfan explained. He continued, "Mentioning that, I remember now. Have you seen a black and white cow? You can get milk from them."

Milk was indeed a good thing. Not only was it nutritious, but it could also be used to make many delicious foods. Furthermore, it was time to try something different instead of having plain congee for breakfast. He had wanted to drink milk for a long time.

"Black and white cow?" 𝓵𝓲𝓫𝙧𝓮𝙖𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝙢

Everyone was shocked and then shook their heads. Perhaps this cow was from ancient times?

"No?" Li Nianfan was rather disappointed. If they did not know about it, perhaps there were no cows in this Immortal Realm.

Of course, Zhou Yunwu could not let go of this opportunity to impress the expert. He said sincerely, "Don't worry, Mr. Li, once we get back I'll ask my men to keep an eye out for it. If they find it, I'll bring it over."

Li Nianfan made a gesture and said, "Thank you."

Zhou Yunwu was about to ask more questions. However, he felt his stomach twitching vigorously. Swiftly after, his anus slightly tightened.

It was not just him. Rich felt the same. He was standing when suddenly, his body froze. His muscles tightened like a dart. He even started breathing cautiously.

Meng Junliang was slightly better. His reaction was not as big, but he also felt the air in his body slowly making its way out.

This...this...

The washing away of impurities, the cleansing of the body?

Gasp...

Oh, mother! It was happening so soon. What should they do?

Hold it in! Even if they were going to die, they must hold it in!

Chapter 247

'Silly me!

'Of course, Mr. Li's food won't be ordinary! Of course, it'd be more than just delicious!

'Of course, there'd be other benefits!

'However, it came without any prior warning!

'We're merely ordinary men. How are we supposed to take it?'

No matter if it was the egg of the Firefinch Demon or honey from the Golden Bees, they had the benefits of cleansing the body and cells. In other words, they could flush out the toxins inside the body and renew the cells.

These benefits were not too great for the cultivators. Since cultivators had fewer impurities in their bodies, they did not have to detox. However, it was very effective for ordinary men!

This detox was able to give one baby-smooth skin. The body would improve to its peak, increasing one's longevity. If they were to cultivate, it would be an easy journey.

However, this benefit was like a threat to Zhou Yunwu and the rest.

"Waa!" Zhou Yunwu made a sound. He felt a wave sinking in his stomach, rushing toward the anus and attacking its gate.

Oh no!

Swiftly, he took a deep breath and jumped. He forced it back in.

They must not fart in front of the expert. If they did not hold it in, they would be committing the crime of offending a Saint! They would be dead!

Perhaps this meal was a test from the expert.

Although it was delicious, it was full of mystery and it tested their willpower and perseverance!

He was an expert indeed! There was always an aim behind his actions, so shocking!

With that, Zhou Yunwu's heart instantly sank. He must hold in!

His eyes somehow met with Rich's, signalling him to hold it in!

Rich responded with a look of discomfort. Within a short amount of time, his forehead was covered in sweat. He wished he could cross his legs.

'Oh, no! I'm reaching my limit!'

Li Nianfan could feel their bodies stiffening and trembling. He could not help asking, "King Zhou, what is it?"

"No—nothing..." Zhou Yunwu forced a smile and used up all of his will to say, "Mr. Li, I suddenly feel unwell. It seems like we can't stay here any longer. Goodbye for now."

Li Nianfan said, "If that's the case, see you."

This sentence sounded like a relief to the three of them. They let out a long sigh of relief. They merely had to hold it in for a little longer.

Just as they were about to exit the house, Li Nianfan suddenly said, "Wait up!"

Gasp!

The three of them jumped. Cold sweat dripped down.

They looked at Li Nianfan in despair.

Oh, no! Oh, no!

However, Li Nianfan turned around and went into one of the rooms inside the four-part architecture.

"That room..."

Daji and the Fire Phoenix exchanged a look. They were curious about the things inside that room.

When the door swung open, they could feel an extremely terrifying power that they were unclear of. The things in that room were probably more shocking than the backyard!

Li Nianfan claimed they were merely sundries. However, how could they be anything ordinary?

Although they were curious, the room door was always shut and Li Nianfan seldom went in. Hence, they had not been inside.

Ping, ping, ping, ping!

There were not many things in the room. They could hear him flipping over boxes.

Zhou Yunwu and the other two were suffocating! Their bodies gradually started to curl up and their faces became green. They felt as if their buttocks were no longer theirs!

Luckily, Li Nianfan did not let them wait for too long. Soon, he came out with a book.

Li Nianfan handed them the book and said, "My apologies, it's quite messy in there. This book is regarding the art of war. I hope it can help you all."

The book was worn out. The cover was wrinkly and full of dust. The pages also had water and rice stains.

"This... This is..." Zhou Yunwu received it with both of his hands. He squinted and saw that there were words written on the cover.

'Six Secret Teachings'.

Li Nianfan explained, "This book of war is also known as 'Jiang's Six Secret Teachings'. There are two hundred and thirty-six chapters, eighty-one tactics, seventy-one commentaries, and eighty-one theories.

The Jiang the expert was speaking about was Jiang Ziya. This book compiled the essence of the art of war and it made a great impact on the battlefields.

Zhou Yunwu's voice was trembling. He had even temporarily forgotten about the fart that was about to come out. He said politely, "Thank—thank you, Mr. Li."

Although he did not know the exact information, this book was so antique and it was given by the expert. Of course, it was nothing ordinary. He had a feeling that this book was as valuable as the book of herbs and medical theories given by the expert.

Herbs, farming, casting, the art of war, and the governance of a nation.

The expert was indeed omnipotent. It seemed that he came here to preach to mankind!

'I, Xia Kingdom, never believed in Demons, and I'll never worship the Immortals. We merely hope to regard Mr. Li as our Holy Saint!' Zhou Yunwu thought in his heart. He then bowed politely at Li Nianfan!

Rich and Meng Junliang did the same.

"King Zhou, don't be so humble, it's just a book." Li Nianfan waved it off. "I won't walk you out. Have a pleasant trip back."

Li Nianfan's words instantly reminded the three of them. Their bodies shivered and they said hastily, "Goodbye!"

Zhou Yunwu and the other two rushed out from the four-part architecture, their faces pale and gait twisted.

It was not until they had walked a couple feet away when Rich said with a hoarse voice, "It's far enough. I can't hold it in anymore! I can't, it's coming!"

Frrtt!

As he began, more farting sounds were heard. The sounds did not stop

Just like drums beating in the air repeatedly, the sounds came accompanied by moans of relief that were gradually fading.

Inside the four-part architecture.

When Daji and Fire Phoenix saw the book, they were stunned!

Although the book was extremely old, the cover was covered with a layer of thick golden glow. That was definitely Luck!

The book was...a Luck Treasure!

With that, the Luck in the Xia Kingdom would increase again!

These kinds of treasures were his so-called sundries?

What other mind-blowing treasures were kept in that room?

This was not their first time seeing Luck Treasure. The lantern was one, and it was something that was simply made by the expert. This was another Luck Treasure, and he gave it away just like this? Even back in ancient times, this was something rare!

They did not say anything as they followed Dragin to the backyard.

They walked to the pond in the centre.

The Fire Phoenix said calmly, "Old Dragon, I know you're in there. Come on out."

The pond was extremely calm without a trace of movement.

The Fire Phoenix continued, "Cut the pretence, Dragin told me everything. Don't make us come down there."

After a moment, the pond started to move. The water level rose and a Golden Dragon head peeked out halfway, glaring at Dragin angrily.

Dragin used her hands to cover up her face, too afraid to face him.

"Whatever, since we're all bootlicking the expert, we're a family," the Golden Dragon said nonchalantly. He then reiterated, "Remember, don't you ever tell anyone else that I'm here."

The Fire Phoenix and Daji nodded at the same time. "We're not that bored."

Dragin promised genuinely, "Don't worry, ancestor. I won't tell anyone."

The Golden Dragon said, "Why did you call me?"

Daji was curious. She asked, "You've been with the master the longest. Do you know what's inside the utility room?"

"Not sure," the Golden Dragon shook his head innocently. "I just want to continue living. I don't notice anything else that doesn't concern me."

"However..." the Golden Dragon hesitated for a moment and said cautiously, "The expert's fishing rod is very advanced. When he was fishing here, I was tempted by his fishing rod. Luckily he was only trying to bait a fish. If he was fishing for a dragon, I would have been baited."

Daji said, "Earlier, my master brought out a Luck Treasure from the utility room. He gave it to the Human Sovereign."

"Luck Treasure?" the Golden Dragon's eyes bulged wide as his harsh breathing blew away the water. "Are you sure?"

The Fire Phoenix added, "It was indeed Luck Treasure."

"This...this..." 𝒍𝓲𝓫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝙤𝒎

Even though the Golden Dragon was unable to speak. Tears were rolling down his face as he said emotionally, "Luck Treasure... If my Dragons had a Luck Treasure back then, we wouldn't have ended this way!"

Dragin did not expect her ancestor to cry. She could not help asking, "What's a Luck Treasure?"

Daji frowned, "I'm not too sure, but I sense it's very, very important."

"Luck Treasure can suppress any Luck! This trait alone makes it very valuable!" The Golden Dragon took a deep breath and continued, "Luck Treasure's like an amulet given by Heaven. As long as you have this amulet, the species or nation will stay glorified forever! Back in ancient times, the reason we, the Ancient Beasts, went downhill was that we didn't have a Luck Treasure to suppress our Luck. So, our Luck went missing."

The Fire Phoenix asked, "Luck needs to be suppressed?"

"When the main characters of the world swap places, a massive Natural Tribulation follows. A long time ago, the Dragons and Phoenixes were the main characters. Our Luck was all over the place. If we had something to suppress our Luck, at least our bloodline would've continued to flourish even when the Natural Tribulation occurred and we failed to become the new main characters. However, without the Luck Treasure, the Luck was eventually lost during the Natural Tribulation, taken away by the others. Our bloodline eventually died off," the Golden Dragon said. "This is related to the general trend. When disasters come, having Luck is the key to survival. Only fools would work against this law."

Daji could not help asking, "So possessing the Luck Treasure is equivalent to being undefeatable?"

"Not exactly. It just ensures the bloodline won't go extinct. However, if one was attacked by a certain force, the bloodline could still vanish." The Golden Dragon shook his head. "I tell you what, this world is very, very terrifying. One after another, a bigshot would be hidden here. They fight against each other, calculating each other's moves with countless chess pieces. They attack when you're unaware and you won't know it until you're dead!" he said as his head slowly sank back into the pond.

He was very scared. "Let's talk about the Human Sovereign. When the nation's prosperous, nobody would offend him. However, if someone drugged the Human Sovereign with pretty ladies, turning him into a violent and swayed Sovereign that causes boundless wars resulting in his people going against him, then the Luck of the Human Sovereign would be affected. When the Luck decreases, it would be easy for the other Kingdoms to destroy him."

The Fire Phoenix could not help asking, "What happened during ancient times?"

"I can't say it! Once I talk about it, the bigshots might notice me!" the Golden Dragon whispered. He said as he went back inside the pond, "Anyhow, it's very scary! Hiding is the safest thing. Remember, don't expose me!"

Daji cried out hastily, "Don't hide yet! One more question!"

The Golden Dragon did not even look back.

Daji added, "It's about our master!"

The Golden Dragon's tail wiggled. He instantly turned back, "What is it?"

Daji said, "Our master said he wants to drink milk. Do you know what cow is black and white, and has milk?"

"Black and white cow that has milk..." The Golden Dragon hesitated for a moment. He said gradually, "I think I might know what the expert's talking about."

Chapter 248

The Fire Phoenix and Daji's faces darkened. They asked without hesitation, "What cow?"

"Back in ancient times, there were many kinds of ancient cows. Although they were far from Dragons, they were considered top Immortal Beasts. Many bigshots couldn't get their hands on the arrogant dragons. Thus, they focused on the Sacred Cows."

Of course, the Golden Dragon did not forget to boast about the Dragons before explaining. "If the expert mentioned it, the cow cannot be any ordinary cow. If it's black and white, it represents Yin and Yang. I know a kind of cow that contains Yin and Yang. It's the Five-Color Sacred Cow!"

The Fire Phoenix froze. "Five-Color Sacred Cow? Five colors?"

"Exactly!" the Golden Dragon nodded. "It's black, white, red, green, and blue! Black and white represent Yin and Yang. Red, green, and blue represent the raw colors of the world. This species of the cow was born for the world. They can walk on the clouds, have immense strength, and can move mountains and oceans!

"The expert doesn't like to say things too clearly, so the black and white could be a hint. Five-Color Sacred Cow has three more colors. It's a more reasonable target." Daji analyzed for a while. She then asked the key question, "Does the cow have milk?"

"Yes!" the Golden Dragon answered instantly. "My Dragon books recorded that this cow was born for the world. Its milk can strengthen the body, increasing one's strength and making one immune to dangers. Back then, I came across this cow and saw it producing a lot of milk. I wanted to ask for some, but the cow was unwilling. I don't force people to do things they're unwilling to, so I didn't insist."

Dragin was shocked. "Even my ancestor hasn't tasted it?"

"You have to focus on the main point!" the Golden Dragon could not help emphasizing. "It was me who was unwilling to insist! It was just one sip of milk. Why would I care?"

The Fire Phoenix asked, "Where's the Five-Color Sacred Cow?"

The Golden Dragon said, "I remember that it's in the Kunxu Mountains."

The Fire Phoenix thought for a moment. She said, "The Kunxu Mountains? I know, it's at the Southside of the Immortal Land. However, the area's massive, finding one scared cow would be like finding a needle in the ocean."

The Golden Dragon hinted, "Places with such a cow will glow in five colors at night."

With that, its dragon tail wiggled and it went into the deeper end of the pond.

Daji and the Fire Phoenix exchanged a look. It seemed that they had to find a chance to go over to the Kunxu Mountains.

...

The Liuyun Palace.

The white clouds were in the sky. Many Immortals were traveling by cloud.

Meanwhile, four clouds were secretly making their way to the Liuyun Palace.

They then gradually landed at the foot of the mountain. The white clouds went away, revealing Payne and the three elders of the Azure Ville in sight,

They looked serious, cautious, and uneasy.

The Big Elder said, "Sect Master Ding's locked up in here."

The Second Elder asked, "Sect Master, are you sure we're to do this?"

"We know what the Lord Immortal's goal is. He's merely trying to know more about the expert from me. He doesn't have a good motive," Payne said in a low voice, his eyes sparkling. "I don't want to expose the expert's situation. Therefore, I shouldn't meet the Lord Immortal. I can only save the person on my own."

The Third Elder sighed, "He's a Lord Immortal after all. If he finds out, we're in danger!"

"The moment we touched the painting, we were in this already, unable to turn back!" Payne's eyes squinted with a hint of rage. He scoffed coldly, "Since I, Payne, am in it, I'm a chess piece of the expert! The Lord Immortal's so ignorant, he has no idea what kind of existence he's plotting against!"

His good friend was captured out of the blue. It would be a lie if he was not pissed!

The Big Elder reminded him, "Sect Master, the Lord Immortal must have some powerful support on his back to become the Lord Immortal!"

Everyone knew clearly that the Immortal Land was full of hidden bigshots. Even though they had all gone through the Natural Tribulation, the tactics of bigshots keeping their lives were not unknown. Those who had not reappeared did not mean that they were dead.

Now that the world was changing, it was time to make the choice.

Bigshots usually fought through chess pieces. If they went over to see the Lord Immortal, they might reveal the planning of the expert. They would then no longer be the expert's chess pieces and might end up on the opposite side.

The set up of the Lord Immortal was forcing them to make a choice, too!

"You all have no idea what I've been through in the ordinary realm. However...don't worry. Believe me, the power of the expert is so strong that it's beyond your imagination!" Payne's eyes were filled with respect and determination. "No matter what happens, without the permission of the expert, I won't expose anything!"

"Alright! Let's do it! A bigshot who painted the Golden Crow? I'd pick him!" The Big Elder's eyes sank. "There's only one entrance at the back of the mountain and it's guarded by four Tian Immortals. Since we can't barge in, we have to take another route. The back of the mountain is prohibited, so if we want to enter, we need to break in."

The Second Elder nodded and said with a serious tone, "We do have some knowledge regarding the formation. If we join forces, we might be able to break in."

"Cut the talking, let's start!"

Instantly, the four of them gradually raised their hands and reached out.

Vroom!

The originally empty space was filled with layers of waves. A soft, calm, glow appeared over it like a layer of membrane.

Powerful Qi emerged.

At once, their originally excited faces froze. They went silent.

However, Payne looked strange. He was quite certain as he said, "Are you sure there's a prohibition here? Why can't I feel anything?"

"Sect Master, are you silly? Don't you see this big patch of membrane!?"

"Strong! So very strong! This layer of prohibition! Even the flying birds are unable to break in. Don't be silly. We're unlikely to be able to break in!"

"Sect Master, please, face the reality." The Big Elder patted Payne's shoulder. He said with sympathy, "Sect Master might not be able to take this blow that you started to make things up."

Payne's face was turning dark. He said again, "I'm certain! You really feel resistance from this membrane?"

"Can't you tell? How can you be certain?"

The three Elders were in shock. They advised, "Sect Master, let it go. If we had the Burst Gun, perhaps we could break in."

"Sect Master, I really can't! Even if we accompany you here and drilled for five hundred years, perhaps we'll eventually be able to rub ourselves inside."

"Rub?! Do I need to rub?" Payne laughed. He did not seem down. Instead, he seemed excited. "It's time to show off! Look closely, I'm going in now!"

"Calm down! Calm down!"

The three Elders panicked. Without a doubt, their Sect Master was in a blur!

They wanted to stop Payne, but he had already raised his hand and went straight through the border.

Bam!

There was no trace of resistance. It was as if it was a normal layer of water, easily penetrated.

"This, this..."

The three Elders widened their eyes. They could not believe their eyes.

"Sect Master, what have you awakened in your body? You're able to neglect the border?"

Payne laughed a mysterious laugh. Under their stunned gaze, he walked in and then walked out arrogantly.

"Sect Master, what's this about?"

"It's the expert helping me." Payne's eyes were glowing, his face showing a hint of excitement and respect. He took out some fragments from his chest. "Look at what these are?"

The Big Elder jolted and then cried out in shock, "Spiritual Root?"

"Exactly! It's the Spiritual Root!" Payne nodded and handed a fragment to the Big Elder. "Hold this and have a try."

The Big Elder received the Spiritual Root and seemed rather concerned. Trembling, he reached out and walked toward the border.

The resistance from earlier did not appear. There was no hint of it.

Bam!

He went inside. 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Gasp...

The three Elder gasped at the same time, they seemed as if they had seen a ghost.

Payne looked at the Power Fragment, his eyes filled with the same wonder. He took in a deep breath and said, "When I visited the expert, I saw the expert carving a Spiritual Root. These fragments were treated like trash. I bit my tongue and asked for them. Who'd have thought that these fragments can help us neglect the border!"

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"

The three Elders' hearts were jumping rapidly. They could only feel their scalps itching with goosebumps all over their bodies.

This was the Spiritual Root. He was carving on it and he actually treated it like trash? Most importantly...this trash was able to effortlessly neglect the border set up by the Lord Immortal?

How powerful was that!

The Big Elder could not help being astonished. "Sect Master, I finally understand why you're so confident about this expert. This is...too strong!"

"Waste no time, let's go in." Payne gave out a Power Fragment to each of them. Instantly the three Elders looked as if they were being allocated the greatest treasures. They held them tightly in their hands, feeling their values skyrocketing.

They went through the border safely. The four of them walked on cautiously. They realized that other than the initial prohibition, there was not much prohibition inside.

Although there were many traps, with the help of the Spiritual Roots, they were unstoppable. They were once again stunned by how powerful the expert was!

"This Spiritual Root is nothing ordinary! This is beyond imagination!"

However, they knew this was not the time to admire the Spiritual Roots. They had to save the hostage!

The four of them were well-cultivated so they could make themselves invisible. Soon, they sensed Ding Xiaozhu's Qi.

Payne flew over with excitement. He cried out, "Xiaozhu!"

Ding Xiaozhu froze and then was shocked. "Why're you here? Did you get caught, too?"

"Of course, not! I came here with my abilities! I came here to save you!" Payne smiled. "Listen to me, let me tell you the whole story..."

"Story?! Are you an idiot?" The Big Elder almost went crazy, his face flushing red. "We don't have time! It's too dangerous in here!"

Chapter 249

The five of them rushed out. Soon, they got out of the border.

Ding Xiaozhu's head was unable to work out how they managed to do it. When she saw everyone go through the border, she was dumbfounded.

"This... This is..."

She looked at Payne blankly. Then, she cried out, "Did you all cultivate something new? How did you get past the border?"

Payne's ego was instantly boosted. He felt satisfied as he gloated, "Ha-ha-ha! Cool, isn't it?"

The Big Elder cut him off. He pestered, "Stop gloating, run!"

"Hold this," Payne handed the Spiritual Root to Ding Xiaozhu. The group of five soon exited the border and left the mountain on clouds.

As they were leaving, Ding Xiaozhu could not help asking, "What was that all about?"

She looked at the Power Fragment in her hands and could not help crying out, "Isn't this Spiritual Root!?"

"Exactly! This is Spiritual Root!" Payne nodded. "This is something I shamefully asked for during my visit to the expert."

"The expert's willing to give you Spiritual Root that can penetrate the border?" Ding Xiaozhu looked at Payne, stunned. "He's too generous!"

Payne could not help smiling bitterly. "How's that generous? This Spiritual Root was trash to the expert!"

Trash?

Ding Xiaozhu tightened her hand. No matter what it was, this was a treasure to her!

"I should've been aware of this during Immortalizing," Payne said as he voiced out his thoughts. "I didn't feel any resistance. I didn't even feel any turbulence. I just somehow arrived in this Immortal Land. I thought it was due to the reconnecting of the road that changes were made. It seems that it was due to this Spiritual Root!"

"What you're saying is that this Spiritual Root not only penetrates borders, it can also..." The Big Elder could not help gulping, his voice trembling. "It can penetrate through a different realm?"

Everyone's heart was racing.

This was the road between the Immortal Land and the Immortal Realm! Although the road had been reconnected, there was still a huge resistance in between that they could not penetrate. If the Immortals wanted to descend, they needed to sacrifice some things. However, with the Spiritual Root, they would be able to ignore this rule!

This... This...

If more Immortals found out about this, they would go crazy!

"Have you all thought about the source of this Spiritual Root?" Ding Xiaozhu said with a serious face.

Everyone jumped. "The source?"

"You're all thinking too naively." Ding Xiaozhu took a deep breath. There was fear in her eyes. "This is merely a Power Fragment and already, it can penetrate through different realms. If the source of this Spiritual Root is fully grown, how would it be?"

With that said, everyone's pupils dilated at the same time. They were all trembling.

This Spiritual Root was nothing ordinary. Of course, the source would not be ordinary as well. One could speculate that once the source of the root was fully grown, it could perhaps...open up the world!

Not perhaps, it would definitely be able to!

With that, the Immortal Realm and Immortal Land would become a joint new world, just like the ancient times!

Payne gasped and said, "The expert seems to be a figure from ancient times. He's been feeling nostalgic about the ancient times."

Ding Xiaozhu nodded. "Exactly, the expert planted this. Perhaps he has already started plotting for the future."

"Terrifying, so terrifying!"

The three Elder's faces were filled with fear, anticipation, excitement, and shock.

Him, alone, rebuilding the ancient times!

This power was way beyond one's imagination! Was this the world of the bigshot?

What about the other bigshots?

Meanwhile, everyone's heart thumped. Their hair standing on ends as a chill aroused from within. They all looked up to see that not far ahead, the colorful clouds were moving in the air. Three Sky Horses with snowy white wings were standing on top of the colored clouds. They were pulling a golden carriage. Other than the special effect, they exuded a strong power. What a shocking sight!

"Lord...Lord Immortal?"

Cold sweat appeared on Payne's forehead. Everyone else's body stiffened as their hearts skipped a beat.

This was the Lord Immortal, an existence of the late-Golden Immortal. His treasures were no joke! He was a true top-ranking bigshot in the Immortal Land. Even his carriage was pulled by the Sky Horses, and his carriage itself was an Immortal Item!

They had no way to resist at all!

"You secretly saved her. It seems you've made your choice." His calm voice came out from the carriage. There was no emotion in his tone but he was very serious. "The person who's able to break through the border is indeed capable. You're qualified for me to look at you differently!"

Payne bit his tongue and said, "We don't know when we offended the Lord Immortal. Please, forgive us."

"Don't worry, you didn't offend me!" the Lord Immortal laughed. He then said, "I won't make it hard for you. You just have to do one thing for me."

With that, a painting scroll flew out from the carriage and appeared in front of Payne.

"Bring this painting to the man behind you. Just tell him I'd like to hear what he thinks about it," the Lord Immortal said calmly, his tone certain.

Payne looked at the painting. Although he did not know what it contained, he could feel the challenging tone from the Lord Immortal. He took a deep breath and said, "Lord Immortal, if you do this, you may have to prepare yourself to endure the expert's rage."

"Is this courage of yours given to you by the so-called expert? You dare doubt me? You think I'm not as good as your expert?" The Lord Immortal's tone was challenging. He did not say anything else. He simply laughed and drove off arrogantly...

Watching the Lord Immortal leave, Payne could not help saying in a lowered voice, "It's not what I think, the truth is that you're nowhere close to the expert! You're nowhere close!"

He was unmoved, he even wanted to laugh.

The Big Elder also could not help saying, "Sect Master, where did the Lord Immortal's confidence come from?"

Payne put away the painting and said, "Perhaps this is the courage of ignorance."

...

Early the next morning.

At the Fallen Town.

Li Nianfan had a small red bird on his shoulder, while Daji and Dragin followed by his side, walking along the town.

This was Dragin's first time in the world of ordinary men. She was so excited that she would check everything out. She acted her age, a very active six or seven-year-old girl.

It had been almost a month before Li Nianfan dared to bring out Dragin. This was due to the recent adjustment. Dragin was finally able to hide her fishtail and the scales on her body.

Although there were many demons in this Immortal Realm, people would still look at an ordinary man strangely if he went out with a demon.

The three of them came to the breakfast stall.

Instantly, the stall owner greeted with enthusiasm, "Mr. Li, good morning!"

"Boss, three bowls of Tofu Pudding, two plates of buns!" Li Nianfan smiled. Then, he looked at Dragin and corrected himself, "Make it three!"

"Alrighty! Have a seat. Please, wait for a moment." The stall owner smiled. He then whispered into Li Nianfan's ears, "Mr. Li, is your wife pregnant?"

Li Nianfan instantly had sweat all over him. He shook his head hastily, "No, you think too much!"

The stall owner instantly laughed it off. "Sorry, a misunderstanding!"

He was curious. There was only an additional little girl. Why did he order so much more than usual?

Dragin sat in her seat, looking around curiously. She asked, "Brother, what's pregnant? Is it a good thing? Can you bring me?"

Daji instantly smacked her head. "No way! It's none of your business!"

Dragin looked wronged. She instantly stopped talking.

Soon, three plates of buns were put on the table. However, the owner did not walk away. He asked, "Mr. Li, did you hear what recently happened at the Clear Moon Lake? recently"

"You mean the increase of fishes in the lake?"

The stall owner waved it off. "That was in the past. The water level of the Clear Moon Lake rose!"

"The water level rose?" Li Nianfan paused. 𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

"Yeah, don't you know?" the stall owner nodded. He said, "About three days ago, the water level of the Clear Moon Lake suddenly rose. Not just that, the normally calm Clear Moon Lake is no longer calm. The wind in the area was blowing wild. Even a few fish boats had flipped over. When everyone was happily fishing, who'd have thought that such a thing would happen? So sudden!"

Li Nianfan frowned, "What caused it?"

The rising of the water level was not a good thing. With wild wind blowing? The problem was severe. This was a sign of a flood. If so, the Fallen Town was likely to be flooded.

"Who knows?" The stall owner shook his head and sighed. "I've lived so long and yet I've never heard of the Clear Moon Lake getting pissed off before. The water level has already flooded its surroundings. Within three days, the water has already spread to a ten-mile radius!"

Li Nianfan frowned, "Are there any safety precautions?"

The stall owner said, "I heard some Immortals are going over. Perhaps the problem isn't that big."

Li Nianfan made a gesture, "Alright, thanks for telling me."

The stall owner said hastily, "Everyone knows about this. There's nothing to thank me for."

Li Nianfan scratched his head. He felt tired.

The location he chose to live in was not good. He thought the Fallen Town was a good place to live. Why were strange things happening one after another? Was he about to die?

"Phew. Will it flood? What a headache!"

If it did, he would have to go over and have a look. Although some cultivators were involved, it was still related to his life. It would be better for him to know more.

It was just a flood. It was not a big deal to him. Perhaps he could ask the Holy Emperor to help out. Complementing his knowledge with the cultivators, it would be a perfect match.

Meanwhile, the small red bird was flying from Li Nianfan's shoulder to Dragin's shoulder. It said in a low voice, "This is caused by your father, right? Look, even the expert has a headache. Look how unhappy he is! Your father will be dead!"

Dragin's small face was turning pale. Her small face was twisted as she became anxious.

No way! She could not let her father go on like this. She had to save him!

She said in a low voice, "Sister Phoenix, do you think my father can be saved?"

The Fire Phoenix said, "Since Mr. Li's not affected yet, it's not too late."

Dragin's eyes lit up instantly. "Then, I'm taking one day's leave."

"Finish your chores then take the leave."

Dragin nodded, "Okay."

After eating and filing up, they were not in the mood to continue walking around.

When they got back to the four-part architecture, Dragin instantly started to get busy. She wiped the floor diligently, her tiny tail trailing behind her. She merely needed half a day to complete all her chores.

She looked at Li Nianfan and said in a low voice, "Brother, I want to go home for a while."

"Go home?" Li Nianfan snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh right, I almost forgot you're from the Clear Moon Lake."

Since changes were happening in the Clear Moon Lake, the small carp wanting to go home and have a look was normal.

What was her home like? Could it be a small carp cave? They called it a 'Palace'?

Even the thought of it was funny.

Li Nianfan asked, "Do you have any family members back home?"

"Yes, my father and my brother."

"Then go home and have a look so that they're not worried about you. However, don't go home empty-handed." Li Nianfan smiled. He prepared some fruits and snacks for her. "Bring these home, tell them you have learned a thing or two outside."

A Carp Demon learning from a Fire Phoenix? Perhaps her family members would be terrified, making her the proudest Carp Demon!

Dragin's eyes widened instantly. She accepted the fruits and said, "Thank you, Brother. I'll leave now!"

Li Nianfan could not help reminding her, "Okay. Take care, stay safe!"

Chapter 250

At the Clear Moon Lake.

Countless waves were rushing to the sky, forming walls as high as a few feet, looking like the claws of a demon that was ready to attack the ground anytime.

Roar!

The strong waves roared in anger. It was as if the world had lost its colors.

The usually calm Clear Moon Lake was unlike its usual self. It was almost as if there were two extremes. It was going wild and terrifying the observers.

The waves were unstoppable. Dark clouds were starting to appear in the sky along with thunder. It seemed like heavy rain was about to fall.

In the air, many orbs of light flew past from time to time. There were some spells cast on the lake, preventing the waves from attacking.

The cultivators were rushing over from all over the place. Shock and concern were evident on their faces.

Although the cultivators did cultivate, they did not have the ability to control natural disasters, not unless they had Immortalized. The lake was boundless. The situation was severe. It looked like it was impossible for them to repress the water level.

Dong!

Meanwhile, a string was plucked. The sound of the string resonated in the air, muffling the sound of the water.

One could see two figures approaching, hovering on top of the water as the sound of the string was vibrating like the waves.

"One song, Listen to the Tide!"

Instantly, the water was parted into halves. The vigorous waves grew slightly calmer along with the music.

Dong! Dong! Dong

The music continued without stopping while the water gradually spread. The water level slowly fell. However, their fear lingered on as layers of waves would still rise from time to time.

"It's the Sect Master of the Linxian Palace."

"One song and the waves were calmed! Cultivators having passed their Natural Tribulations are so scary!"

"Don't let down our guard! Let's take this time to start the formation. The waves are unsteady, we have to repress it!"

Many of the cultivators made a respectful gesture at Yao Mengji. They all respected him.

The Linxian Palace was one of the few sacred lands in the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty. Of course, his reputation was renowned.

Meanwhile, an orb of light shot up and landed beside Yao Mengji.

"Greetings to Brother Yao, Manyun."

"Holy Emperor," Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun returned the gesture.

The three of them smiled. Since they were all working for the expert, there was no ranking among them.

Yao Mengji asked curiously, "Have you been visiting the expert lately?"

"I haven't seen him for a long time." The Holy Emperor said. He had a hint of fear and terror in his eyes. "Brother Yao, you may not know about this. My entire family went through a life-and-death situation. If it wasn't for the expert, you wouldn't be seeing me now."

Yao Mengji widened his eyes and said, "Huh?"

"The other day, when the expert was preaching at the Xia Kingdom, the Luck of mankind was prosperous. I was being held hostage by a Mosquito Demon that came from the Immortal land. It had the cultivation of an Immortal, and yet it naively wanted to suck the expert's blood!" the Holy Emperor paused there, slightly terrified while finding it funny.

"It wanted to suck the expert's blood?" Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun's faces looked strange. They said in unison, "It was asking for death!"

"I know right? It was easily killed by the expert." The Holy Emperor could not help smiling. He then sighed and said, "Unlike you who has an Immortal ancestor, I don't know if I still have the right to continue visiting the expert."

"Holy Emperor, I'm guilty of this. We haven't visited the expert in a long time," Yao Mengji said and shook his head bitterly.

The Holy Emperor paused. "Why so?"

Yao Mengji was half crying and smiling, "To be honest with you, my ancestor isn't doing so well. Not only did she not help us, we gave her many good things but we haven't heard back from her since then. I'm too ashamed to meet the expert."

Instantly, the Holy Emperor and Yao Mengji felt sorry for one another.

"Actually, the expert has hinted to me a few times that regardless of how capable we are, each of us has different uses. We just have to help the expert solve his problems." The Holy Emperor paused. He then continued, "Let's talk about this current incident. If it really exploded, it'd affect the mood of the expert. Therefore, we must repress it!"

"Exactly! I rushed here because of this as well," Yao Mengji nodded seriously. He glanced at the water level. "The Clear Moon Lake's acting strange indeed."

First, it was the increase of fishes. Suddenly, it threatened to flood. It was almost impossible to be of a natural cause. Something must have happened.

"There are rumors saying that the Dragon King's agitated," the Holy Emperor frowned as he said with a concerned look. "If this is true, then it's not something we can get involved with."

Even if it was merely a dragon, the cultivators could not afford to offend them. Even the normal Immortals had no right to offend them.

However, dragons had been lost in time.

Qin Manyun frowned. "Since it's just a rumor passing around, we shouldn't believe it."

Meanwhile, a white small carp jumped into the lake. Its red tail slightly wiggled as it swam toward the bottom of the lake.

The endless waves seemed as if they did not exist in its eyes. They caused no threat to it. Its speed was very fast, swimming toward the Eastside. Soon, it followed the current to a golden gate. Without hesitation, it rushed into it.

A gigantic golden palace was located at the bottom of the lake. Five colored fences were surrounding the palace with seaweeds swaying in the water. Countless pearls as big as human heads were seen everywhere, illuminating the surroundings. Bubbles were forming from time to time in the azure blue sea. It was very beautiful.

However, the originally calm waves were no longer calm. Layers of waves were rushing out violently, terrifying countless fishes and prawns.

Countless crabs and lobsters were surrounding the palace. They had human bodies with claws clutching pitchforks as they patrolled around. As if shocked by the waves, some of them retracted their heads, standing at the same spot, transfixed.

Inside the palace, a long-bearded elderly man was full of rage, his eyes almost burning in flames. He was very anxious!

"Why do I even need you for it?" he growled, his entire body shaking. "It's been a month and you still can't find a trace of the Seventh Princess? How can this be!"

"Dragon... Dragon King" A tortoise with a heavy shell and small head gulped anxiously. He said in a small voice, "According to the trace, the Seventh Princess was swimming toward the Clear Moon Lake. Then, she just disappeared."

"What do you mean by disappeared?" Dragon King's eyes widened, his voice loud like thunder. It caused the water level to rise in the sky. It was very scary.

He picked up the Tortoise Demon and asked, "You tell me, what do you mean by disappeared?"

The Tortoise Demon shivered. "Dragon King, perhaps...perhaps the Seventh Princess went offshore to play?"

"After crossing the Heavenly Gate, how would she have the energy to play?" The Dragon King shivered all over. He scoffed, "How's the gathering of the prawn soldiers?"

The Tortoise Demon replied, "There are five thousand of them already."

Both his eyes reddened. "Ask them to get prepared. Follow me to the Clear Moon Lake. If you don't find my daughter, I'll flood the ordinary realm!"

By the side, a teenager in a white shirt walked forward, his eyes sparkling. "Father, please, allow me to lead the soldiers. If my Seventh Sister is hurt in any way, I'll make the ordinary realm pay! Even if I'm punished by Heaven!"

The Tortoise Demon tried to wipe away his cold sweat. Just as he was about to accept the order, a voice rang in the air, "Daddy, I'm back!"

Instantly, the water around the palace stopped swirling.

Everyone listened closely. They thought they were hallucinating.

The little carp turned around and instantly transformed into Dragin. She walked into the palace and called out again, "Daddy!"

"Dragin! My daughter!" The Dragon King's lips quivered. He carried Dragin in his arms. He thought he was dreaming.

By the side, the teenager in white was delighted as well. "Seventh Sister, it's really you! You're really back!"

"Ha-ha! Fifth Brother, it's me!" Dragin smiled from ear to ear. She then said hastily said, "Daddy, stop the flood. Don't cause any trouble!"

"Trouble? I've endured all kinds of tribulations, from a small shrimp to a bigshot. Why should I be afraid to cause trouble?" The Dragon King said arrogantly. He was in a great mood. "Since my Seventh Daughter's back, stop the flood!"

The teenager in white could not help asking, "Seventh Sister, where have you been? We were so worried."

"I went to the ordinary realm. It's so interesting there." Dragin smiled.

"Don't run around next time. At least get someone to follow around you," the Dragon King said lovingly. He continued, "What's so fun about the ordinary realm? You must be starving. I'll have a seafood feast prepared for you." 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Sigh, I've been eating seafood since young. I'm bored of it. The food in the ordinary realm's great!" Dragin waved it off. "Since you've ended the flood, I won't stay any longer. I should go back. Daddy, Fifth Brother, goodbye!"

"What? Goodbye? Where are you going?" The Dragon King was dumbfounded. He pulled Dragin closer and reminded her, "This is your home! You just came home and you haven't told us anything!"

Dragin said, "I should go back to finish up my chores. I still have to do the dishes tonight."

To stay in the palace for a seafood feast? It was nowhere close to the delicious dishes made by the expert. It was getting dark outside. She would need to hurry to be back for dinner.

With that in mind, she seemed even more anxious.

However, what she said sounded like thunder to the ears of the Dragon King and her Fifth Brother.

Chores? Do the dishes?

The Dragon King's eyes reddened.

At the palace, Dragin was so precious that if they put her in the mouth, they were afraid of melting her. If they put her on the palm, they were afraid of losing her. Even when she ate, people were serving her. And yet, she was doing someone else's chores?

What had she been through this month?

He could not help picturing the image of Dragin being abused in the ordinary realm. She was probably manipulated by the ordinary people to do all kinds of chores. If she did not obey them, they would probably whip her. Thus, she became this way eventually.

She was still so young, she must have been bullied by the others!

How cruel! How cruel!

The Dragon King did not dare to think any further. The more he thought about it, the more scared he was.

By the side, Dragin's Fifth Brother clenched his fists. He was trembling with anger, exuding an air of rage.

He looked at Dragin and said with a hoarse voice, "Seventh Sister, it's my fault for not protecting you better."

The Dragon King's eyes were filled with tears as he scoffed angrily, "Tortoise Chancellor, continue to recruit soldiers. Gather ten thousand prawn and crab soldiers!"

He ruffled Dragin's tiny head as he painfully said, "Dragin, don't be scared. You're home now. You don't have to do chores anymore. Tell me where this person who made you do the chores lives. I'll capture him no matter where he is. Then, he'll be in charge of all the toilets in the Eastern Sea!"

Chapter 251

"Dad, you're crazy! Don't do anything foolish! The expert isn't someone you can mess with!" Dragin was baffled for a second. She hurriedly stopped them, "What are you guys doing? I'm totally willing to work here."

"Someone I can't mess with?"

The Dragon King instantly laughed out of anger. He looked at Dragin with pity in his eyes.

Who would willingly work?

The brat must be delusional from abuse.

He said in a low voice, "My daughter, daddy didn't protect you well. Don't be scared. Trust me, I'll bring you justice! You don't have to work here anymore. Daddy promises you won't ever have to work again!"

"I don't need your promise. This is an opportunity given to me by the expert. I got lucky. Don't ruin it!"

Dragin was frantic. She hurriedly took out the fruits and desserts she brought with her. "Every time I finish my chores, I get a lot of delicious food. Look, these are the treasures I got."

The Dragon King and Fifth Brother looked at the items she took out. They felt their hearts twitch hard. They looked away because they felt bad.

What were those? Some fruits and steamed bread.

Treasures?

'My dear Dragin, how much torture did you endure? You work just to eat these things?

'Who could be so cruel? They tortured you until you're delusional.'

"Seventh Sister, don't be like this. Wake up." The Fifth Brother could not breathe because he pitied his sister so much. He sounded extremely sorry for her. He could not hide his anger either. He looked like he was about to kill someone.

Crack!

He instantly destroyed the fruits in front of him, turning them into ashes. "Such humiliation. It's an insult. We don't need it!"

"What are you doing?!"

Dragin screamed. She raised her arm and spun the water waves into a Water Dragon figure. She attacked her Fifth Brother and sent him flying.

"Two apples, an orange, and a banana!" Dragin was livid. She yelled with teary eyes, "You have to pay me back!"

"Water Dragon Chant?!" The Dragon King was shocked. His eyes and jaw were wide open. He was disoriented as he asked, "Where did you learn that from?"

Dragin had no time to acknowledge him. She rushed over to her Fifth Brother and started tugging at his clothes. She struggled as if she hated him. "Pay me back, you have to pay me back!"

"Okay, okay, we have a lot of those." The Fifth Brother immediately gestured and a beautiful Clam Demon served up a bunch of fruits. "Look, we have everything. All types of it!"

Dragin almost cried. "You have nothing! I want my apples, my orange, and banana!"

The Fifth Brother was puzzled. He looked at the Dragon King helplessly.

The Dragon King also helplessly shook his head. They exchanged looks.

It seemed like their Dragin was mentally unstable from her abuse. It was not good to agitate her.

However, she knew how to perform a Water Dragon Chant attack. It was a legendary skill that was extinct among their kind. Where did she learn it from? Perhaps she was abused and somehow her Dragon instinct from an eldritch era was awakened?

The Dragon King smiled calmly. "Alright, my sweet daughter. We'll pay you back later. Calm down."

Dragin felt upset. "How can you pay me back when you don't have it? I worked all day for the apple and orange! Boohoo..."

Such little payment for a whole day's worth of work? What a cheapskate!

The Dragon King was furious and sorrowful.

"My dear daughter, us Dragons don't have much, but we do have a lot of treasures. What don't we have in this realm?" comforted the Dragon King. He arrogantly waved and boasted, "It's just a few fruits, right? Don't worry, my dear daughter. I can get whatever you want and I'll let you eat as much as you want from now on."

"Liar." Dragin frowned. She took out her last orange and gave the Dragon King a slice. "These fruits are different. Try it first."

"Alright, alright, I'll try it now. My precious daughter brought food back for her father to eat. I'm so glad to be your dad."

The Dragon King chuckled and simply put the orange slice in his mouth. "Hm, yummy. Hm... Hm?"

His eyes widened. His crown fell off as he screamed in disbelief, "Holy Mother of God!"

The Fifth Brother jumped at his reaction. Perhaps father was going along with the Seventh Sister? What professional acting. Maybe this was fatherly love.

Suddenly, the Tortoise Chancellor rushed in. "Dragon King, ten thousand crustacean soldiers have been gathered. Please, give us your orders, Dragon King!"

The Fifth Brother was immediately intrigued. He quickly said, "Get that senseless fella!"

The Dragon King looked at him. He looked emotionless as he pointed and said, "Tie this unscrupulous son up first!"

"Father, there's no need." The Fifth Brother was slightly baffled. "There's a limit to acting, right?"

"Do you know what you just did?" The Dragon King stared at him with teary eyes. "You destroyed two apples, an orange, and a banana!"

The Fifth Brother was even more baffled. "Yeah, so what?"

"Idiot, you pig!" The Dragon King pointed at him and scolded him but he still felt like it was not enough. He waved and said, "Hurry up and drag him outside. Give him a hundred spanks."

"Father, that's not necessary. What's going on? Why? Don't you have fatherly love for me?"

The voice of the Fifth Brother gradually faded away. Then, it was followed by sounds of hard spanking and his painful screams.

"Phew—that's better." The Dragon King sighed heavily. He looked at the remaining fruits and carefully held them up like they were the ultimate treasures. He had that unbelievable gaze.

His voice was trembling as he said, "Dragin, these fruits... Where did you get them from?"

Dragin said, "I told you, right? The expert gave them to me."

"This..."

The Dragon King's eyes widened. He had goosebumps all over. "You... You're not kidding me?"

They were Spiritual Fruits that contained the Power of Law. In eldritch eras, it was rare getting to eat one of these. Now, it appeared in the Immortal Realm, but more importantly, who would give it away?

"Believe it or not." Dragin was not in a good mood.

Soon, the hundred-spank punishment was over. The Fifth Brother was brought in by two Prawn Soldiers. His butt was slightly swollen.

He looked at the Dragon King oddly and complained, "Father, I don't understand."

The Dragon King hesitated for a long while. Then he pinched a slice of orange. He sighed and said, "Try it."

The Fifth Brother bafflingly took the orange slice and put it in his mouth. He chewed it and it made a 'squish' sound.

Then, his eyes were wide open. He was stumped.

His mind was buzzing and he was in a daze. He felt weak all over and asked as he trembled, "Fa...father, the four fruits I just destroyed... Are... Are they also such magical fruits?" 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝘳𝑒𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝑜𝑚

"What do you think?"

"I... I..." The Fifth Brother's lips were trembling. He looked lost and helpless. He said, "I think I'm an idiotic pig. Please, continue with the whipping and spanking. Don't have mercy on me."

His heart thumped hard. He would do anything to turn back time.

Four Spiritual Fruits were destroyed?!

What was the meaning of being alive in the realm? He was not worthy!

He felt like a beggar who had come across an antique vase and smashed it, thinking it was just a normal vase only to find out later that it was worth billions. More importantly, this beggar smashed four antique vases in one go!

The feeling of despair.

God was freaking playing with him!

Dragin scoffed. She pouted and asked, "Can you pay me back for the fruits?"

The Dragon King and the Fifth Brother shook their heads at the same time. "No."

The Fifth Brother asked in disbelief, "Dragin, you get to eat fruits like that just from working?"

Dragin nodded, "Yeah."

The Fifth Brother had tears in his eyes from envy. "Such a good deal... Any positions available for hire? I don't have any strengths aside from being hardworking!"

Dragin scoffed, "Nope, don't even think about it!"

The Fifth Brother shamelessly said, "My good sister, help your brother out. I'm begging you."

"Move aside!" The Dragon King picked up the Fifth Brother and tossed him aside. "You are miles behind your sister. How would the expert ever be impressed by you?"

The Dragon King insulted him hard. Then, he recommended himself, "Dear daughter, tell the expert that if workers are required, he can find me. I can even clean the toilet. I don't need a lot of payment. One fruit per day would be okay."

Dragin still shook her head.

"Joking."

The Dragon King fake-smiled. Then, he looked serious. "Dragin, you're lucky to be chosen by an expert like that. This is a huge opportunity, seize it well. The expert makes you work as part of your training. You must complete the tasks wholeheartedly! Don't go today, let my minions train you. You must learn how to do chores well and aim for perfect execution."

Dragin said, "I don't need you all to teach me. I have someone teaching me already."

"The expert gave you a tutor?"

The Dragon King was surprised. Then, he remembered, "Oh, yeah. Dragin, did the expert teach you how to perform the Water Dragon Chant?"

"No," Dragin shook her head and said with a serious face. "It's a big secret. I promised not to tell anyone."

The Dragon King and the Fifth Brother looked at each other. Then, they ordered everyone around them, "All of you, out! Get away from here!"

"Dear daughter, we're your closest family. Are you going to keep secrets from us?" The Dragon King convinced, "It's just us here. Who else would know if we don't tell anyone?"

Dragin looked troubled. She groaned for a moment and said, "You have to promise me not to tell anyone. You have to keep it a secret."

The Fifth Brother nodded seriously. "No worries, Seventh Sister. Since the beginning of time, keeping secrets has always been the forte of the Dragon kind."

"Alright then." Dragin took a deep breath and lowered her voice. She said in a mysterious voice, "I met our ancestor!"

Gasp—

The Dragon King and the Fifth Brother gasped at the same time. They were more shocked at that than the Spiritual Fruit. "For real?"

Dragin immediately said, "Of course. It was saved by the expert. I learned a lot of tricks and skills from it!"

"An ancestor of our Dragon kind is alive?"

The Dragon King and the Fifth Brother were flushed from excitement. "Blessed be the Dragons, blessed be the Dragons!"

"We Dragons owe the expert a lot!"

The Dragon King was slightly flustered."Not only did the expert save our ancestor, but he also kept you. He's so nice to the Dragons. Perhaps it's because he had a good past with the Dragon kind of the eldritch era?"

The Fifth Brother said in a trembling voice, "Who knew we Dragons would encounter such an expert. We have to be his bootlickers no matter what!"

"Naturally! Even our ancestor's doing so. How can we not follow suit?"

The Dragon King looked serious. He was emotional from anxiety and a mix of feelings. He did not know what to do. "Please him. We have to think of ways to please the expert!"

He kept pacing back and forth in the palace. "Not sure what the expert would like. Dragin, you're around the expert a lot. What do you think we should send as a gift?"

"Hm... I think the expert likes food. Maybe we should send him some seafood," answered Dragin.

"Good idea." The Dragon King had sparkles in his eyes. He immediately gave the orders, "Inform the Prawn Soldiers to pick a few big prawns from the nearby coastline. For the Crab Soldiers, tell them to pick a few fat crabs. Remember, the quality must be outstanding! Train them hard so that their meat will be scrumptious when caught to ensure good texture."

"It's not good enough. It's too cheap. I have to take a look inside the Dragon Palace Vault. We have to show our sincerity!"

Chapter 252

To the vault?

She followed behind him and said, "Daddy, I'll go with you."

The Fifth Brother rubbed his butt and quickly stumbled over. "Father, bring me along, too."

The Dragon King looked serious as he walked into the depths of the Dragon Palace.

The path was shiny and golden. The long hallway was built with gold bricks and many rare jewels drilled into them.

After a while, the three of them were in front of a huge, heavy gold door.

The door opened with a rumble.

Dragin could not wait to run inside.

It was glistening and shiny inside the vault. The treasures were collected over thousands of years from past Dragons.

Dragons were natural treasure collectors. The three levels of the vault were filled up with treasure.

There were all sorts of treasures in messy piles because no one could organize them.

"Dad, you're not going to give him weapons, right? Because that's not going to work." Dragin shook her little head. "The expert came to the Immortal Realm as an ordinary man so he doesn't need weapons."

She thought to herself, "Well, apart from the weapons he uses to split firewood and for cooking. The expert's sword and cooking knife seem to be better than whatever we have here"

"Dear daughter, you don't need to remind me." The Dragon King smiled and shook his head. "How can the bigshot use our weapons? Unless we have a legendary weapon, we can't bring it as a gift."

It was the same as an ordinary person giving a cooking knife to a martial arts expert. The expert had no use for it. It would be more useful to give him clothes.

The Dragon King stopped and ran straight to the second level of the vault.

He looked disturbed when he sighed. "According to the Dragon Records, when the Dragons were at their prime, the vault had six levels in total. Now, we're only left with three levels."

The Dragon Door was closed. The Dragons were out of touch with the rest of the realm so the treasure vault had been abandoned for a long time.

Dragin asked, "So many levels... How much treasure was there?"

"The six levels were filled according to their treasure levels, but it doesn't mean it's all full."

The Dragon King groaned for a moment and explained, "In a faraway era when land had just been discovered, there were a lot of fantastic items. Immortals were everywhere. You could say that opportunities were also everywhere. There were treasures everywhere, too. The first level of the vault was filled with wonderful treasures known as Spiritual Treasures. Followed by Deluxe Spiritual Treasures, Ultimate Spiritual Treasures, Deluxe Ultimate Spiritual Treasures, Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, and Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!"

It was a long time ago. He only knew it from stories, too. The treasures were long gone as the Dragons faced extinction.

Dragin asked curiously, "What level would Luck Treasure be?"

"At the very least, on the fourth level," answered the Dragon King without thinking. Then, he was slightly surprised. He asked, "How do you know about Luck Treasure?"

Dragin said, "I heard it when the ancestor was chatting. The expert gave a Luck Treasure to the Human Sovereign."

"What?!"

The Dragon King's mind was buzzing. He tripped and almost fell over.

"He gave away a Luck Treasure?" He almost could not believe his ears. "This..."

He jolted. Was it the recklessness of a bigshot?

Once protected by a Luck Treasure, others would have to think twice before attacking. The Luck Treasure was a hidden asset. It was too useful.

Dragin noticed the reaction of the Dragon King and asked, "Is it that precious? The expert also casually made a lantern and it's also a Luck Treasure. Even that has been tossed into a corner, too."

Yikes—

The Dragon King rolled his eyes and almost fainted.

Luck Treasure could be made? It was not created naturally?"

He felt like his worldview was being attacked.

Terrifying, unimaginable!

He would have thought it was nonsense but he knew Dragin would not lie.

Bigshot, unimaginable bigshot!

He could not describe how he felt at that moment. He only knew that his little heart was racing fast and his blood was boiling up to his head.

'A mere puny dragon being so close to such a bigshot. It's a lucky thing that my daughter does chores for him. What a breakthrough!

'Can't think about it. I'll probably faint from happiness.'

"Dragin, my precious Dragin! Comparing you to your Fifth Brother, he's scum."

The Dragon King was slightly flustered. He realized he forgot something huge. The only things he knew about the expert were the Spiritual Fruits and the Dragon ancestor. He had no other information about the expert.

He asked in a serious tone, "Dragin, did the expert ever give you a hint to not say anything about him?"

Dragin shook her head. "No, brother's very nice. He wants me to say hi to you, too."

"Good." The Dragon King sighed in relief. Then, he said, "Dear daughter, quickly tell me everything about the expert.

"This is important. Let's go. Back to the Dragon Palace!" said The Dragon King while he walked outside with Dragin.

Dragin and the Fifth Brother were confused. "Dad, we aren't going to choose a treasure anymore?"

"No treasure here's worthy enough for the expert."

The Dragon King waved and hesitated. Then, he said, "I gave it some thought. Since we're giving him something, we must give him the greatest treasure of the Dragon Palace! At least it can show our sincerity, regardless if the expert will be impressed or not."

"We have other treasures?"

"It's a big cauldron!" The Dragon King nodded. "It didn't belong to us in the past, but now, it's the best treasure of the Dragon Palace."

The next day.

Two carps swam out from the Dragon Palace—a big carp and a small carp. They were soon at the lakeshore. Then, they walked straight to the mountains.

Dragin was slightly depressed. She felt sorrowful because she missed out on dinner last night. It seemed like she was going to miss breakfast made by the expert, too. It was hard for a foodie like her.

Sigh, huge mistake.

"Dad, we're almost there." Dragin asked, "The expert thinks I'm a Carp Demon. Should we be honest with our identities?"

"Of course not!" The Dragon King instantly shook his head. "Foolish daughter, didn't you see that I came here as a big carp, too? The expert must have his reasons. We'll just have to comply. Remember, from now on, we're Carp Demons."

They were already at the door of the four-part architecture.

Dragin did not try to be courteous. She knocked and barged in.

The Dragon King was right next to her and he almost had a heart attack.

'So direct? Isn't that too impolite? Please, warn me next time! Let your dad be mentally prepared!'

He went stiff and carefully entered the house with Dragin.

Dragin sounded sweet when she shameless said, "Brother, Sister Fire Phoenix, Sister Daji, Blackie, Xiao Bai, I'm back."

Li Nianfan was holding a big piece of wood. He was sculpturing something. He looked up and smiled, "So early? Weren't you going to stay for a few more days?"

Dragin said, "My home's doing well. Also, let me tell you the good news. The tides have receded."

"Oh? That's good news indeed," smiled Li Nianfan while he nodded. Then, he said, "I have good news to tell you, too. New ice pops were made. They're almost ready. Try it."

Dragin instantly sparked up at the mention of food. She asked, "Really?"

Li Nianfan said, "The ice pops have mixed flavors this time. It's mixed with three different fruits. I promise you it's delicious. Also, I made new moulds in interesting shapes for the ice pops."

"Wow!" said Dragin excitedly. Then, she pushed her dad out and said, "Oh, yeah. Brother, my dad's here with me."

"Mr. Li, gree—greetings." The Dragon King felt his throat go dry. He forced a smile and said, "My name's Urchin. Sorry for coming here without prior notice. Sorry for the disturbance."

"Dragin's father! Nice to meet you." Li Nianfan immediately stopped what he was doing and said in a friendly tone, "Take a seat. Xiao Bai, quick. Make some tea."

Her father must be here to observe what his daughter had been doing. It was understandable since his daughter was so young.

Urchin noticed the Fire Phoenix and Daji. He instantly froze.

The place was as extraordinary as his daughter described. 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He took a deep breath and said calmly, "Mr. Li, this is a small token of appreciation. Please, accept it."

He took out a huge box and presented it to Li Nianfan. He felt nervous.

"You're too courteous. This is a big box."

Li Nianfan opened it and was instantly intrigued. "Good stuff! This is... King Crab? Australian Lobster? My my—so big! And Large Yellow Croaker, too? This is so nice of you!"

He could not wait to get his hands on them. He dragged the box over to the refrigerator and froze them.

He felt emotional and thankful after seeing familiar seafood.

He had been in the Immortal Realm for five years. He did not expect to see a luxurious seafood set meal again. What a pleasant surprise.

They said kind people would get kind blessings. He saved the little carp, but who knew her family was in the seafood business? He traded some fruits with such expensive seafood. What a treat.

Ordinary people would never go to the oceanic areas of the Immortal Realm. Aside from sea creatures, the sea was rarely calm. Even if the timing was right, oceanic seafood had limited shelf lives before it went bad. Nobody would risk capturing oceanic seafood.

Even in the past realm, those things were considered expensive and luxurious. It was basically impossible to eat it in the Immortal Realm.

What a treat. He could finally reminisce about flavors of the past realm.

"As long as Mr. Li likes it." Urchin was relieved. He genuinely smiled.

He did not know what 'King Crab' or 'Australian Lobster' was but it did not matter. He would rename them once he returned home.

What an honor to be named by the bigshot.

"Mr. Li, we also brought another thing."

Urchin raised his hand and waved.

Suddenly, a big cauldron appeared in the yard. It was about five feet high.

Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow. "A cauldron?"

He examined it for a while. The cauldron was mainly green. It was not rectangular but round instead. The sides of the cauldron were sculpted with patterns. It was not very refined but it had that expensive vintage vibe.

Li Nianfan was weirded out by the cauldron's lid.

"A cauldron pot?"

What would he use a cauldron pot for?

Chapter 253

A cauldron for what?

"This..."

Li Nianfan did not know what to say. The cauldron was given to him by others and it was rude to reject it.

Urchin was observing Li Nianfan's reaction. When he noticed the expert frowning, he jumped. He went cold and his hands were shivering.

The expert...did not like the cauldron?

He was too careless. He should have given it more thought. He could have searched across the seas to pick more treasures!

He quickly said in a respectful tone, "Mr. Li, we're poor. We couldn't find any good items, so we could only bring this cauldron as a gift. Please, forgive us."

Li Nianfan looked like he realized something.

Perhaps the cauldron was a gift for the mentor?

It must be. The Carp Demon knew that his daughter was being taught by the Fire Phoenix. He must be giving her something as a token of appreciation.

However, he had limited treasure. That cauldron was supposedly the best treasure he had. He must have said that because he was scared of being despised.

What a poor, loving parent.

Li Nianfan had an idea. He immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Urchin, don't say that. This cauldron is nice. I suddenly remembered that I recently planned to brew some alcohol. This cauldron came at the right time."

Brew alcohol?

Urchin was slightly taken aback. He smiled awkwardly.

The cauldron was a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. The Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron could suppress any water spells and it had properties that could make Spiritual Water. Was it only worthy of brewing alcohol for the expert?

However, he was relieved after thinking about how the other Immortal items ended up. It was not that bad to be able to brew alcohol. It could be considered as putting the item to good use.

Li Nianfan walked to the Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron. He lifted the lid.

"Huh? The lid looks heavy. I didn't expect it to be so light. How convenient." He smiled like he was pleasantly surprised.

Then, he looked inside the cauldron.

Urchin covered his 'O'-shaped mouth with his hand at the side.

That was the Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron!

After the big tribulation, the Dragon Door was closed. The Above Immortal Realm was worried that no one would look after the oceanic areas and it would cause chaos in the Immortal Realm. Therefore, they placed the cauldron in the depths of the ocean.

The lid was light?

No one had been able to lift its lid before.

The most important thing was when the expert said he wanted to use the cauldron to brew alcohol!

'As a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, shouldn't you show a little more resistance? Do you like brewing alcohol?'

Thankfully, he was mentally prepared. He looked calm on the surface. He, too, looked into the cauldron.

The inside of the cauldron was as smooth as a mirror—flawless and glistening. Reflections could be seen when they stood near it.

"It's a good cauldron! Perfect for brewing alcohol!"

Li Nianfan was delighted. He put the lid back on. The lid fitted snugly on the cauldron. It was perfect.

He smiled gently and saluted, "Mr. Urchin, your cauldron's so useful for me. Thanks a lot."

Urchin smiled awkwardly and said, "Ha, you're welcome, Mr. Li. This cauldron is indeed suitable for brewing alcohol."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Is Mr. Li home?"

Li Nianfan was surprised. Then, he said, "The door's unlocked. Come on in."

Creak.

Two people walked in slowly.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Brother Lin and Brother Xiao."

Lin Mufeng and Xiao Chengfeng said at the same time, "Greetings to Mr. Li, Lady Daji."

"No need to be courteous. Quick, take a seat."

He did not expect so many visitors today.

Lin Mufeng said in an embarrassed tone, "Mr. Li, sorry for coming by without notice."

Li Nianfan waved it away and said, "Brother Lin, don't be a stranger by saying that."

"Actually, I was the one who wanted to come by, Mr. Li," said Xiao Chengfeng. He unbuckled the sword from his belt and said, "Thanks for the advice last time, Mr. Li. You helped me understand a lot. I don't have much to pay you back for that. I only have this sword. Please, accept it, Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan did not reach out to accept it. He shook his head, smiled awkwardly, and said, "Brother Xiao, you don't need to do that. It's not a big deal. Also, I'm just an ordinary man so I have no use for a sword. Please, take it back."

"This..."

Xiao Chengfeng sighed and said, "Mr. Li, if you need my help with anything in the future, please, feel free to say so!"

Li Nianfan was waiting for that. He quickly smiled and said, "Don't worry. If there is, I'll do so."

Sword cultivators were so earnest.

He simply teased him with a few sentences and got a promise from a sword cultivator in exchange. What a deal!

Urchin noticed that Li Nianfan was happy. He did not want to back down, so he immediately said, "Mr. Li, if there's anything you need, I can help you out as best as I can, too."

"Haha, thanks!"

Li Nianfan was overjoyed. He had protection from the sky, the land, and the water!

"Everyone, I must say you all came at the right time. You can try my newly invented ice pops." He waved at Xiao Bai and said, "Quickly serve it to the guests."

"Coming, my dear Master."

Soon, Xiao Bai took out a mould from the refrigerator.

Dragin could not wait and immediately ran over, "Brother, is this the new ice pops?"

She looked at the mould with sparkles in her eyes. She looked excited.

The mould was made from wood that was sculpted into different shapes. They looked amazing because of Li Nianfan's sculpturing skills.

The ice pops were perfectly shaped from the mould. The visual presentation was outstanding.

"This..."

Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng jumped when they saw the mould. They were terrified.

It emitted a weird aura.

Leftover Powers?

It was Leftover Powers for sure!

When a bigshot performed a high-level spell, the surrounding walls would have Leftover Powers. The Leftover Powers contained spell understanding from the spell caster. A small portion of Leftover Powers was enough to be beneficial in studies and observations for future generations.

The expert simply made a sculpture and had Leftover Powers. No, it was not Leftover Powers. It must be true Power Bestow!

Only people with a deep understanding of their powers could perform a Power Bestow.

The purpose of the mould was to make ice pops. That was...crazy!

Li Nianfan rushed them. "Stop standing around, hurry up and try it."

He picked up a dog-shaped ice pop and ate it. The cool sensation plus the perfect mixture of the three fruity flavors instantly made Li Nianfan feel good.

Xiao Chengfeng did not hesitate. As expected, picked the sword-shaped ice pop.

He held the ice pop in front of his eyes to examine it closely. He suddenly felt like his vision was blurry. It was as if he no longer held an ice pop. Instead, he was holding a real sword—a sword that was about to fly high in the sky!

Sword aura came out from the ice pop. It was as if the ice pop was from another dimension.

Xiao Chengfeng could not wait any longer. He put the ice pop in his mouth.

Suddenly, a chilling sensation traveled from the tip of his tongue to his entire body. The chill was not damaging for him. It was cool and then sweet flavors melted into his tongue. It was not just one flavor but a mixture of three fruits. The flavors teased his taste palettes to the extreme. Sometimes he tasted strawberries, sometimes he tasted the citric sweetness of the oranges, and other times he tasted pears.

Icy, cool, sweet, and sour. The flavors spun in his mouth. There was no better feeling than that.

So... So delicious!

If it was not for the expert, he would never have gotten the chance to enjoy that.

He thought his only passion in life was sword cultivation. That was the first time he realized that apart from sword cultivation, there was also good food.

However, just when he was mesmerized by the delicious food, his mouth suddenly started to shine brightly.

A long sword appeared in his mind without a warning. The sword was in the sky, emitting waves of Sword Intention. It kept expanding before it merged into his body. He gained a better understanding of the power of sword cultivation.

Meanwhile, Urchin chose a wave-shaped ice pop.

Instead of a sword, there were giant ocean waves in his mind. He felt like he was being baptized as he was being washed by the power of waves.

As expected, the ice pops were extraordinary since the mould was so special. How could the expert be impressed by anything less than extraordinary?

They felt like they were not eating ice pops. Every bite—no, it was more like every lick—was Power!

It might not be believable but they were consuming Power by licking.

They would never dream of eating something like that. They would not have even believed magical ice pops exist.

Urchin looked at his daughter. She was holding a bunny-shaped ice pop and carefully sucking on it.

He suddenly looked jealous. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

His daughter was able to follow the bigshot around. Even if she was just doing chores, she was living a better life than a Dragon King!

The bigshot could simply bring something out and it would be treasures that no one could get!

Slurp, slurp.

Everyone was slurping in the four-part architecture.

They were all enjoying the moment.

The sounds finally stopped after time passed.

Looking at their satisfied demeanors, Li Nianfan felt pleased with himself. He asked, "Is the taste alright?"

"Alright? It's way better than alright!" Urchin nodded continuously. He sincerely said, "Thanks for the treat, Mr. Li. I'm lucky to be eating something so delicious."

Xiao Chengfeng said in a serious tone, "Mr. Li, thanks for the hospitality! I won't forget your kindness!"

Li Nianfan waved and laughed, "Okay, what an overreaction. It's just an ice pop, it's nothing much."

Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng looked at each other. Their gazes were filled with gratefulness.

The expert did not see the ice pops as anything much, but they could not do so!

That was a blessing from the expert. They had to remember it and thank him!

The two of them had the same idea. They stood up simultaneously.

Xiao Chengfeng said, "Mr. Li, sorry for the disturbance today. We won't be staying any longer."

Urchin looked at the backyard and then said, "Mr. Li, I should go, too. Dragin's in your care now. If she's disobedient, don't show her mercy. Just punish her!"

Li Nianfan walked them to the door and said, "Farewell, everyone."

They walked out of the four-part architecture. Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng walked side by side.

Urchin saluted, smiled, and introduced himself, "The Dragon King of the Eastside Ocean, Urchin!"

"Sword Immortal, Xiao Chengfeng. Greetings to the Dragon King."

Instantly, they went from being strangers to teammates that served the same expert. They chatted as they walked.

Lin Mufeng quietly followed behind them. He did not dare to breathe loudly.

A Dragon King and a Sword Immortal. When did the realm suddenly become so scary? They were not to be messed with.

Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng had a change in their facial expressions just when they were about to reach the end of the mountains. They looked in front of them.

There was a white figure. Her skirt was flowy and she was as cold as a Goddess.

They did not dare to dilly dally. They rushed over and greeted respectfully, "Lady Daji!"

"Cultivators, no need for courtesy." Daji nodded at them and asked, "I was wondering if you're free recently?"

Urchin hurriedly said, "Of course. Please, feel free to give us your orders, Lady Daji!"

"There's a Five-Color Sacred Cow in the Kunxu Mountains at the Above Immortal Realm. The Master wants it."

Daji paused and said, "However, the cow's quite powerful and hard to track. I'd like to ask for your help. Let's help the Master together."

"As we should, as we should!"

Urchin said without hesitation, "Lady Daji, the expert's business is our business! Count me in."

Xiao Chengfeng followed suit, "What are we waiting for? I'll head to the Kunxu Mountains right now. I'll be back to update you once I have information on the Five-Color Sacred Cow, Lady Daji."

Lin Mufeng's mouth was wide open. Alright, he could not do anything except being amazed by the sidelines.

Daji said, "Sorry for the trouble."

"You're too courteous, Lady Daji. This shouldn't be delayed. We'll prepare for it immediately and we'll complete this task perfectly!"

Chapter 254

At the Above Immortal Realm.

The Tianyuan Immortal Town.

The Above Immortal Realm was different from the Immortal Realm. The Immortal Realm mainly had ordinary people. Therefore, their major towns would rely on kingdoms, sects, or cultivation families to stop the demons.

On the other hand, the Above Immortal Realm did not need to worry about that. They had locals, too, but a lot of them were cultivators. Some of them were as powerful as some Immortals. Moreover, everyone at the Above Immortal Realm was not weak so they did not want to rely on sects. There were a lot of solo cultivators, too.

A lot of towns in the Above Immortal Realm had a mixture of ordinary people and Immortals. No sane demons would attack the towns.

Thus, people from the towns did not need to rely on other forces. Some towns were even better than some sects in the Above Immortal Realm. Towns were nice places for Immortals to gather and hang out.

The Tianyuan Immortal Town was busy in the Above Immortal Realm. There were clouds above the town and in the marketplace. Various Immortals rode on clouds. They called their friends, and they came and went.

From afar, an elegant lady rode in on a pink cloud slowly.

She walked into the Tianyuan Immortal Town and looked around. She said, "The Above Immortal Realm is gradually looking like the Immortal Realm."

There were few ordinary people in the Above Immortal Realm. They would not live for long but they could give birth. Ordinary people would increase as time passed. Sooner or later, they would surpass the number of cultivators.

"No wonder ordinary people can own Luck from the mundane humans. They're the base species."

The lady walked along the streets of the Tianyan Immortal Town. She felt nervous and held on tight to what she was holding. She soon reached the black market.

The black market was a place for Immortals to trade items. All the stall owners were at least from the Tian Immortal Realm. It did not matter if one was rich. One just needed to have a unique item.

She looked at the stalls with disappointment in her eyes.

Then, she looked around the black market. She seemed to be hesitating.

"I gained too much from my descendants. How unlike an ancestor." She sighed slowly, her eyes glimmering. "Who would've thought that I'd have to rely on my descendants for help. I held them back. This time, I have to redeem myself!"

She looked determined. She walked into the depths of the black market.

"It's nice that my descendants are so exceptional. They were fortunate enough to befriend a Godly expert. The opportunity's right in front of us. As their ancestor, I have to do my best for them! At the same time, this is also my big break. As a cultivator, I must seize opportunities and dare to take risks!"

Soon, she was at a store.

It was dark inside the store. There were no lights at all. It would not affect the vision of an Immortal but it was still creepy.

The lady calmed herself down and wore a mask. She walked in slowly.

The gentle breeze blew the curtains of the store. A voice could be heard all of a sudden, "Have you traded anything here before?"

"No."

"Did you bring an item?"

"I did."

The lady raised her hand and out came an egg and a small jar of honey. 𝓵𝓲𝓫𝒓𝓮𝙖𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Huh?"

A hunchbacked old man slowly walked out from the dark.

He stared at the egg and the jar of honey for a long time. Then, he looked at the lady in shock.

"An egg from a Firefinch Demon and honey from Golden Bees. Rare items indeed!" He groaned for a moment. Then, he smiled and asked, "I'll take the deal. What do you want to trade it with?"

The lady suppressed her anxiety. She asked, "Do you have any unique Spiritual Items?"

"Unique Spiritual Items?" The elder thought about it then raised his hand. A snow-white long sword appeared out of thin air. It was glimmering with Immortal Qi. "This sword is known as the Sky Pierce Sword. It's a Deluxe Spiritual Treasure but its power is better than usual Deluxe Spiritual Treasures. This sword can slay Immortals!"

The lady clenched her fists after hearing that. She tried her best to control her heartbeat and said calmly, "I don't need weapons. It's best if it's a Spiritual Item from the eldritch secret borders."

"Spiritual Items from eldritch eras? These aren't enough for that." The old man chuckled. "Everyone knows that Immortal Items are mostly weapons. Spiritual Items are rarer than weapons. Spiritual Items from the eldritch eras are even rarer and more precious."

He stared at the lady. Suddenly, he grew suspicious. He said, "Tell me more about these two items. I won't even need them and I'll give you this sword for free!"

The lady jumped. She took a deep breath and said, "I coincidentally got these two items. It's fine if I can't trade them."

She wanted to turn around and leave.

"Wait, cultivator."

The old man quickly stopped her. He still looked friendly when he said, "It can still be traded. I have a Spiritual Item. It's an Immortal Relic from the eldritch eras. However, it has some sort of spell on it. Nobody seems to be able to open it. If you're interested, I can make a trade."

The lady stopped in her tracks. "What is it?"

The old man flicked his wrist and out came a small vermillion box. The box was round with a gap in the middle, made up of two halves of a sphere. It was unclear what was in it.

A weird aura was emitting from the box. However, it was too antique for her to detect what it was.

"I'll accept the trade!" The lady immediately nodded. She sounded slightly chirpy.

Then, she left in a hurry.

The old man was thinking in the dark. He said, "An egg from a Firefinch Demon, honey from Golden Bees. These two items are too hard to get. How could a Beginner Immortal own them? She must have some secrets. I should get someone to follow her. Also, though we can't open the box, it's not an item to simply give away. It's time for necessary action."

At the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

A sexy figure slowly appeared.

She had the face of an angel and the body of a demon. She was tall, slim, and attractive. It was Yuecha.

She looked at the mountain and frowned. Her mind was somewhere else.

"According to the senses of my figure, the expert should be on this mountain." She groaned for a moment and slowly walked uphill.

She fell into deep thought as she walked. She looked like she was hesitating.

Since the last fight with Backo and Amon, she realized the fatal flaw in cultivation. The same attack.

She realized she only knew how to perform the Heavenly Dragon attack. It was a powerful move but it was uncool to use the same move all the time.

That was why she failed to kill Backo and Amon. They also made fun of her.

It was not supposed to be that way for powerful Immortals.

She kept thinking about it but had no new understanding.

Not until a while ago when she heard the story of 'Journey to the West' at a lousy inn.

She was deeply intrigued by the Buddha, the Guanyin, and the other cultivation disciples. The journey of the Monk and his disciples made her skin crawl. She was emotional and inspired.

She felt the kind of joy one would get from seeing light on a lost path.

That was how Buddhism was supposed to be!

There was truth in Buddhism!

Women in Buddhism were known as Tara.

She heard from a lot of sources and found out that 'Journey to the West' originated from the Fallen Town. The expert lived near the Fallen Town so she had a strong feeling that 'Journey to the West' was created by the expert.

Therefore, she was determined to seek the expert. She wanted to be a Buddhist!

The mountain path was quiet and curvy with no obstacles. However, she was not calm at all. She was very nervous.

Could she see the Truth? Could she pursue Buddhism?

She was excited, nervous, and thrilled at the same time.

Suddenly, she looked up and saw three figures in her way.

Gu Yuan, Payne, and Ding Xiaozhu were slightly taken aback. They were discussing if they should pass the painting of the Lord Immortal to the expert. Then, they unexpectedly ran into a demon.

Payne was instantly threatened. He glared and said, "Demons dare to cause trouble for the expert? You must die!"

He overreacted because he wanted to help the expert. He was ready to attack.

Gu Yuan quickly stopped him, "Hold on, Sect Master. This is the Lord Yuecha that I told you about."

"Oh?"

Payne was slightly surprised. "She's the demon spy?"

Clearly, Gu Yuan had already told them about what happened at the Azure Ville.

Ding Xiaozhu tugged on Gu Yuan and said in a low voice, "Since she's the spy planned by the expert, we can't attack her!"

"Amitabha." Yuecha took out a shawl and wore it. "I have renamed myself. I'm no longer Lord Yuecha. Please, refer to me as a Tara. Greetings to the four of you."

Gu Yuan and the others quickly saluted, "Greetings to Tara Yuecha. Did you come here to visit the expert, too?"

"Yeah, I came to ask for the Truth. To learn about Buddha Sanzang and preach Buddhism," Yuecha nodded. Then, she asked, "Did you know 'Journey to the West' was created by the expert?"

Gu Yuan nodded and said quietly, "Yes, it is indeed the story of the expert. But our guess is that the story happened during the eldritch eras."

"I see! Great minds think alike," Yuecha nodded. "The world has many powerful transcendent beings. They've lived countless eons and experienced countless changes and events. How can the stories they tell be mere fiction? It was a real-life experience for sure!"

Payne asked curiously, "Tara Yuecha, you used to be with the Demons. Do you know if the vanishing of Buddhism has anything to do with the Demons?"

"Must be," Yuecha nodded. "But I'm not sure what happened exactly. I joined the Lord Demon God after the big tribulation."

Payne nodded. "I'm afraid we can only ask the expert if we want to find out why."

Yuecha looked at them and suddenly invited them, "Everyone, Buddhism used to be a big religion, blessed and protected by Luck and Spiritual Qi. Now that Buddhism's dying, we have no strong members. If you want to join Buddhism, you'd be the founders of the Buddhism sect. Let's make Buddhism great again. Your status will rise, too. Wouldn't it be nice to have the title of a Tara or a Lord?"

Gu Yuan and the others were surprised. They could only smile awkwardly and say, "Ha, thanks for the generosity, Tara Yuecha. But no thanks."

"Amitabha, don't go. You have a predestined fate with the Buddha. Why not reconsider it?"

Chapter 255

The four of them walked together. Gu Yuan and the others took the lead. They seemed to be running away from Yuecha.

Yuecha was chasing after them, constantly preaching about Buddhism.

Buddhism urged people to be kind. It was a great opportunity that could not be found again once the opportunity was missed.

They endured it until they finally reached the four-part architecture. Gu Yuan and the others looked relieved.

Ding Xiaozhu said, "Tara Yuecha, we've arrived at the expert's home. You have to remain quiet."

Yuecha nodded, "You're right. I'll stop talking now but please, reconsider my offer."

Everyone went silent.

The four of them felt emotional in front of the four-part architecture.

They each had different emotions.

Yuecha felt magical because the Buddhist Scripture was in there. She could feel it but she could not touch it. It sent a shiver down her spine.

Payne and the others all looked at each other with worry in their eyes. They had a more complex case than Yuecha.

They were here to give the expert the painting from the Lord Immortal in the Above Immortal Realm. They did not dare to open the painting scroll. However, they knew the painting must not be good. If they risked it and gave it to the expert, would the expert be offended?

Should they give the painting to the expert?

What a struggle!

Payne said, "Knock the door. We're the ones to blame for being useless. If that wasn't the case, we would've dealt with the Lord Immortal! If this displeases the expert, we shall bear the consequences!"

Gu Yuan nodded then slowly stepped forward. He respectfully knocked on the door three times.

Creak.

Dragin was the one who answered the door. She looked at everyone curiously and asked, "You are?"

They had never met Dragin before but they did not dare to ignore her. They quickly bowed and said, "Hello, we're here to visit Mr. Li. Pardon us for the disturbance. You are..."

"Oh, I'm Dragin. Come in." Dragin ran back into the four-part architecture. "Brother, it's for you."

Li Nianfan was stirring the cauldron. He heard that and nodded. "Yeah. Help me get some corn and wheat. Ask your Sister Fire Phoenix to crush them into dust."

It must be convenient for a cultivator. They did not need a grinder or a machine to do things normal people needed help with.

Li Nianfan was envious. He looked at the door, smiled, and said, "Brother Lin and Brother Payne, welcome."

Gu Yuan smiled and greeted, "Greetings to Mr. Li. This is our friend, Ding Xiaozhu."

Ding Xiaozhu hurriedly said in a humble tone, "Sorry for coming without an invite. Please, forgive me, Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan said casually, "Haha, all visitors are guests. Don't worry about disturbing me. Take a seat anywhere. Xiao Bai, serve the guests!"

Yuecha carefully introduced herself, "Mr. Li, my name's Yuecha."

"Sit. Take a seat, everyone." Li Nianfan quickly finished his task at hand.

Payne was slightly embarrassed. "Were you busy, Mr. Li?"

Li Nianfan simply said, "No, I'm just brewing some alcohol to drink."

Ding Xiaozhu realized her Dustless Mirror was vibrating hard by the side. She hurriedly tugged on Payne and said in a quiet, trembling voice, "That cauldron...seems to be a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure."

The Dustless Mirror was a Deluxe Spiritual Treasure, commonly known as an Immortal Item. It was incomparable to a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.

Payne gulped and said, "I felt that, too. Stay calm. The expert's here. Nothing's out of the ordinary."

Only the expert could brew alcohol with a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.

Gu Yuan had a soda in hand. He felt embarrassed all of a sudden. He said, "Sect Master, I truly feel embarrassed. I'm here again to benefit from the expert."

Breathing in the four-part architecture was also a blessing from the expert.

"Change your mindset," Payne comforted. "It's not bootlicking. We became the expert's apprentices. We're also known as Saint's Apprentices! Therefore, we have to help the expert out more to repay him!"

"Nice, excellent! Sect Master, you're indeed awesome!"

Gu Yuan was in awe. He even started to boast, "I instantly feel like I'm so much more awesome. It's like I have a destiny."

Li Nianfan walked toward everyone.

The four of them felt their hearts tighten. They quickly calmed down and adjusted their postures.

Li Nianfan asked, "Everyone, it's been a while. How have you all been recently?"

Payne nodded and smiled. He replied, "All thanks to Mr. Li, we're doing great."

"Why are you here to visit me today?" asked Li Nianfan.

Payne and the others jumped. They went stiff and started to breathe heavily.

Li Nianfan looked at them with curiosity. Did something happen? What was going on?

"To be honest, Mr. Li. There is something." Payne smiled awkwardly and nodded. Then, he said nervously, "Please, pardon us, Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

"Here's what happened."

Payne put his sentence together and said, "Somebody gave me a painting scroll. He said he wanted your comments about it."

His heart rate was beating at maximum speed. He nearly trembled as he took out the painting scroll.

"Oh? Comments?"

Li Nianfan was stumped. Was someone trying to share their artwork?

More accurately, it seemed to be a showdown between painters.

He looked at Payne with a glint in his eyes. That guy probably took the Golden Crow painting and showed it off to everyone. Or perhaps he boasted about it and attracted some envy that caused someone to challenge him.

Payne and the others felt their skin crawl when Li Nianfan looked at them. They went weak and almost knelt on the floor.

The expert was clearly displeased!

"If you aren't willing, Mr. Li, I'll send the painting back right away!" Payne quickly tried to patch things up. He sounded like he was about to cry. He was ready to put the painting scroll aside.

"Why send it back when you're already here? Let's take a look," Li Nianfan said. He looked interested.

He was decent at painting. It was rare to be challenged by another. He may as well take a look.

He took the painting scroll from Payne. Then, he stood up. He placed the painting scroll on a stone table.

He suddenly chuckled and said, "Ha, who knew someone would want to battle me in painting. What a surprise."

It was the Immortal Realm, the challenger knew Payne so he was probably an Immortal, too. Were all Immortals bored?

He did not expect to be competing with an Immortal. It was unreal.

Everyone was surprised, too.

Who knew that the Lord Immortal would ignorantly ask comments from the expert? He was like an egg against a rock. That was a nice way to put it.

They saw the expert smirk. It was obvious that he was mocking him!

Then, Li Nianfan slowly unscrolled the painting scroll.

A constrained beast-like aura came out from the painting like it had just escaped its cage. The surrounding air was frantic and wild.

Li Nianfan did not feel a thing. He continued to open the painting, revealing a painting of a huge fire!

An endless ocean of fire!

The flames were burning, taking up half of the painting. The red flames looked like they were about to jump out. It was a flat-surfaced painting but it somehow had a 3D visual effect.

There was a town at the center of the fire. The faces of the citizens were unclear. They were running for their lives.

However, the fire surrounded the town. It was high up in the sky and in the shape of a huge fiery dragon. The dragon head looked up!

It was as if the dragon was making direct eye contact with the painting's viewer. It looked arrogant and fierce!

Boom!

Payne and the others were thunderstruck. They felt like the fire dragon was sealed into their minds. It was as if they were also citizens of that town and they were being surrounded by a sea of fire. They felt desperate and hopeless.

It was only for a moment but they were already sweating bullets. Their limbs went stiff and they could not breathe from being overwhelmed by the strong aura.

They quickly looked at Li Nianfan.

He looked normal. He looked like he was intrigued as he observed the painting thoroughly. They instantly sighed in relief.

Right, how would the expert be affected by the painting?

They endured some indirect attacks and felt exhausted. The expert was looking at the painting directly and did not feel anything. The difference was huge.

Everyone glanced at the painting again. They had to admit that the Lord Immortal was powerful.

The Power of Fire was perfectly executed in the painting. Thankfully, the expert suppressed it. Otherwise, the big fire dragon would fly out and burn everything in sight!

His art skills were amazing, too.

A Master Golden Immortal only had to fully cultivate a single power to become a Taiyi Golden Immortal. It was clear that the Lord Immortal went for the Power of Fire. Moreover, he was one step away from his breakthrough!

Powerful, incredible!

Too bad...he went on the wrong path.

At the Above Immortal Realm, the Liuyun Palace.

The Lord Immortal felt it.

He immediately turned around and walked to a room. He sat cross-legged and mumbled, "Has it started? Let me see what you're made of!"

"It's indeed a good painting," Li Nianfan nodded and genuinely complimented. He reviewed, "The painting presents the view of fire perfectly. The painter captures the essence of the flames and it's almost as if the fire's alive. It's not easy to achieve that."

However... The hint of an instigation was too obvious.

Even normal people who did not understand painting could tell the painting was aggressive. The painting was rude, loud, bossy, and arrogant like the flames.

Moreover, the painting had a few empty spaces, meaning that it was incomplete. It seemed to be left there on purpose for the expert to fill the gap.

Combined with what Payne described, the painter did not have a friendly intention.

It was just a painting battle, right? Did it have to be so annoying?

How arrogant.

Li Nianfan frowned and felt uncomfortable.

He was trash at cultivation and battles. However, when it came to painting, he was not afraid to take on a challenge.

'You dare boast in front of me? How dare you!'

Li Nianfan asked, "Brother Payne, is the painter your friend?"

Payne and the others almost jumped hearing that. Their hair stood on ends.

They immediately shook their heads hard. "No, of course not!"

"This person is arrogant and ignorant. How could we be his friends?"

"Don't be mistaken, Mr. Li. We aren't familiar with this person."

"I see," nodded Li Nianfan. Of course, the painter was arrogant. Gu Yuan and the others were so friendly. It was unlikely that they were friends. They were probably just the messengers of the painting.

Since they were not friends, he did not have to show mercy.

Li Nianfan smirked, shook his head, and said, "This painting's alright but it could be much better. The painter seems a little stingy. I should complete it for him."

"Daji, bring me a brush."

Soon, Daji brought him a brush. "Here you go, Mr. Li."

"Alright!"

Li Nianfan stared at the painting and thought about it for a moment. Then, he smirked and started to paint!

The brush moved and slithered on the painting scroll without stopping.

When Li Nianfan started to paint, the Lord Immortal groaned. He felt like he had a mountain on his shoulder. The weight of it made it hard for him to breathe.

His eyes were slightly red and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

Li Nianfan did not paint on the flames. Instead, he painted around it!

He painted thick clouds above the flames. The painting seemed to be rumbling with thunder.

The dark clouds gradually grew thicker. All of a sudden, the wild flames were no longer the main star of the painting. The dark clouds were more prominent.

Li Nianfan started to paint a bolt of lightning. Maybe it was a delusion but when Li Nianfan painted the lightning, the painting flashed for a moment. Then, it started raining cats and dogs!

Rumble!

The painting had changed completely. The fire dragon was extremely weak.

Everyone did not dare to breathe.

As Li Nianfan held the brush, he was surrounded by the Power of Law. It was as if he was one with the realm. They could not move at all.

Scary, too scary!

They looked at the dark clouds and the heavy rain.

It instantly sent a shiver down their spines.

It was as if they had become a small boat in a vast ocean. The wind blew and the rain was heavy. They could drown at any moment.

Did the expert use the Power of Water to exterminate the Lord Immortal's Power of Fire?

However... Li Nianfan was not done yet.

He started to paint on the citizens.

It was just a few strokes.

The citizens instantly increased in numbers.

They had wooden buckets in their hands that were filled with water. Their blurry faces became clearer. They looked determined. They went from being frantic, scared citizens who were fleeing to citizens who were fighting the fire together.

Their clothes were blowing in the wind and rain. They fearlessly faced the fire head-on.

The entire painting was changed again. The focus of the painting changed from the heavy storm to the insignificant characters!

The scene was entirely transformed. The fire dragon was instantly weakened. Now, it seemed small and scared. 𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝓮𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝙢

Buzz!

Everyone widened their eyes. They felt their blood rush to their heads. They went blank and were extremely horrified.

It was not a battle of Power anymore. He turned the whole painting around!

What was the Power of Fire at that point? It was not a dragon. It was not even a snake. It became an insect!

They remembered what the expert said. "Stingy, so stingy!"

Chapter 256

Complete victory!

He won completely without a doubt!

No harm would have been caused if a comparison was not made.

Everyone could feel how depressed and painful it was to be in the fire when they were looking at the Lord Immortal's version of the painting.

They looked at the fire dragon again and it had become pathetic. It was not worth mentioning. It even looked pitiful.

It was not hard to defy someone else's Power, but to change the scene completely was terrifyingly amazing. He turned a scary fire into a pitiful fire.

Was that the level of a bigshot? How deep.

The Lord Immortal was a mere insect in front of the expert.

At the Liuyun Palace.

Spurt!

The Lord Immortal spat out a mouthful of blood. He was as pale as paper. The veins were visible and bulging on his forehead. He was shivering all over.

Cough!

He coughed and spat out blood again. He was instantly defeated.

"How is this possible? How is this even possible?"

He looked horrified. He could not believe what was happening.

How could someone so scary exist in the Immortal Realm?

It was not a big deal if the expert merely countered his Power of Fire with the Power of Water. However, he had transformed his Power of Fire into a weak candlelight flame that was flickering in the wind—it could go out anytime.

Thankfully, he cut off the connection in time. Otherwise, he would be crippled by now.

That person...was too scary!

His heart was racing and his mind was buzzing. He was out of it and did not know what to do.

Why did he instigate a bigshot like that?

It was over. It was over for him!

His hair stood on ends before he could think about it. He was alarmed by a big incoming disaster. It made his skin crawl and his blood freeze.

Kaboom!

He heard a deafening thunder.

Layers of dark clouds rolled in above the Liuyun Palace. It instantly shrouded the place with darkness.

The lightning bolts were like dragons, moving in between the clouds. They slashed through the darkness from time to time, creating panic and chaos.

"This..."

The Lord Immortal looked up. At that moment, he suddenly felt like he was puny. He felt horrible. "A painting turning into reality? Resonating with the realm?!"

He was only asking for advice. Did it have to turn out this way?

Who did he offend? Was it too late to apologize?

He spat out blood again and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Get into formation! To all disciples, listen up. Gather immediately. Cast every spell we've got! Quick, quick!"

...

Li Nianfan stopped painting. He looked at everyone and asked, "Brother Gu, what do you think of the painting?"

Gu Yuan was summoned. He jumped instantly. His mouth was dry and he could not think of the words to describe it. He said in a trembling voice, "Good, it's so good!"

Payne added, "Mr. Li, your painting creates new heights. It's elite."

Li Nianfan shook his head and said, "It's just a niche hobby."

This was the Immortal Realm. So what if he could paint?

The opponent dared to challenge him because he was an easy target. He won the challenge but he was no better than his opponent in the end.

Painting was just a fun hobby. Other than that, there was nothing else going on for him.

Everyone noticed that Li Nianfan was upset. Their hearts were about to jump out of their chests.

The expert...was not satisfied!

Daji and the Fire Phoenix looked at each other.

Everyone was silent. Nobody dared to breathe.

They looked up at the sky and realized that the sky had gone dark. It was slightly depressing.

"Pardon me, I was a little out of it." Li Nianfan snapped back to reality and smiled awkwardly. He shook his head.

It was a known fact that he could not cultivate. He should be a nice ordinary man that bootlicks occasionally. He should not think too much about it.

What else did he want? To win in a fight? It was too dangerous and he was at a disadvantage.

He could live for a thousand years and he was surrounded by bigshots. If he kept that going, he might get the chance to extend his life with a magical pill. Was it not nice to live a steady and comfortable life?

The depressing sky went away. Sunlight shone through and everyone was relieved.

Payne said in a low voice, "Mr. Li, if you're unhappy about this, we can bring you justice."

"Haha, no need, no need!" Li Nianfan was joyous. He waved, "It was just a painting battle, there's no need for that."

Nobody said anything but they all made a mental note.

No need? No way!

Li Nianfan acted like nothing happened. He said, "Xiao Bai, hurry up and serve the tea to the guests."

"Mr. Li."

Yuecha groaned for a moment. She could not help but genuinely ask, "Mr. Li, is the Buddhism aspect in 'Journey to the West' real?"

So, she was a 'Journey to the West' and a Buddhism fan. No wonder she had a shawl on.

She was so obsessed that she started to cosplay.

It was rare for a lady to be interested in Buddhism. Not a lot of people cared about it.

He said, "Of course."

Suddenly, everyone listened attentively.

Daji and the Fire Phoenix listened closely, too. Buddhism had long disappeared. There were some ordinary people who did not know what Buddhism was. It was related to the secrets of the eldritch eras.

Yuecha jumped. She was intrigued. She asked in a nervous voice, "Then, what do you think of Buddhism, Mr. Li?"

"Are you that interested in Buddhism as told in 'Journey to the West'?"

Li Nianfan laughed. Then, he said, "'Journey to the West' is a story about cultivating Buddhism. It did not describe anything about Buddhism. Maybe there's a description about it when the Monk was first introduced. What do you think of Buddhism?"

Yuecha said without hesitation, "I think Buddhism's great and it can save the world."

"Haha..." Li Nianfan laughed. Nice, no wonder she had a shawl.

It was oddly funny.

Yuecha was panicking on the other hand. She asked, "Mr. Li, do you think Buddhism won't work?"

"It's not that," Li Nianfan shook his head. He said, "Buddhism guides people to kindness so it has its perks."

Yuecha looked overjoyed. She hurriedly asked, "If I study Buddhism like the Monk, can I create a new generation of Buddhists?"

Li Nianfan was silent.

As a modern person, he did not care about religion. He felt like religions were for brainwashing.

However, all religions were useful.

For example, Buddhism. He would not admit it but he was influenced by Buddhism since he was young. Hence, he had the 'karma mentality' in him. It was not bad since he would instinctively choose to do good things.

Actually, all religions could be described as 'wisdom'. The creators of religious practices were wise.

However, all sorts of religions were developed over time. Some of the religions became greedy because of competition. They wanted more members and opted for the brainwashing route which turned some of them into cults.

Somehow, Buddhism did not exist in the Immortal Realm. Perhaps it was because the ordinary people were not very spiritual yet. If they were, they probably would not have such evil demons.

He already allowed Meng Junliang to preach.

Since the lady made up her mind to save the world, he could pass on some Buddhist practices to her. He was unsure how it would turn out but he guessed it would be very interesting to see.

Moreover, the lady was probably an Immortal. He could be a kiss-up again.

He thought about that and asked, "I don't think there will be new generations, but it could benefit the people. Do you perhaps want to preach Buddhism?"

Yuecha was emotional. She nodded excitedly and said, "That's right. Please, teach me Buddhist practices, Mr. Li."

"You don't have to be so courteous. Just some light Buddhism, it's not a big deal." Li Nianfan was flattered. The person was clearly passionate about Buddhism.

He stood up and said, "Wait a moment."

Yuecha already knew what Li Nianfan was going to do. She hurriedly nodded, "Yeah, I'll wait for you, Mr. Li."

Then, everyone watched as Li Nianfan walked into a storage room. They heard some familiar rustling.

Daji and the Fire Phoenix jumped. No way. Was it another Luck Treasure?

Daji took a deep breath. She calmed her emotions and looked at Payne. She asked coldly, "Who owns that painting?"

Payne and the others were drenched in cold sweat. They hurriedly said in a respectful tone, "It's the Lord Immortal—Liuyun, from the Liuyun Palace in the Above Immortal Realm."

Daji nodded and did not say anything else.

Everyone knew that the Lord Immortal was now targeted. Nobody could save him. He was probably goners.

Li Nianfan walked out of the storage room. He had an old book in his hand. The cover of the book was slightly yellow and it was wrinkled. A golden halo surrounded it.

The golden glow of the book flew to the sky and almost painted it gold.

They heard an angelic choir. They looked up and saw a figure of Buddha in the endless sky. The humongous Buddha sat cross-legged with a gold halo. It was extremely powerful.

Everyone stood up and had goosebumps.

Yuecha did the Namaste gesture. She looked as devoted as a Saint.

She was tearing up, too. She would kneel and worship on the floor but she remembered the pet peeve of the expert!

Li Nianfan suddenly teased her, "Since you have a predestined fate with Buddha, I shall give you this 'Diamond Sutra'. The mission to save the world is up to you!"

"Amitabha."

Yuecha did the Namaste gesture. Then, she reached out to the book respectfully with both her hands. She took the Buddhist Scripture and said in a serious tone, "Thank... Thanks, Mr. Li! I will!"

She looked at the 'Diamond Sutra' in the Buddhist Scripture. It was unreal.

The expert handed over the Buddhist Scripture to her just like that. She felt like she was dreaming.

Gu Yuan and the others were all jealous.

Just...the Buddhist Scripture?

It was not a big deal?

That was a Luck Treasure though!

Chapter 257

Suddenly, Gu Yuan and the others wanted to join Buddhism.

That was a Luck Treasure. It was approved by Heaven. If nothing went wrong, the Buddhism religion could prosper!

Yuecha was too freaking awesome. That was her first visit to the expert. The expert liked her and blessed her.

Why? Was she the lucky Chosen One?

First, it was the Human Sovereign. Then, it was Buddhism. The expert had started his schemes.

Once the Immortals were more reconnected to the ordinary people of the Immortal Realm, it would be more like the eldritch eras.

What a sight to be seen. They were filled with anticipation.

They were so lucky to witness it every step of the way. They had learned a lot.

Yuecha carefully caressed the Buddhist Scripture. She had love in her eyes. It was as if she was looking at her child. The Buddhist Scripture signified the start of something new.

She stood up and bowed respectfully at Li Nianfan. She said from the bottom of her heart, "Mr. Li, you're like the living Buddha!"

Li Nianfan quickly waved and laughed. He said, "No way."

Yuecha was silent for a while. Then, she finally said, "Mr. Li, I still have a question."

Li Nianfan said curiously, "Tell me."

Yuecha tried to put her sentence together and felt slightly anxious. She asked in a low voice, "In 'Journey to the West', the Monk became Buddha. What happened to Buddhism then? Was it successful?"

Everyone started to breathe heavily. They looked at Yuecha in agreement. What a wonderful question!

It would not work if you asked the expert about the eldritch eras directly. Questions had to be asked with technique. Then, the expert would be glad to answer it.

The expert liked to tell stories so she asked a question regarding the story. It would not displease the expert. What a nice touch from Yuecha!

"This..."

Li Nianfan smiled. He sat down and looked like he was reminiscing. He said softly, "There is indeed an excerpt to the ending of the story."

Here it comes!

Storytime!

Everyone was exhilarated. They instantly sat down and listened closely.

Li Nianfan noticed that and laughed. "It's just a story. You guys don't need to be like that."

Payne immediately said, "Don't mind us, Mr. Li. We like listening to stories."

Li Nianfan did not mind it either. The plot of 'Journey to the West' was more relatable to Immortals, so they liked it more than ordinary people would. There was nothing wrong with that.

He groaned for a moment and said, "When Buddhism was Westernized, it was successful in the West. It was better than all the other religions and became the main religion. A lot of people think that Buddhism is unstoppable. However..."

Everyone felt their hearts beating out of their throats. They wanted to rush him but did not dare to.

Li Nianfan gave them a cliffhanger on purpose. Then, he said, "Something happened in the end. There was a Demon named Lawless that came out of nowhere. He was extremely powerful. He caused a lot of trouble for the Buddhists."

Everyone was simultaneously shocked. "Lawless? What a bossy name!"

"Someone dared to be named Lawless?"

Yuecha asked, "Mr. Li, was Lawless more powerful than Buddha?"

Li Nianfan shook his head, "Lawless was the reincarnation of the Calamitous Black Lotus. It forced the Buddha to reincarnate as a newborn, forcing him to restart his cultivation again. Wukong self-destructed as a Relic to die with Lawless. You tell me if you think Lawless was powerful or not."

Yikes.

Everyone gasped. They felt like it was creepy. They were extremely horrified.

They were familiar with Buddha and Wu Kong. One of them was the main character, another was the final boss. However, they were forced to do those things because of Lawless.

How could they not be shocked?

Only a savage could call himself Lawless.

No wonder Buddhism was left in the past. They encountered such a powerful character!

Lawless did not exterminate Buddhism completely but Buddhism lost Buddha. Hence, when Buddhism lost the main character, Wukong, the fate of Buddhism was set. Plus, they would be targeted by other opponents. It was fated to be lost over time.

The eldritch world was filled with bigshots. How intensely scary!

Yuecha felt an impact on her faith. She asked, "How did Lawless become so powerful?"

"Haha, it's just a story. Don't worry about it. Also, it's the Prehistoric World. There were a lot of bigshots during that time."

Li Nianfan smiled. The story was shortened and simplified by him so he did not expect the Immortals to enjoy it so much. How interesting.

Prehistoric?

What did it mean?

They had a lot of questions but they noticed that Li Nianfan was not willing to answer any more questions. So, they did not continue to ask. They stood up and said their farewells instead. They had a lot to process.

The four of them walked out of the four-part architecture. They could not remain calm.

Yuecha was holding onto the 'Diamond Sutra' like it was the Bible. She could not wait to start reading it.

The book emitted its own golden lights. It also had an audiobook effect as they heard hymns echoing.

Yuecha walked slowly. She was mesmerized by the Buddhist Scripture.

She was obsessed with Buddhism. From time to time, she would say to herself, "Nice, so nice."

Payne and the others were following her by the side. They were jealous.

The Scripture contained Luck and wise Buddhist practices. They thought about how powerful Buddha and the 108 strong men were. They could tell the book was powerful and full of knowledge.

Yuecha finally snapped out of it when they were at the foot of the mountain. She carefully put the Buddhist Scripture away and did the Namaste gesture. She looked at everyone and said, "Amitabha. What are the three of you planning to do next?"

"We plan to check out the front lines of the battle. We're going to stop the demons. If we can, we also plan to check on some Immortal Relics." Gu Yuan paused. He suddenly smiled and said, "It's unexpectedly funny now that we're speaking. For thousands of years, you were sealed in our Azure Ville. Who would've thought you'd become one of us?"

"That's why I said you all have a predestined fate with Buddha," nodded Yuecha. Then, she said, "I plan to preach Buddhism and make it powerful and prosperous again. If you guys change your mind, feel free to join anytime."

"We'll consider it, " Payne said sincerely.

Ding Xiaozhu suddenly asked, "Tara Yuecha, did you realize that the expert already paved the way for Buddhism preaching?"

Yuecha nodded, "Yeah. 'Journey to the West' is already popular. The success rate for Buddhism preaching will be high. The expert's schemes are unimaginable."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They gradually grew more shocked by the expert's methods.

One move from a chess piece could change the entire game. A seemingly casual move might be a huge scheme. Once they began to see the light, they then realized there was a meaning behind each move.

They thought 'the game' of the bigshots was very cool but they never witnessed it first-hand. They finally admitted they were just insects when they met the expert. They were even proud to be chess pieces.

They thought about it for a while then they said their goodbyes and left.

The sky gradually became dark.

Soon, it was nighttime.

Daji and the Fire Phoenix walked out of the four-part architecture at the same time. They headed into the woods.

Soon, they saw a small fox that was leaping around in the woods. Her nine pure-white tails shined under the moonlight. It was beautiful and pure.

"Hehe, sister." The little fox wrapped one of her tails around a branch in front of her. Then, she gently swung herself and flew toward Daji. Her nine tails wagged fast as she said, "I grew out my ninth tail."

"You're laughing? I spent so much energy just for you to grow out your ninth tail. What's there for you to boast about?" teased Daji. She smiled and said, "Since you have nine tails now, what's your natural gift?"

The little fox did not dare to look at Daji. She said quietly, "Oh, yeah. Sister, I don't think I have any natural powers."

Daji twitched and held the little fox up by her tail. "Stop bluffing. Tell me now!"

"Okay, okay..."

The little fox had teary eyes. She looked pitiful. Then, she leaped into Daji's embrace. "Boohoo, no... I can't say it. I'm not a good fox."

Daji said through clenched jaws, "Speak!"

The little fox's ears drooped downward. "It's too embarrassing. I can't say it."

"Hehe, is it fox stench?" laughed the Fire Phoenix. She teased, "Skunk attack to scare the enemies away?"

The little fox was pissed. "No, it's not!"

Daji frowned. She said in a serious tone, "Stop messing around! The Master wants us to do something. Show me your skills. Let's see if you can help us."

"Oh."

Noticing that her sister was mad, the little fox did not dare to say anything further. She started playing coy.

"Then, I shall show you."

She raised her nine tails and used her powers.

Daji and the Fire Phoenix noticed the aura of the place changing into a pinkish one. They started having weird emotions. Suddenly, they felt like the Nine-Tailed Fox in front of them was so beautiful. She was so fluffy and her fur was shiny and smooth. So cute. They felt mellow and wanted to reach out to caress her.

Then, they snapped out of it. They were shocked and surprised.

They looked at the little fox.

The little fox wrapped herself up with her tails. She cowered beneath them, sobbing quietly.

Daji shook her head. She was speechless. "What are you doing?"

"Boohoo, it's so embarrassing!"

The little fox continued to bury her head. She acted as if she had just sinned. "I'm just a pure, innocent little fox. Why would I have this sort of awakening? Boohoo, I'm so ashamed."

"Where did you hear that from?"

Daji felt awkward. She asked, "You have the most powerful gift a Nine-Tailed Fox could ever have. Why are you embarrassed?"

The little fox sobbed, "Isn't Seduction shameful? I've become the Vixen that everyone hates. Can I not use my power at all?"

"The name 'Vixen' is famous because of Seduction. It's not because Seduction is shameful, but because it's so powerful."

Daji shook her head and explained, "To be more accurate, the real name of Seduction is Mind Control. You can warp a person's mind without them knowing it!"

She looked like she was convinced.

Mind Control, the most powerful skill a Nine-Tailed Fox could have. She could warp minds. How scary! She could get someone into trouble in an instant.

Moreover, her magical power was different from the other Forces of God. It had no consequences!

For example, you would face consequences if you attack the Human Sovereign and it would be difficult to succeed. However, the Nine-Tailed Fox could simply seduce the Human Sovereign. It was twisted.

Daji thought it would be nice if she had that sort of awakening.

Then, her Master could...

She quickly shook her head. How could she think of her Master like that? Such dirty thoughts!

"Is that so?" The little fox looked up at her. "But it's unlikeable."

The Fire Phoenix said, "The skill is truly frightening."

"Seducing civilians is so scary. It's naturally unlikeable." Daji took a deep breath and said, "But it's good and it's powerful. Follow us to the Above Immortal Realm."

"The Above Immortal Realm?" The little fox was immediately intrigued. She could not wait.

Daji nodded, "That's right. The Master wants to drink milk from the Five-Color Sacred Cow. We have to capture it from the Above Immortal Realm. However, the cow is an Immortal Beast that has lived for a long time. It's a force to be reckoned with, but we can catch it with your gift."

"You want me to seduce a cow?"

The little fox did not look happy at all. "No way! Boohoo, I knew having this skill would be shameful!"𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Chapter 258

Three days went by in the blink of an eye.

It smelled nice at the four-part architecture. The aroma of alcohol was mesmerizing.

Dragin stood next to the cauldron. She looked up in a daze and salivated.

She sniffed it hard and looked like she was drunk.

She was excited as she said, "Brother, the alcohol smells so good. When can we drink it?"

The aroma of alcohol was different from the smell of food. It was intense and rich.

Li Nianfan shook his head. He laughed and said, "We'll have to wait. However, you can't drink it because you're too young."

"Argh! No!" Dragin immediately protested. "Brother, I'm not young anymore!"

Li Nianfan did not say anything. He took out a letter instead. The letter was from Nanan.

Nanan had been away for more than three months.

Li Nianfan sighed and smiled.

Li Nianfan felt like a proud parent who had a successful kid living abroad.

The kid knew how to send letters, too, and it seemed like she did not forget her Brother Nianfan. He did not know how she was doing.

The Holy Emperor was sitting respectfully across Li Nianfan. He was sipping gently on a cup of tea.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Holy Emperor, you don't need to do that. Tea should be savored, but you can drink more than that."

The Holy Emperor almost cried from surprise. He hurriedly said, "Mr. Li, this is such good tea. I can't bear to drink it all in one go. Don't mind me, this is just my habit of drinking tea."

Actually, he wanted to drink faster, too, but the tea would not allow him to do so!

He could quickly absorb the previous tea that contained Insights. However, the tea he was drinking now had the Power of Law. It was on another level. If he drank it too fast, his brains would probably explode.

He was too weak. He was barely deserving of this tea. The opportunity was right in front of him but he was not fortunate enough to enjoy it.

He felt as if he was an ordinary man eating expensive medicine. He just could not handle it.

There was no such thing as 'the stronger the better' when it came to elixirs in the Immortal Realm. Some elixirs had unique properties. Ordinary people could improve from drinking it or die from it!

Li Nianfan laughed and opened the letter.

It was a long letter detailing the events that Nanan had been through recently. The Immortal Realm was exciting and interesting. She wrote about how she had defeated demons, the fun stories, and what sceneries she got to experience.

She mentioned at the end of the letter that she was going to participate in a Cultivators Convention. It was a very interesting and big event.

It was time for him to go out and have fun, too.

Li Nianfan was interested. He asked curiously, "Is the Cultivators Convention far away from here?"

The Holy Emperor hurriedly said, "Mr. Li, it's slightly further than the Azure Ville."

"So far?" Li Nianfan frowned slightly.

He glanced at the Fire Phoenix and started hinting like crazy, "If we walk, I'm afraid we'll never arrive in time. Too bad I'm not a cultivator. Otherwise, I'd love to go check out the convention. It would be nice if someone could take me there."

It was almost impossible to ride the Fire Phoenix. However, he was close to the Fire Phoenix. Perhaps she would be willing to give him a ride?

He had nothing to lose anyway.

He waited for a while. The Fire Phoenix blinked at him, but she did not say anything.

Li Nianfan sighed. "It seems like nobody will take me there."

He thought too much.

The Holy Emperor was thrilled by the side. How could he miss an opportunity like that? He hurriedly said, "Mr. Li, if you want to go, you can come with me."

Li Nianfan was excited. "You want to go, too?"

The Holy Emperor nodded and said, "To be honest, I'm getting prepared to go there. Cultivator Mengji's going, too."

"Oh? Brother Yao's going too?" Li Nianfan was pleasantly surprised. He knew that Yao Mengji had that skyship. It would be convenient.

The Holy Emperor immediately said, "Yeah, I'll book the tickets. He'll go for sure!"

Brother Mengji would put aside whatever important task he had at hand if he could serve the expert. How could he not go?

"Alright, then. Let's go as a group." Li Nianfan was joyous. Then, he asked, "Daji, do you want to go check it out, too?"

Daji groaned for a moment. She suddenly replied, "Actually, Sister Fire Phoenix and I are about to go out."

Li Nianfan was slightly taken aback. He looked at the Fire Phoenix. Then, he looked at Daji.

Ever since they bathed together, the two women had become so close!

They bathed together all the time and now, they were going out on a trip together. Li Nianfan felt like he was about to be abandoned.

However, Daji would be safe in the company of the Fire Phoenix.

He said, "Alright, nice. Be careful."

Daji nodded. She said, "Take care of yourself, too."

The Fire Phoenix reminded Dragin, "Dragin, stay with the Master. Be obedient and do your chores. Don't be naughty and lazy!"

"Yeah, I will!" Dragin looked excited as she nodded and promised.

Li Nianfan saluted the Holy Emperor, "Holy Emperor, sorry for the trouble but could you help me ask Brother Yao to let me tag along?" 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The Holy Emperor was flushed from excitement. He immediately stood up and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Li. I'll notify Cultivator Mengji at once."

He walked out from the four-part architecture. Then, he laughed out loud. He was overjoyed.

He did not expect to receive a task from the expert. He was happy at the thought of it. He had to tell Yao Mengji the good news. He would cry out of gratefulness if he knew about the opportunity the Holy Emperor was about to give him.

Li Nianfan looked at Daji and the Fire Phoenix at the four-part architecture. He asked, "Daji, when are you girls leaving?"

Daji said, "I was about to say goodbye but the Holy Emperor showed up."

"You're leaving now?" Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow. He asked, "Did you pack your things?"

Daji nodded, "Yes, it won't be long anyway."

Li Nianfan did not say anything. That was his first time being away from Daji. He felt bad.

He saw the big cauldron and suddenly asked, "The alcohol's almost ready. Why don't you try some before you leave?"

Daji nodded obediently and said, "Yeah, I'll listen to you."

Li Nianfan smiled and walked to the cauldron. He slowly lifted the lid.

Suddenly, the aroma of the alcohol erupted like a volcano, and the yard was filled with a rich aroma.

It was mesmerizing. Everyone started to blush at the smell of it.

They could get drunk just from the aroma.

The alcohol aroma was intense but it was nice.

Li Nianfan took out a ladle and scooped out some alcohol. Then, he poured it into a ceramic wine glass.

The alcohol was not processed in a complex way but it was very clear. There were no impurities in the alcohol and the liquid was smooth and clear like water from a natural fountain in the woods.

The alcohol reflected the color of the ceramic wine glass so it looked a bit greenish.

Li Nianfan gulped, too.

He had to admit that beautiful alcohol was as mesmerizing as beautiful women.

They were not lovers of alcohol but they genuinely complimented, "Nice wine!"

Li Nianfan gave Daji and the Fire Phoenix their glasses. He poured one for himself at the same time.

Dragin protested by jumping around at the side, "Brother, I want one, too, I want one too!"

Li Nianfan smiled awkwardly. He gave Dragin a small cup and said, "Kids can only try a little bit."

"The wine's just right. I can bring it with me on the trip." Li Nianfan chuckled and raised his wine glass. "Everyone, cheers!"

Daji, the Fire Phoenix, and Dragin raised their glasses.

"Cheers!"

Then, they drank it in one go.

"Wow!" everyone exclaimed.

The wine was rich and intense. It slowly went down their throats and instantly relaxed them.

The alcohol was cool to the taste. However, it heated up like a fire when it was swallowed. It made them flush instantly—very exciting and nice.

The aroma of the alcohol was still in their mouths.

"Delicious!" Li Nianfan smacked his lips. He started to develop new opinions on alcohol.

With that one shot, he realized he was in love with drinking.

He said, "I have to bring a jar of this beautiful wine with me when I leave for the trip."

"The wine..."

Daji stumbled backward slightly. She was blushing red.

The Fire Phoenix was blushing, too. She kept taking deep breaths. Her stomach felt like it was on fire. She was trying to control the alcohol.

The wine...was slightly scary!

It was made with different types of Spiritual Roots as its base material. Then, Spiritual Water was added. Moreover, it was personally made by the expert with the Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron that was a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. It had great water properties. How could it not be scary?

Li Nianfan asked, "Daji, do you want to rest a while before you go?"

A white fox tail appeared under her dress for a moment. She hurriedly waved and said, "I'm fine. I didn't know the alcohol would be so strong. I wasn't ready for that."

The Fire Phoenix said, "Sir, we'll be leaving now."

Li Nianfan nodded and reminded her, "Oh, yeah. Goddess Fire Phoenix, please, take care of Daji for me. Safety's first."

He watched Daji and the Fire Phoenix walk out of the four-part architecture. Dragin flopped onto the table before Li Nianfan could get sentimental.

Dragin was not in her human form anymore. Her tail appeared again. So did her scales. Her cheeks were also covered in scales.

"I told you. Little kids shouldn't drink alcohol. Your alcohol tolerance..." Li Nianfan shook his head.

He was about to lift Dragin up. However, Dragin suddenly leaped up.

"I'm a Dragon girl!"

She squinted and walked from side to side while she mumbled, "No, wait, I'm a happy little carp!"

She drunkenly looked at Li Nianfan and mumbled, "Brother, let me tell you a huge secret. My ancestor's alive. He's a giant carp. He's this big. Awesome, right?"

Chapter 259

Li Nianfan looked at the drunken Dragin. He forced a smile and shook his head.

Was it rare for an ancestor to be alive in the Immortal Realm?

It seemed like Dragin had a successful ancestor. No wonder her family business dealt with seafood.

Splash!

Dragin fell into the pond in her drunken stupor. She was wasted. Her red tail wiggled fast. "I can fly... I'll fly... I'm going to the sky..."

Li Nianfan laughed and ignored her.

That kid was a Carp Demon. She would not drown. So, he let her soak for a while to sober up.

Blackie was laying down lazily in a corner of the yard. His ears were droopy like a dazed dog.

Blackie moved his ears when Daji and the Fire Phoenix were heading out. He stood up when he heard the door creak.

Then, Blackie turned around. Daji was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, Blackie teared up.

Blackie got up and sprinted to the door. He looked around outside.

"She left. The Vixen finally left."

He shook his head and became energetic. He leaped next to Li Nianfan. He was celebrating.

Bark!

"Haha, Blackie, stop it." Li Nianfan hugged Blackie. He laughed and asked, "What's going on with you recently? You're always lethargic. Are you good now?"

Bark!

Blackie stared at the big cauldron. He barked excitedly.

"You want to drink, too?" Li Nianfan was slightly surprised. Then, he smiled wryly and said, "Alright, I'll give you some."

Li Nianfan scooped a small amount of alcohol into the dog bowl for Blackie.

Blackie immediately sprinted toward it and licked it all up.

That was a déjà vu sight for Li Nianfan. "All of a sudden, it's just me and you again. Wait, and a little carp, too. How lonely."

He stood up and said, "Blackie, it's been a while since it's been just the man and dog duo. Let's go to the Fallen Town. We can buy a wine jar."

Meanwhile, Daji was carrying the little fox. She was next to the Fire Phoenix. They were covered by clouds. People could not see them. They would only think it was a cloud that passed by.

Soon, they were on top of the East Ocean.

Splash.

A human-like creature with a tortoiseshell swam out of the water. It was a Tortoise Demon with small eyes and a small nose. Two Lobster Demons followed behind it.

The Tortoise Chancellor bowed respectfully and greeted, "I'm the Tortoise Chancellor of the East Ocean. Greetings to the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Fire Phoenix."

Daji nodded and saluted, "Greetings to the Tortoise Chancellor. Is the Dragon King here?"

"Please, wait for a moment. We've already given orders to notify him," said the Tortoise Chancellor.

Then, the surface of the ocean splashed again. Urchin gradually appeared.

"Greetings to the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Fire Phoenix," Urchin hurriedly greeted them. He did not dare to be boastful.

He looked at the little fox that Daji was carrying. He said, "This is..."

"She's my sister."

"Nine-Tailed Fox, your sister just became a Tian Immortal?" Urchin frowned. He said in a worried tone, "The Five-Color Sacred Cow has unknown powers. I'm afraid it's not appropriate to bring her along."

Daji said, "Relax, I'll take care of her."

The little fox made a silly face at Urchin.

Suddenly, a sharp aura came out of nowhere. Then, the clouds were split apart. Xiao Chengfeng swooped in with a sword. He landed like a sharp sword, too, as he stabbed the cloud next to them.

Everyone looked at him. "Are you sure it's the Five-Color Sacred Cow?"

"For sure!" Xiao Chengfeng nodded then said, "However... There are more than one."

"A parent and a child." Daji groaned for a moment and said, "According to our sources, the big one's feeding the little one after its big tribulation.

Urchin was instantly intrigued. "Easy. We should watch the little one and capture it!"

The Fire Phoenix suddenly asked, "Are you aware of how powerful the Five-Color Sacred Cow is?"

Xiao Chengfeng said, "Immortal Beasts are extraordinary. The big cow's probably at its peak. I'd say it's at least from the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

The Fire Phoenix said, "The Dragon King and I are Expert Golden Immortals. Daji and Xiao Chengfeng are Intermediate Golden Immortals. It won't be that troublesome then!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's depart!"

...

At the Linxian Palace.

At that same ancestor temple.

Spurt!

Yao Mengji was back at it again. He did the familiar steps.

Bowed, spat blood, lit incense, and summoned.

Buzz!

The Immortal Stone instantly shined brightly. However, it dimmed before anyone could look happy about it.

Yao Mengji was distressed. He could not stand anymore. He sat on the floor and said, "I've failed again. Ancestor, you must be joking."

He was overworked. The old man was finally hurt from exhaustion. He looked tired and weak again. He had also lost a lot of weight.

He looked far worse than what he once was.

Qin Manyun said, "Master, how about we stop? You haven't stopped spitting blood over the last few days."

"Fine, fine," Yao Mengji waved weakly. "I have to stop. All my energy is gone with the blood. I don't have any more blood to spit even if I wanted to."

He slowly stood up. He looked pale and fleeting.

He gently sighed. "I was counting on our ancestor to impress the expert. It seems like that dream is shattering."

Qin Manyun was out of ideas, too. She thought about other ways she could help the expert.

Suddenly, they heard laughter from above.

"Brother Mengji, where are you? I come with great news! Hurry up and show yourself!"

The Holy Emperor was so excited that he was out of it. He flew around the Linxian Palace, screaming like a big repetitive trumpet.

Instantly, all the disciples of the Linxian Palace were rattled. They all looked up at the sky.

Yao Mengji did not look happy. He flew to the sky and asked, "Looking for me, Brother Holy Emperor?"

The Holy Emperor saw Yao Mengji and unconsciously stepped back. Then, he exclaimed, "The super busy Yao Mengji. It's only been a few days. Why do you look so skinny and weak? What are you working on?" 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝓂

"Sigh, it's too hard to explain."

Yao Mengji shook his head. Then, he asked, "Don't mention it. Why are you here, Holy Emperor?"

"Haha. Good news, huge news." The Holy Emperor laughed chirpily. He made eyes at Yao Mengji and said, "Take a guess first."

Cough.

Yao Mengji choked.

Qin Manyun appeared. She looked excited as she asked in a trembling voice, "Perhaps it has something to do with the expert?"

"Clever!"

The Holy Emperor laughed loudly. He was flushed with excitement as he said, "The expert said he wanted to participate in the Cultivators Convention. I took it upon myself and tried my best to get you an opportunity. We're going to accompany the expert to the event. Hurry up and pack. Get ready to depart!"

Boom!

Yao Mengji was mind blown. He jumped. He could not believe his ears.

Did the expert assign tasks?

He suddenly transformed into a figure and swooped next to the Holy Emperor. He hugged the Holy Emperor tightly and wanted to lift him. He growled in disbelief, "The expert wants us to accompany him on a trip? Is this for real? Say it again!"

"I spent a lot of effort getting you this opportunity. Of course, it's real," the Holy Emperor smiled and nodded. Then, he asked, "Oh, yeah. Will you be going to the Cultivators Convention?"

"Yes! I'll go even if I had a broken leg!" Yao Mengji said without hesitation. He was bewildered by the huge opportunity. He stared at the Holy Emperor and said with gratitude, "My good brother!"

His depression about his disconnected ancestor was instantly wiped away.

The expert did not forget him. He could still be a servant of the expert. Boohoo, how unreal.

Qin Manyun was flustered, too. She rushed them, "Master, what are we waiting for? Hurry up and get ready!"

"Yes!" Yao Mengji continuously nodded. "Check the skyship. Change all the equipment. Repair everything in the shortest time possible. Leave the ordinary items and load it up with treasures. We have to give the expert an enjoyable experience!"

"No. To be safe, I shall do it personally!" Yao Mengji flew to the skyskip, "Manyun, get in quick. Let's get ready to fly it for the expert!"

"Oh, yeah. I have to practice my steering skills to ensure the skyship's stability. It has to be perfect!"

The next morning.

The door of the four-part architecture creaked open.

Li Nianfan was already packed. He had his breakfast in his hand and a jar of wine on his belt. He walked out.

Yao Mengji, Qin Manyun, and the Holy Emperor were already waiting outside. They hurriedly looked alive and smiled. "Mr. Li, morning."

Li Nianfan said, "Morning. Thanks for your kindness. Sorry for troubling you to pick me up."

Yao Mengji smiled and said, "Mr. Li, don't be a stranger."

Li Nianfan looked at Brother Yao and was taken aback. He said, "Brother Yao, you lost a lot of weight these last few days."

He remembered that Yao Mengji looked exhausted previously, too. Was it that hard being at the Linxian Palace?

"Right, have you guys eaten breakfast? Do you want some?" Li Nianfan showed them his steamed bread.

Daji was not around so Li Nianfan made a simple breakfast. He had a lot of steamed bread because Dragin was a big foodie.

Yao Mengji and the others were instantly excited. They licked their lips and asked quietly, "Can... Can we?"

"Why not? You tell me not to be a stranger, but what about you?" Li Nianfan laughed. He shared the steamed bread and gave each of them an apple. "I didn't prepare much for breakfast. Sorry about that."

"No, not at all!" Yao Mengji shook his head continuously. He smiled and said, "It's been a while since I tasted your delicious food, Mr. Li. I even miss it."

Everyone was extremely thankful for the steamed bread and apples.

The expert gave them such precious gifts during their meetings. He was so nice to them.

It was a blessing to be around the bigshot.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "I have newly brewed wine. We can drink all we want on the trip."

He turned around and looked at the four-part architecture. Only Xiao Bai was left in the yard. Xiao Bai waved goodbye to everyone.

Li Nianfan also waved back and said, "Xiao Bai, look after the house."

Blackie followed Li Nianfan with his tongue out sticking out. His tail wagged fast while he circled everyone.

'Boohoo. The Master's finally bringing me out on a trip after waiting for so long. Life isn't easy.'

Chapter 260

"Blackie, slow down."

Li Nianfan chased after Blackie who had sprinted into the skyship, looked around, and sniffed around energetically.

"Don't mess up other people's skyship!" Li Nianfan said unhappily as he rushed into the skyship. "You silly dog, I'm not bringing you out next time."

As expected, Blackie laid next to Li Nianfan obediently. He acted pitiful while whining.

"Sorry everyone, this dog's always like that. So disobedient." Li Nianfan angrily patted Blackie. "Blackie, hurry up and apologize!"

"No need, no need."

Yao Mengji instantly went pale. He was terrified. He quickly waved it off.

Apology from the Lord Dog? Who could handle that?!

The skyship would be honored to be destroyed by the Lord Dog.

Blackie stopped but Dragin was being naughty on the other side, too.

She kept touching and playing with anything she found inside the skyship. She was curious. Finally, her attention was grabbed by a big pearl that was at the center of the skyship.

"What a small pearl." She pouted. She raised her wrist and out came a pearl five times the size of the skyship's pearl.

The pearl shined brightly like it was a big light bulb. The skyship's pearl was dim and dull in comparison to the shiny huge pearl.

Yao Mengji and the others were instantly intrigued. Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets from staring so hard.

The pearl was not a powerful Immortal Item but it was extremely expensive and precious. The pearl they had in the skyship was from a Clam Demon that they got lucky with. Dragin had such a huge pearl. What kind of Clam Demon did she get it from?

Cross Tribulation Realm? Mahayala Realm?

Yikes—

Scary.

"Dragin, why are you so impolite?"

Li Nianfan was baffled. Then, he said, "Brother Yao, this brat's family is in the seafood business. She's still young and immature. Please, forgive her."

How dare she show off to other people while she was on their turf? What a silly kid.

Brother Yao waved it off and smiled. "Never mind, never mind."

Seafood business?

She had status in the ocean?

The people around the expert were indeed extraordinary. Thankfully, he did not offend her.

Li Nianfan looked at that big pearl and was slightly intrigued. "What a big Luminous Pearl. Why didn't you bring it out sooner? It would be so convenient as a lightbulb.

"Is it voice-controlled? Dim the brightness."

The pearl did not react at all.

Li Nianfan was instantly disinterested.

Yao Mengji showed Li Nianfan his room. "Mr. Li, this is where you can stay."

"Thanks."

Li Nianfan nodded and looked around. He complimented, "Brother Yao, this skyship looks more luxurious than the last time. Did you revamp it?"

Yao Mengji replied in a respectful voice, "Just a small renovation. What do you think, Mr. Li?"

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "It's fantastic, of course."

Yao Mengjji let out a sigh in relief. As long as the expert was satisfied.

It was worth clearing out all the treasures in the Linxian Palace. He moved it all into the skyship.

He smiled and said, "Mr. Li, I'll fire up the skyship this instant. Rest well."

"Nah, let's do it together."

Everyone was at the deck. Yao Mengji cast spells and the skyship started to glow.

It was not very loud. The skyship shined and levitated steadily. Then, it took off.

The Fallen Immortal Mountain was far away, growing smaller and smaller in Li Nianfan's eyes. He even saw the Fallen Town. The people in the Fallen Town moved as if they were ants. It gradually disappeared.

Then, Li Nianfan could see white clouds underneath him.

Li Nianfan knew the basics about the Cultivators Convention through conversation.

The convention was not a huge event. It would usually be held in the Immortal Realm, and it was for the local cultivators to share their experiences.

They could trade their opinions, treasures, Immortal Items, and shop for Spiritual Medicine and more.

If cultivators were secretive and closed-off, cultivation would not last for long.

Nanan was at the Golden Lotus Sect of the Northside. The convention was held in the Northeast area at a town named Chuchen Town.

Li Nianfan watched the view for a while. Then, he started getting slightly bored so he went back to his room.

Dragin stumbled after him and asked excitedly, "Brother, continue the story for me. Did Chenxiang save his mother in the end?"

Li Nianfan chuckled and laid on the bed. He yawned and said, "My legs are slightly sore."

Dragin immediately understood. She quickly walked over to Li Nianfan and gave him a foot massage. "Is this okay? Is the pressure hard enough?"

"Yeah, it's about right. Keep it that way," Li Nianfan nodded satisfyingly. Then, he said, "Chenxiang found out that in order to save his mother, he had to defeat God Jiro. So, he needed the Buddha of Victorious Strife to be his Master. He went through a lot of difficulties and suffering. He knelt outside Buddha's door for a long while..."

Time slipped by. It was soon night time.

Qin Manyun prepared food for Li Nianfan. It was not as delicious as the food Li Nianfan could make but there was a nice variety.

After eating and drinking, Li Nianfan stood on the deck to bathe in the moonlight. He enjoyed the beautiful night view and went back to his room. He yawned and was ready to sleep.

The realm was extra quiet in the dark. The skyship flickered like a star in the sky, flying at high speed.

Yao Mengji stood at the deck wearing a serious demeanor. He stared straight ahead while steering carefully. He was afraid that there would be an accident because of his momentary neglect.

The skyship did not need manual steering unless it was necessary. However, he did not dare to be lazy.

Qin Manyun and the Holy Emperor accompanied him by his side.

Suddenly, they heard maniacal laughter from afar along with the howling wind.

"Bold maniac, how dare you trespass into the forbidden land of my sect? Die!"

Cling clang—

The sounds of a battle disrupted the quiet night. Yao Mengji and the others were alarmed, afraid that it would disrupt the expert.

Thankfully, the skyship was extremely fast and the commotion was left behind.

However, they did not get a chance to relax. Right in front of them, two figures were chasing after one another mid-air.

The flying swords clashed. It was a heated fight.

"I suffered and waited for you for sixteen years, but you have a sixteen-year-old kid. You scum, I must kill you!"

"Lady, relax. You've got the wrong guy. That's my twin brother."

Yao Mengji did not look happy at all. He used his powers to speed up and they flew by quickly.

However, someone else was fighting in front of them again. The noise from the explosions was deafening.

"It's been three years. I'm here today to redeem myself from all my past humiliations! Whatever pain you've all imposed on me, I'm going to pay it back tenfold!"

Boom!

Yao Mengji and the others looked infuriated.

Yao Mengji looked inside the skyship. He asked with a serious face, "What's going on tonight? Can't they give it a rest? Don't they know the expert's resting?"

"Ignorant, how ignorant!" The Holy Emperor shook his head. "How about this? I'll clear out the battles in front of us. I'll go and propose to them to fight their battles another day. We can't let it disturb the expert."

Qin Manyun nodded and said, "Good idea. Sorry for the trouble, Holy Emperor."

The Holy Emperor immediately flew off.

The night was once again peaceful. Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun both sighed in relief.

As the night went dark, they jumped anxiously.

Buzz!

The peaceful Spiritual Qi of the realm suddenly started to boil.

Then, a powerful aura appeared out of nowhere. They were distressed. They held their breaths.

The Holy Emperor returned. He looked frantic as he announced, "There seems to be an Immortal who has chosen to descend into the realm right in front of us! Stop! Stop the skyship now!"

The horizon was suddenly golden, painted by the gold streaks of light that were shining down from the clouds.

A golden door appeared out of thin air.

Qin Manyun went pale. She hurriedly said, "Master, turn around. Hurry up and turn the skyship around!"

"I know." Yao Mengji quickly cast spells. He was sweating from being frantic.

The skyship slowed down and started to turn.

The three of them stared dead straight at the Heavenly Gates. They were nervous wrecks, eyes filled with distress.

What was going on? Could they not travel in peace?

Buzz!

The golden light grew brighter. Then, a figure speedily flew out from the small opening of the golden gates.

The figure was slim and seemed to be panicking. The figure looked like it was desperate to flee. He flew straight toward the skyship without thinking.

Two more figures flew out of the gates, too. They looked like they were chasing that figure.

Both sides used their powers from time to time. Their attacks created a back-and-forth effect. They were clearly in a heated battle.

"I feel like someone's against me."

Yao Mengji was utterly baffled. He was mentally exhausted. What an unlucky night.

The Immortals were fighting. How could his skyship handle that? More importantly, what if they disturb the expert who was resting inside the skyship? That would be a huge mistake!

He stared at the three Immortals. Then, he suddenly raised his eyebrows. He was taken aback when he saw the fleeing figure.

"Mas...Master?!"

The fleeing figure noticed him on the skyship, too. He was surprised. He exclaimed, "Mengji? What are you doing here? Hurry up and run, Mengji!"

'What am I doing here?

'I'm supposed to be the one asking that question, not you!

'What can I run from?! The ones chasing you are Immortals!

'What's going on with you? Why are you being hunted by two Immortals?!

'You could've gone somewhere else, but you brought them here to your descendants? Were you perhaps hoping that your student could cover for you? You wretched being!'

Chapter 261

Seeing that Yao Mengji was still transfixed in the same spot and that he did not have the intention to run away, the woman panicked.

She pestered, "Mengji, run! Just leave the skyship behind. It's too slow!"

Leave it behind? No way!

'All the assets of the Linxian Palace were put onto this skyship. Furthermore, the expert's resting inside this skyship. Even if I'm about to die, I'll never leave the expert behind!'

Looking at the three statue-like people on top of the skyship, the woman panicked.

'Oh, no! My disciple must be terrified of the Immortal!'

"Oh? So the person on top of the skyship is your disciple? That's easy! If the sky wants you to vanish, you must vanish! Ha-ha-ha..."

"Stay there! Hand us the box and tell us where you got the Golden Bees Honey from! Then we'll let you live!"

The two Immortals were delighted. They scoffed wildly and arrogantly.

The woman panicked. "Oh, my disciple. Are you kidding me? Don't be dumbfounded, hurry, run!"

'Who's kidding who? Don't you know?'

Yao Mengji and the other two did not bother to answer her. They were already very anxious at this point. With such chaos, they would likely wake the expert up! He felt guilty!

Meanwhile, a black shadow shot out from inside the skyship. It was Blackie.

His dog face glared at the cultivators coldly, exuding a sense of displeasure.

"Lord Dog."

Yao Mengji and the other two were delighted.

Swiftly after, under the eyes of the woman and the other two Immortals, the three cultivators bowed at Blackie politely. They spoke with sincerity, "We're so sorry to have woken you up, Lord Dog."

Yao Mengji bit his tongue and walked forward. He pleaded, "I beg you, Lord Dog. Please, save my ancestor."

The Holy Emperor and Qin Manyun added, "We beg you for your help, Lord Dog."

The woman was completely dumbfounded. She looked at Yao Mengji. Then, at Qin Manyun. She could not help tearing up.

'Oh, my disciple... I'm so sorry!

'They must've been so terrified that their brains have short-circuited. They're now worshipping a dog?'

"Ha-ha!"

The other two Immortals were stunned at first. Swiftly after, they could not help laughing from ear to ear.

'Ha-ha-ha! The cultivators of the ordinary realm are so weak nowadays? They start worshipping a dog when they're terrified? If you beg us, we might let you off easy. Who knows?"

"What did they call that dog? Lord Dog? I can't take it anymore. I'm dying of laughter!"

The solemn look remained on Blackie's face. It walked like a graceful cat, gradually approaching them.

With the moon as its backdrop, the night wind blew against its fur. Instantly, it gave one a sense of lonesome coldness.

It stood at the front of the deck, looking indifferent as its mouth opened to say, "Shut up! You may as well stop cultivating now. You may even keep your lives if you do so."

Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji's faces flushed red instantly. They were trembling with excitement.

It's coming!

This script was familiar. It was a very familiar scene!

The two Immortals were stunned. After looking closely at Blackie for a moment, it seemed as if they could not believe what they heard with their ears.

"Has the world changed? An ordinary Black Dog Demon dares to speak to us this way?"

"The dogs in the ordinary realm haven't seen the outside world. It's likely they don't know how powerful we are. The ignorant ones are always fearless!"

"Fine, this black dog is meaty, so its meat must be delicious. We can boil it in a pot later!"

"Boiling's no good, I think grilling it will be better."

As they spoke, one of them simply made a gesture. With that, a long flaming whip appeared in the sky, slashing toward Blackie like a viper.

A burst of cold laughter was heard. "Let's discuss how to cook it later. First, let me burn away its dog fur!"

Blackie remained in the same spot, without a hint of emotion in its eyes. It simply allowed the whip to come toward it. It even looked up into the sky.

Although it was just a simple slash, the attack was coming from an Immortal. His power was strong and oppressive. Even a Mahayala cultivator would need to use up all of his cultivation to withstand the attack.

The flaming whip curved in the air, leaving a beautiful trail.

In the blink of an eye, it was getting closer to Blackie.

Blackie's face remained calm. It tilted its head up slightly as if blowing a candle. It simply blew the whip away.

Instantly, the long flaming whip vanished into nothingness.

There was pin-drop silence.

Yao Mengji's ancestor was dumbfounded.

The two Immortals were dumbfounded, too.

The three Immortals were frozen mid-air, looking as if they had just seen a ghost. Their minds had gone blank as the image of Blackie blowing away the flaming whip kept replaying in their heads.

"This... This... This..."

Every strand of hair of the two cultivators stood up. Their lips were trembling wildly. They could not even speak of a full sentence.

Powerful! Undefeatable!

How could it be?

Why would such a powerful dog exist in the ordinary realm?

A nerve-wracking chill rose from within them. Without hesitation, they turned around and ran away.

They used up all of their energy to escape. They were even spitting blood while running away. All they wanted was to get away from this nightmare.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished out of sight.

Blackie yawned, parting its mouth slightly as it breathed in.

A strong suction force containing the Law suddenly landed on the two Immortals.

Immediately, they were sucked back to where they were.

The two of them were so terrified! It was as if they were experiencing the most terrifying thing in the world. Their organs wrecking!

'This can't be real!'

'God, open your eyes! There's a bug in one of the dogs in the ordinary realm!'

"Lord Dog, forgive me! Lord Dog, forgive me!"

In the next instance, the two Immortals trembled vigorously as two rays of light were sucked out from their bodies. It was their Immortal Qi.

With the strong suction force, Blackie swallowed their Immortal Qi.

Swiftly after, Blackie raised its paw as if slapping a fly and slamming it on the ground.

Slam!

The two Immortals were instantly slammed to the ground.

Everything happened within the blink of an eye. It happened so fast that even their brains were unable to react.

"I... I... I..."

The woman watched this scene unfolding in front of her eyes. Her lips were trembling wildly. She almost cried on the spot. When she saw that Blackie was looking at her, her soul almost flew out from her body. She cried out, half-wailing, "Lord Dog, I'm a good person. Please, let me off!"

Blackie looked at her coldly and said without any emotion, "Do you know the rules? Tell me."

The woman's heart sank. She knew she was a border away from death. Her head raced at the quickest speed and a thought came to her. She said hastily, "I know, I know! Expert, ordinary man, act!"

Blackie retracted its cold look.

Instantly, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

Yao Mengji quickly introduced, "Sect Mistress, this is the dog by the expert's side."

"Greetings to Lord Dog. Thank you for saving my life," the woman said politely, her voice trembling. She was still terrified of what happened earlier.

It was mostly a shock.

If the dog by the expert's side was this powerful, the realm of the expert was likely to be beyond imagination!

Tap! Tap! Tap!

They heard footsteps coming from within the skyship.

Everyone felt their hearts jump out of their throats. They did not even dare to breathe loudly.

The woman guessed it as well. She was more anxious than the rest. She did not know if she should hide.

The expert...was here!

Vroom!

Meanwhile, muffled thunder was heard from above. There was a darkening cloud above the head of Yao Mengji's ancestor.

The Natural Tribulation was about to occur!

Li Nianfan had already walked out of the skyship. He frowned, "Mr. Yao, what's happening out there?"

He was worried. Were they under attack? If only the Fire Phoenix was by his side. He would then be half-undefeatable!

He did not have to wait for Yao Mengji's reply, Li Nianfan saw the figure floating beside the skyship right away.

She was a mature and wise-looking woman. She seemed like she was in a mess. More importantly, she was standing on a cloud!

Was this what they called traveling by cloud? Li Nianfan did not expect to be able to witness this himself!

Most of the cultivators merely traveled in orbs of light.

She could ride on the cloud!

She was most likely an Immortal.

Yao Mengji hastily introduced, "Mr. Li, this is my Sect Mistress."

"My name's Gu Xirou. Greetings to Mr. Li," Gu Xirou instantly got into her role. She apologized, "I'm sorry. I just descended from the Immortal Land. I might have woken you up with the noise."

"Oh, you're Mr. Yao's Sect Mistress!" Li Nianfan nodded in realization. He said with a friendly tone, "Greeting to Immortal Gu."

She was indeed an Immortal. He had to get acquainted with her.

Li Nianfan paused. He was quite immune to Immortals by now, so he was not too shocked.

Vroom!

Another sound of thunder was heard in the sky. There was a flash of lightning that looked like a silver snake dancing wildly. The night sky sparkled. It was very shocking!

The skyship was floating in the air. It was flying quite closely to the lightning. Li Nianfan was terrified by the sight of it.

He did not bring his lightning rod!

Gu Xirou said apologetically, "Mr. Li, I just came down from the Immortal Land, so I'll need to go through a Natural Tribulation. I'm sorry to have frightened you."

'So you're aware that you're frightening me? Then, why haven't you left?

'Are you planning to keep me here to go through the Natural Tribulation with you? You want to frame me?'

Li Nianfan looked up at the sky in fear, feeling anxious.

However, he was too embarrassed to ask her to leave. After all, she was an Immortal.

He looked at Blackie and said, "Immortal Gu, my dog's most afraid of thunder. This thunder...look."

Instantly, Blackie laid down diligently beside Li Nianfan's feet, shivering.

"I understand, I understand!" Gu Xirou said apologetically. "How embarrassing. I'll leave for my Natural Tribulation."

With that said, she drove the cloud further away.

Bam!

A bolt of lightning struck from above without warning, cracking and shaking up the night sky.

Li Nianfan saw the lightning bolt and felt terrified. So terrifying. How terrifying! 𝘭𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝘮

It seemed that the Sect Mistress was a friendly person. She was still traveling away from them, making sure that the lightning did not disturb them here. How thoughtful!

This Immortal Realm was indeed full of good people!

Qin Manyun said embarrassingly, "Mr. Li, I'm sorry to have you woken up."

Li Nianfan waved it off. He smiled and said, "No worries, your Sect Mistress visiting you is a big deal. I just didn't expect that Immortals would need to go through a Natural Tribulation upon arrival."

Yao Mengji said, "The higher the cultivation, the more severe the Tribulation would be. They have to pay a price. Luckily, these aren't usually life-threatening."

"Isn't it too much?" Li Nianfan could not help frowning. "If Immortals can come down, why is there an extra step? This is just a formality."

Yao Mengji and the rest shrunk into themselves. They did not dare to speak.

As expected, the expert was not pleased with the Immortal Realm and the Immortal Land being separated. However, the expert could complain about it. They did not dare do the same for they did not want to die.

Now that the expert had reconnected the road between the two, was he planning on working on the Natural Tribulation next?

Yao Mengji hesitated for a moment before he said cautiously, "Mr. Li, this is the Law."

Li Nianfan asked curiously, "Oh, right. Nobody's in charge of the Natural Tribulation? Wind, frost, rain, and snow? The rotating of the sun and moon? Who's in charge of all these?"

Yao Mengji hesitated for a moment. He said, "Mr. Li, all these work according to the Heavenly Law. They rotate automatically."

Li Nianfan could not help mumbling, "They're all relying on the Heavenly Law. Does it even have time?"

Instantly, Yao Mengji and the rest felt some chills all over their bodies. They almost fainted out of terror.

They cowered as they looked up at the sky. They were afraid that lightning might strike and kill them suddenly!

'Mr. Li, please, stop talking!' they all cried internally. Even hearing this speech already felt like a crime! It was something they should not be listening to!

So scary! Even though following the expert around gave them a lot of opportunities, it was definitely not for the faint-hearted.

He could simply rewrite the Law. He was this powerful! Nobody could do anything about it!

Li Nianfan shook his head. He was merely voicing out his opinion. He felt that this Immortal Realm was different from what he imagined.

He had a feeling that...this place seemed rather unimpressive.

There was no Heavenly Temple, no person in charge of thunder and storms, no person in charge of the moon and sun. There was only one 'boss' known as the Heavenly Law without any working staff!

The ordinary men needed an Emperor, but what about the Immortals? This felt strange.

Chapter 262

The Law was powerful, it was the reason the world functioned accordingly. If the entire world only consisted of ordinary men, then control was possible. However, now that there were Immortals, the Immortals were all so powerful. They could easily affect the world. If there was no authority, no leader, things would be a mess with the lack of set rules.

Anyway, these were just some of Li Nianfan's thoughts.

However, what did he have anything to do with this?

He was merely an ordinary man, he could simply live an ordinary life. Furthermore, the world as portrayed in the legend turned out to be untrue!

Yao Mengji bit his tongue. He opened his mouth and suggested, "Mr. Li, it's still early. Why don't you get some rest in your room?"

If Li Nianfan remained out here, God knows what other shocking things he would say. So terrifying!

"I might as well." Li Nianfan yawned and said in an embarrassed tone, "Please, send my greetings to your Sect Mistress, I've embarrassed myself. I'll make up for it tomorrow morning."

Yao Mengji waved it off. He smiled, "Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

When Li Nianfan turned to leave, the three of them exchanged looks and let out a sigh of relief in unison.

"What did the expert say?"

"I don't know. The thunder was too loud, I couldn't hear him."

"Say what? I'm quite deaf, I don't know."

Instantly, the three of them remained in the same spot as if nothing had happened. They looked up uneasily at the sky from time to time, though.

After a moment, a figure gradually appeared, standing on a cloud. Not only did Gu Xirou successfully pass the Natural Tribulation, it was apparent that she had a makeover. Her initial roughed-up look was no longer visible. She had now become a noble Immortal.

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun greeted politely, "Greetings to Sect Mistress."

The Holy Emperor also greeted anxiously, "Greetings to Senior Gu."

"Alright, the expert's here. Don't mind the ranking and greetings," Gu Xirou waved it off. She then looked inside of the skyship and said in a low voice, "Where's the expert?"

Yao Mengji said, "He's gone back to sleep."

"Phew...that's good. It'll allow me to make some mental preparation." Gu Xirou patted her chest. She said, "Mengji, you've made me proud. To be honest, you've saved me twice, both during life-or-death situations! You're my good disciple indeed!"

Yao Mengji did not dare to take the credit. "Sect Mistress, these are all the expert's doings."

Gu Xirou smiled. "I know, but you've pleased the expert well. That's wonderful."

"It's all just a coincidence. The expert takes care of me." Yao Mengji smiled humbly. He then hinted, "Sect Mistress, the expert has helped us so much. We should at least repay his kindness. I don't have anything left to give him, that..."

"Of course, I know!" Gu Xirou smiled. She said proudly, "Do you think a clever Sect Mistress like me would come empty-handed? The reason I was being hunted was because of this treasure!"

Gasp...

Yao Mengji and the other two stared at her wide-eyed. They were very excited.

Yao Mengji could not wait any longer. He asked, "Sect Mistress, what treasure is it? Bring it out and let us have a look!"

"Look closely!" Gu Xirou was acting mysteriously. She flipped her wrist and instantly, a scarlet vintage box appeared in sight.

Instantly, an ancient scent circulated in the air, showing signs of its age.

The Holy Emperor commented instantly, "This box is...extraordinary!"

Qin Manyun bootlicked instantly, "Sect Mistress is indeed our Sect Mistress." 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝘳𝑒𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝑜𝑚

"Ha-ha-ha! Of course! There's Qi from ancient times circulating it. It'll definitely please the expert!" Gu Xirou smiled faintly. "Furthermore, the thing inside must be so precious!"

Yao Mengji asked in a trembling voice, "Sect Master, stop teasing us. What's inside?"

Gu Xirou looked at him and said, "I don't know."

Gasp! Hmm?

As the crowd gasped, waiting for the revelation, they halted.

She did not know?

What was that?

Yao Mengji smiled awkwardly. "Sect Mistress, stop joking. If you really don't know, how can you say the thing inside is precious?"

Gu Xirou looked at Yao Mengji innocently, "Because even I can't open this box, so the thing inside must be really precious! Mengji, can't you see the reason?"

Yao Mengji was stunned. He looked at his Sect Mistress and asked, "You're about to give an unopened box to the expert?"

"Are you a fool? Although I can't open it, who's the expert? Of course, he can open it!"

Gu Xiyou said with a serious tone, "Oh, Mengji. I haven't seen you for so long, you haven't only lost weight, your brain's working slower, too. Remember, do control your urges from time to time!"

Yao Mengji's lips twitched. He almost cried. He looked at his Sect Mistress and said bitterly, "Sect Mistress, you're a genius of reasoning. I'm nothing close to you!"

...

In the Immortal Land.

At the Kunxu Mountains.

Four figures flew across the sky rapidly from a faraway land to the Kunxu Mountains.

One had to admit that the Immortal Realm and Land were vast. Even though there were many ordinary men in the ordinary realm, there were still empty lands around. In the Immortal Land, there were even more empty lands along with a small population. On top of that, demons were residing all over the place. Therefore, when one looked out, there were mostly mountains, forests, and empty lands.

The Immortals seldom came to the Kunxu Mountains, let alone the ordinary men.

"The Five-Color Sacred Cow is very distinguishable and it won't be hiding. Therefore, we just have to capture a Demon King to ask of its whereabouts."

Xiao Chengfeng smiled. "It's around here."

Daji nodded. The four of them slowed their pace and started to look around.

To keep a low profile, they retrieved their Qi and landed from the sky. They searched around by foot.

Meanwhile, a faint glow lit up under the peaceful night sky. Seven lights were shining like neon lights. They made a circle in the air before slowly disappearing.

They halted. "It appeared!"

Daji said, "Go, be careful!"

Blow...

The gentle night breeze was blowing. Soft howls of demons were heard from time to time. The entire Kunxu Mountains was the same as usual, nothing had changed.

As they gradually approached, a sense of pressure increased. Not far away, heavy breathing was heard along with the sound of footsteps.

They looked over.

They saw that outside a cave entrance down below, a Sacred Cow almost as tall as six feet was standing by the entrance. It was moving from time to time. It seemed like it was playing.

It had five colors on its body. Black and white at the front and back with three colors in between—red, green, and blue. The five colors mixed and formed all the possible combinations of colors in the world. The cow exuded a colorful glow, very miraculous.

Urchin's eyes sparkled. He was delighted. "It seems to be a calf. The big cow isn't home! This is our opportunity!"

Xiao Chengfeng analyzed, "The big cow shouldn't be too far away. We can't make a big fuss and we can't attack with force. We can only play smart!"

The Fire Phoenix nodded in agreement. "Exactly, even though it's a calf, it has the power of an Immortal. It's hard to take it down within a short amount of time."

Daji hesitated for a moment. Then, an apple appeared in her hand. "Use this. Cut it into pieces and put them in a line to trick the calf into coming over."

Everyone fell silent.

This was too much of a luxurious bait.

The little fox covered up the apple. It took out an orange and peeled the skin. It then broke the orange into small pieces. "Sister, use this, use this."

Meanwhile, Urchin picked up the orange skin from the ground. "Since cows eat grass, I think the skin of the orange would have the same effect."

The four people and one fox nodded. They were all smiling.

Instantly, they distributed the orange pieces.

The Five-Color Sacred Cow was bored, looking around. Suddenly, it sniffed the air. It could not help looking up in a direction. Its eyes narrowed.

Hmph?

The smell of orange skin? So nice?

It walked over. It walked over to the orange skin, took a sniff, and then without hesitation, it swallowed it down.

So yummy! What a yummy orange peel!

It wore a look of pleasure. It looked around and saw that there was another orange peel not far away.

"Good stuff!" Its eyes sparkled as it ran over and swallowed it. Since it was too yummy, it did not have time to think of other things. All it could think of was to eat it.

Hmm? There was more in front?!

It followed the orange peel and walked forward. Unknowingly, it had walked into the forest.

If the orange peel was so yummy, how yummy would the actual fruit be? Where was the orange? Was it further ahead? How nice would it be to be able to take a bite of it!

With that in mind, it ran over even quicker.

Just as it swallowed another orange peel, it looked up to see five pairs of eyes staring at it.

"Argh?"

Instantly, it howled in terror! Its hair stood up in unison. The calf turned and ran away.

However, Daji and her group got into position. Once the calf tried to run, one of them would hold onto its hoof and the rest would pin the calf onto the ground.

"Help! Mother, save me!" the small calf cried out in fear, its four hooves kicking in the air. Its back hooves kicked Urchin in the face.

Kick!

Instantly, Urchin flew away in a straight line.

"A Five-Color Sacred Cow indeed! How powerful!" Urchin mumbled as he climbed back up. He went back up to hold onto the calf.

"Hurry, cover its mouth! Don't let it yell!" Daji said. "Hold it down, I want to check if it has any milk!"

Meanwhile, a Five-Color Sacred Cow almost as tall as ten feet was traveling home on top of four different colored clouds.

In its mouth was a branch that was hanging with different Spiritual Fruits. It was quite a gain. Thus, it was in a good mood.

It smiled. "Daughter, look at what mother brought home."

However, in the next moment, its voice stopped abruptly. The cow stared ahead blankly, thinking that it was hallucinating.

Daji and the four of them stopped moving. They looked at the mother cow awkwardly while the small calf was laying there with tears in its eyes.

Crunch!

The big cow snapped the branch in its mouth, its eyes almost shooting out flames. It growled, "Get off my daughter! You're all asking for death!"

"My friend, please, calm down." Urchin stood up. He persuaded, "An impressive expert wants to drink your milk. This is your opportunity. We came here out of goodwill. Why don't we sit down and talk it through? You'll thank us in the future."

"You came here secretly to attack my daughter and squeezed her milk so violently. Now you're telling me it's out of goodwill?" The big cow was dumbfounded. It did not expect them to be so rude!

It was trembling vigorously out of anger. It growled, causing the ground to vibrate and crack open.

"Are you insulting my intelligence? You're so done!"

Chapter 263

Vroom!

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow stomped on the ground. Instantly, sand and rocks flew in the air as soil flew everywhere!

In the blink of an eye, there was a hill that was about 30 feet tall forming above the head of the Five-Color-Sacred Cow.

Instantly, the hill attacked the crowd with full force!

Urchin said hastily, "Everyone, we don't..."

"Good timing!" Xiao Chengfeng's eyes sparkled. He scoffed, "Long sword's out, one sword cracks open the mountain!"

Bam!

He drew his long sword from behind his back. It slashed through the sky, sparkling violently as if cutting tofu. The hill was cut open!

Xiao Chengfeng's longsword rang. His eyes sparkled as he unleashed his fighting spirit. "Very well, Five-Colored-Scared Cow, you've successfully attracted my fighting spirit!"

"Sword Body in One!" he scoffed with the long sword in hand. He launched forward and his entire body transformed into a gigantic sword, stabbing at the Five-Color-Sacred Cow like a shooting star!

The long sword was traveling rapidly and sharply. The sword's light showered the Five-Sacred Cow like rainfall, trapping it in the middle of its storm.

Moo!

The Five-Color-Scared Cow was furious. Its surroundings lit up. Its mouth opened and instantly, a wind blew out from its mouth, forming a tornado that wrapped around Xiao Chengfeng.

Slash!

The gigantic sword and the tornado fought against one another. Following a soft ring, the long sword rushed out of the tornado, slashing the body of the Five-Color-Scared Cow.

Instantly, there was a red gash on the body of the sacred cow.

The cow raised its hind hooves and kicked the gigantic sword, causing it to fly up into the sky.

The long sword flew out of his hand and spun around in the air. Swiftly after, the sword dragged Xiao Chengfeng away. His figure reappeared.

Xiao Chengfeng wiped away the fresh blood from the corner of his lips. He could not help saying in awe, "What a thick skin!"

He warned everyone, "Everyone, be careful. This cow's very powerful. Its skin is very thick. It's very shocking!"

"Do we need you to say so?" Urchin's face had gone green. "Who do you think you are daring to attack the Five-Color-Sacred Cow like that?"

Xiao Chengfeng held his sword, his face full of pride. "You're the ones who are scared. I have the sword with me, I have no fear!

He raised his hand and pointed at the long sword. The long sword spun around in the air, leaving behind countless long sword phantoms. As the circle got bigger and bigger, more phantoms appeared. Looking from afar, the countless long sword phantoms had formed a gigantic swirling pool of long swords. Quickly, lights flashed in the air. The sharp Sword Qi rushed toward the clouds, almost cutting the sky open.

Urchin was dumbfounded. He could not help asking, "Brother Xiao, are you still going to fight? Who gave you such courage?"

"Three million Sword Immortals lowered their heads at my side. This is my second realm given by the expert. I, Xiao Chengfeng, never needed any courage from anyone!" he growled as his long hair danced in the air. The Sword Qi in him soared as he said, "Ten thousand swords gather, check out my limitless Sword Intent!"

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Instantly, countless long swords gathered like a wave, washing over the Five-Color-Sacred Cow like a tsunami.

If one looked from afar, the million swords flashed like the galaxy, sparkling intensely.

"You're asking for death!" the Five-Color-Sacred Cow howled lowly. It raised its two front hooves and violently stomped on the ground.

Vroom!

The entire Kunxu Mountains vibrated. All the rocks of different sizes around them started to levitate!

In a blink of an eye, this had become a world surrounded by rocks.

The rocks fell like a meteor shower, rushing toward Xiao Chengfeng in unison,

"Blow!

Countless rocks were heard exploding in the air. The rocks had started to change—they turned into flaming rocks, water rocks, and thunder rocks with millions of colors. They were beautiful, like shooting stars lighting up the night sky.

The super long sword clashed with the rocks. It was as if two meteorites were colliding into one another in space. There was a loud explosion that caused everything to vibrate. The surroundings of the mountains were wiped off!

All of the demons in the Kunxu Mountains had all gone into hiding in their caves. They were kneeling on the ground, shivering. None of them dared to make any sound.

Meanwhile, the Five-Color-Sacred Cow looked as if it had lost its patience. Its four hooves stood on a cloud and instantly, it rose to the sky. With a small movement, its body had appeared right in front of Xiao Chengfeng. Its horns were glowing fiercely. A threatening wave of messed up Yin and Yang rushing toward Xiao Chengfeng.

"You came at the right time!" Xiao Chenfeng was still pretending to be cool. He put up his hands over his head and millions of sword phantoms gathered into a glowing longsword, slashing downward.

"The bridge of the sword that doesn't ignore life and death! I hold the long sword in my hands, I'm undefeatable in the world!"

Vroom!

The long sword collided with the cow's horns.

Without surprise, Xiao Chengfeng was like a kite with a broken string, flying away while spitting fresh blood.

This proved that trash-talking would not make one stronger. In fact, it helped one make an enemy

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow had a stone-cold face. It did not speak. It continued to move its hooves, rushing toward Xiao Chengfeng.

It was thinking about nothing else but to kill this Sword Immortal!

Xiao Chengfeng's face changed. He waved his hands and the long sword swirled below his feet. He rushed toward Urchin and cried out, "Brother, help me!"

"Why don't you go and die?" Urchin could not help scolding. However, he still rushed toward him. His green dragon body appeared, very powerful. He soared into the sky and collided with the Five-Color-Sacred Cow.

"You look after her. Continue to get her milk. I'm going over to help." The Fire Phoenix turned around and spread her wings. Her figure was flashing like a flame. Along with Urchin, the two of them surrounded the Five-Color-Sacred Cow, one of them standing in front and the other standing at the back.

The Fire Phoenix's eyes narrowed as she said, "Five-Color-Sacred Cow, born with the perfect Law of strength. Once fully grown, it can easily become a Taiyi Golden Immortal. Furthermore, it can rapidly cultivate many of the cultivations in the world."

"Dragon, Phoenix, Nine-tailed Fox?" The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was mid-air. It stomped its four hooves on the ground violently. It said darkly, "Are you doing so badly that you need to team up to steal my milk?! What bullies!"

Urchin said, "Sacred Cow, my friend. Why won't you listen to me? We're not drinking your milk, there's an..."

"I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening!" The Five-Color-Sacred Cow shook its head vigorously and cut them off arrogantly. "Who wants to drink my milk? Ask him to come over in person! Back then, even a Saint's Apprentice politely begged for three years, and I only gave them a glass. I won't let you all off tonight!"

With that said, it started to glow in seven colors, lighting up the world as it rushed over.

The Fire Phoenix raised her hand and the true Flame of Phoenix filled the air. It became a flaming flower in the air, trapping the Five-Color-Sacred Cow.

It was a battle of three ancient beasts. The Laws were splashing everywhere, glow illuminating the place.

Urchin tried to hold it up. He said with difficulty, "My friend, please, let's talk nicely."

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was furious. "Ha-ha, three losing species. If it's just the three of you, why should I talk to you nicely?"

Urchin frowned. He said, "Let me be honest with you. My ancestor isn't dead yet. Our dragon family will get back on our feet

On the other side, Daji had exuded a chill all over. The ground had frozen over. A cold chill locked the calf in place, making it impossible to move.

She pressed on the calf and used force to squeeze out its milk while the little fox was laying on Daji, its head sticking out with unblinking eyes.

Suddenly, the milk shot out.

Sizz!

The milk shot right in the little fox's face. The little fox was dumbfounded.

"The milk's out!"

Daji was delighted. She stood up hastily and said, "This calf should be enough!"

The Fire Phoenix said, "Leave first, we'll handle the rest."

Daji did not speak further. She cast a spell and froze the six feet tall calf. Swiftly after, they rushed away.

"Put down my daughter!" the Five-Colored-Sacred Cow growled. Its hooves stomped on the ground as it stood on the cloud. Its speed was quicker than Urchin and the Fire Phoenix's. It was about to catch up to Daji!

Daji remained calm. She raised both hands and made a gesture. Instantly, a thick ice crystal was formed along with some frost. They were shooting at the hooves of the Five-Color-Sacred Cow.

Ping!

The ice crystal cracked. Daji jumped. She turned and left.

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow followed behind her.

The little fox was also following behind her. It was very anxious and cried out, "Sister, keep it up! Quicker! It's coming!"

Daji's face was turning green. If she was not busy now, she wanted to pinch this little fox. She scoffed, "Will you only unleash your magical power when you see me dead?"

The little fox stuck out its tongue. It then thought of its magical power.

It jumped onto Daji's shoulder and repressed its embarrassment. It looked at the Five-Color-Sacred Cow deeply, its nine tails gently swaying.

Instantly, the surroundings were filled with pink bubbles.

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow could not help jumping. It felt its heart-melting. "What a beautiful little fox, how cute!"

When it snapped out from its thoughts, the little fox was already waving at it from afar!

"Argh! What a bully!"

It chased after them wildly. Even the ground could feel its anger as it shook. "Stay there!"

Daji looked behind her and said abruptly, "This is for the Liuyun Palace, we'll wait for you at the Liuyun Palace!"

"Liuyun Palace, you better watch out!"

...

In the ordinary realm.

The sunlight filled up the darkness. Li Nianfan gradually walked out from the skyship. He stood on the deck and stretched under the morning sky.

How relaxing!

By the side, Yao Mengji smiled and greeted, "Good morning, Mr. Li."

"Mr. Yao, good morning," Li Nianfan greeted in return.

Gu Xirou and Qin Manyun happened to walk out, too. Li Nianfan greeted, "Immortal Gu, Miss Manyun, good morning."

Gu Xirou smiled, "Mr. Li, I've heard about your talent from Manyun. I really look up to you."

Li Nianfan smiled humbly, "You're so polite. I'm just filling up my time out of boredom. It's nothing."

"Your song, 'Ambush', is so unique. Giving us the music sheet has helped us a lot." Gu Xirou paused. Then, she flipped her wrist and a vintage red box appeared on her palm. "It's our first meeting. Here's a little something, hope you don't mind it."

Yao Mengji's pupils dilated. He almost fainted.

Although he knew his Sect Mistress was about to give him this box, he did not expect her to do it so abruptly without any preparation. Did she not need more time to think it through?

Li Nianfan halted, but he did not reject it. "Thank you."

No wonder she was an Immortal, so polite!

She even brought a first-meeting gift!

Seeing that Li Nianfan had accepted the box, the three of them looked at the box intensely.

Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji even held their breaths. Their hearts were thumping quickly as if their hearts were up to their throats.

If the expert was not able to open it, or if there was rubbish inside, it would be so bad!

This was like playing with fire!

Li Nianfan sized up the box casually. He smiled and said, "The making of this box is quite unique."

With that, he gently twisted it.

Click!

The box was opened into two parts.

Luckily!

As expected, it was not a big deal to the expert.

The three of them let out a long sigh of relief. They then looked at the box uneasily.

They saw that there was a seed quietly sitting inside the box.

There was no glow and no fragrance. It looked ordinary.

The seed was not round. Instead, it was long and pointed on the top, almost like a triangle.

"Huh?" Li Nianfan picked up the seed. He looked at it under the sunlight and said, "This seems to be...a gourd seed?"

Chapter 264

Li Nianfan felt strange looking at this seed.

Yao Mengji and the other two widened their eyes. There was sweat all over them and their hair stood on ends. Their limbs had stiffened and they had lost their ability to think.

Why was there only one seed?

This was...too much!

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun looked at Gu Xirou at the same time with anger. They almost cried!

'How dare you frame your disciples! Where's your treasure? Why's there only one ordinary seed?'

Furthermore, this seed seemed as if it had no life left in it. It was very likely to be dead.

How could such a thing be gifted to the expert? It was over!

Yao Mengji worked so hard to build the connection with the expert. Was it about to be destroyed?

Gu Xirou looked at the seed with the same dumbfounded look. Did she risk her life for this seed? It would only be worth it if it was a treasure. This was nothing!

Unless...this seed was extraordinary?

They stood by the side anxiously as they held their breaths. Since they had come to this stage, they could only wait for the expert to make a reply, for him to determine whether they could live on!

The next few seconds felt as long as a century. Under the intense atmosphere, everyone had sweat on their foreheads.

Li Nianfan looked at it for a moment. Then, he smiled, "It's definitely a gourd seed. Nice, the look of this seed is quite unique. It happens to be useful to me, thanks!"

He had come to the Immortal Realm for so long and yet, he had not seen a gourd. He had brewed some wine and used a flagon to store it. Once the gourd formed, he could try to use the gourd to store the wine.

Since he was influenced by his previous realm, using a gourd to keep wine was fancier than using a flagon. The thought of it was already nice!

Phew...

Yao Mengji let out a sigh of relief. He felt extremely lucky to be alive. His face had stiffened from being too nervous. He smiled and said, "Ha-ha, as long as Mr. Li likes it."

As long as it was useful. As long as it was useful.

They did not care whether it was a gourd or no gourd. As long as the expert looked at it and did not dislike it, it was a great thing!

"Speaking of gourds, I just remembered that I brought a jar of nice wine with me." He looked at the sky and then frowned. "One should return one's gesture. I don't have anything with me, so I should invite you for a meal. Drinking at this hour doesn't seem right either."

All their hearts were thumping so quickly. They were extremely excited. Actually, they were excited and uneasy.

After all, this was a nice wine brewed by the expert. They did not have to think to know that it would not be ordinary. If they did not ask for a sip, all their cultivation over the years might as well go to the dogs!

The opportunity was right in front of their eyes, they must work for it!

This could very well be a test set up by the expert.

With that in mind, Yao Mengji bit his tongue and forced a smile. He said, "Mr. Li, I do quite like drinking in the morning, especially at this hour, it's just right!"

Qin Manyun's reaction was fast. She smiled embarrassingly and said, "To be honest with you, Mr. Li, I normally drink in the morning as well."

Gu Xirou nodded hastily. "It seems that we can't hide this from you. Day-drinking has always been a tradition at our Linxian Palace."

"There's such a tradition? How rare!" Li Nianfan looked at the three of them suspiciously. Suddenly, he smiled. "Wonderful, let's all have a drink!"

The three of them looked delighted. As expected, it was a test by the expert. If they did not take up this opportunity, they would have missed out!

Luckily! Luckily!

"Brother, I want to drink!" Dragin said coquettishly as she rushed out from the skyship like a small elf.

Behind her, the Holy Emperor and Blackie also walked out.

"Kids don't drink! You'll be drunk and noisy!" Li Nianfan pressed on Dragin's head. He wanted to drag her away. He then looked at the Holy Emperor, "Luo Emperor, do you drink this early in the morning?"

"Of course!" The Holy Emperor was too delighted. He quickly said, "Mr. Li's so clever. You could tell that I have the habit of drinking in the morning! Impressive! Impressive!"

"Ha-ha-ha..." Li Nianfan finally could not hold it in any longer. He laughed, "You bunch of people, just admit you want to taste the good wine. Why bother making up these excuses? There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Humorous! How humorous!

He did not expect even the Immortal could have humor! Instantly, his ego was boosted, very interesting.

"Come on, I'll satisfy your wishes!" Li Nianfan said with a proud look. "My wine's good. It's very strong, so do drink it slowly."

The crowd nodded. Their eyes sparkled as they tried their best not to drool. "Don't worry, Mr. Li, I'm good at wine tasting!"

Li Nianfan wasted no more time. He took out the wine jar.

Click!

He opened it. Instantly, the thick fragrance of wine filled the air, covering up the entire skyship.

Those affected most were Yao Mengji and the rest.

They did not even have to sniff it. The scent had already rushed into their noses. Instantly, they had forgotten about everything. This place seemed to have turned into an ocean of wine, its scent causing each of them to dwell in it deeply.

Furthermore, even the Spiritual Qi in their bodies had been awakened.

Without hesitation, they all praised genuinely, "Good wine!"

Li Nianfan smiled and poured everyone a cup. He gave Dragin a little and Blackie a cup. He warned uneasily, "Come, Blackie, I'm telling you, if you get drunk and mess around, you won't get any in the future!" 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝓂

This was someone else's skyship after all. It must be precious. If Blackie messed around, they might turn it into a dish!

Gu Xirou received the cup from Li Nianfan. She held it cautiously. She was more excited than everyone else.

After all, this was her first encounter with the expert, and also her first time tasting his food.

The fruits, honey, and eggs had already gone beyond her imagination. If the expert called this a good wine, how precious would it be!

She dared not imagine it because this was beyond her imagination!

Blessing! What a blessing!

She took a deep breath and raised the wine cup. She could not wait to gently take a sip.

Her lips were like a dragonfly pecking at the water, it was just a small movement.

Even so, she could feel a refreshing chill. The wine went into her mouth, gradually going into her throat, and slowly flowed down.

Upon entering the throat, the refreshing liquid changed by 180 degrees. It was like a volcano exploding, its burning flames spreading all over her.

Gu Xirou felt all of her pores opening up as her eyes widened.

Before she could react, the wine had gone into her stomach. The wine was like a dragon, washing over like a tsunami, drowning her entirely.

Spiritual Qi, Immortal Qi, Law, Insights—this wine contained too much. They all exploded in the stomach, one wave after another.

Burp!

Gu Xirou could not help it and burped.

Her face flushed red. She wished she had a hole to bury herself. The goddess image she had maintained for 10,000 years had been ruined by a burp!

However, she felt better when the others burped swiftly after her.

"Ha-ha!" Li Nianfan could not help laughing. "As I said, morning drinking isn't good. Our stomachs haven't started running yet."

"Mr. Li's right. I'm so...embarrassed." Qin Manyun almost cried!

How embarrassing! She was too embarrassed to look at Li Nianfan. She felt so ashamed!

However, swiftly after, the burp had been forgotten. Everyone was immersed in the wine, they were unable to think of other things.

Li Nianfan did not speak. He held his wine and took two steps forward. He admired the view beneath his feet while sipping from time to time. A smile appeared on his lips, feeling relaxed.

The wine cup was not big, so it did not take long before the wine had reached the bottom.

When he was tasting the wine, he only felt that the wine was strong and delicious. It rushed to his head. Even if he used up his entire Spiritual Qi, it was still very hard to contain.

The crowd's faces looked rather red. Their heads were swaying, looking drunk.

Their Immortal Strength and sense of Law were opened up by the wine, messing and mixing up in their heads.

Gu Xirou never thought that she could get drunk. Her brain was buzzing as if a volcano was erupting in her. When she snapped out from her thoughts, her pupils dilated and she wore a look of disbelief.

Intermediate...Immortal Realm?

Since Immortalizing, she had remained at the Beginner Immortal Realm. It was extremely hard to break through and she faced a bottleneck for thousands of years. Yet, she had strangely broken through it like this?

She did not hit herself. She pinched her cheek. Instantly her eyes became watery.

This was not a dream, this was real!

She looked at the others. Without an accident, they each had a breakthrough, too!

The Holy Emperor went from the late-Distraction to the early-Combination. Qin Manyun went up to the early-Distraction, while Yao Mengji went to the late-Cross Tribulation.

This wine...had the power of helping one to break through their bottlenecks!

The wine went up to their heads. Who would have thought that even the bottlenecks would be gone, too!

Gu Xirou could not help gulping. She looked at Li Nianfan who was looking down, admiring the view on the deck. Her scalp was going numb.

This man was too terrifying!

He was too powerful! So powerful that he had lost the joy of life. No wonder he wanted to stay in the ordinary realm and give himself the persona of an ordinary man.

She quickly looked away, fearing to look at him.

The skyship continued to travel and the view below them changed accordingly.

On the way, Li Nianfan saw some broken villages, some emptied deserts, as well as devilish valleys. The changes of the ground were hard to anticipate. Meanwhile, there were some battles between the cultivators and the scary demons passing by.

The Immortal Realm was full of danger! Luckily he was good at boot-licking. If not, how would he be able to travel like a bigshot?

Meanwhile, he realized that as they traveled to the North, the conditions worsened. Even the forests grew sparse and the soil became yellow.

It was apparent that the sources for cultivation were not as well as the other areas.

Nanan was new to the cultivating world. He wondered how much pain she had endured.

Chapter 265

Time gradually passed.

It was now night time again.

Li Nianfan was resting in the room. He did not fall asleep. Instead, he was waiting because he knew they would arrive at the destination tonight.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

As expected, there was the sound of knocking. Swiftly after, Qin Manyun's gentle voice was heard, "Mr. Li, are you asleep?"

"Not yet."

Li Nianfan opened the door. "We've arrived?"

"Hmm, we have. Mr. Li, would you like to have a look at the deck?"

After spending time together for so long, Qin Manyun had slowly begun to understand the thinking of the expert. He was living in vacation mode. He liked to look at the view and to enjoy life.

Li Nianfan smiled. "Since we're here, of course."

With that, he walked out from the room toward the deck.

Yao Mengji and the rest were waiting for him there. They greeted politely, "Mr. Li."

They were extremely excited. The morning wine helped them to break through. The expert was being too kind to them. What had they done to deserve this!

Meanwhile, all they wanted to do was to worship the expert.

However, thinking of the expert's taboo, they repressed this desire. In the eyes of the expert, nothing in the world had any meaning. The best way to repay him was to please him, to make sure that he was enjoying himself.

"Mr. Li, that's the Chuchen Town." The Holy Emperor pointed in one direction.

It was named the Chuchen Town because it was located in the northeast direction. It lacked resources and had a small population. There were mostly small towns and villages, nothing close to the Fallen Town. The small towns and villages combined to make up the Chuchen Town.

Although it was nothing close to the bigger towns, its land was very spacious.

Especially tonight, the Chuchen Town was extremely lively. Compared to the Azure Demon Lockdown Ceremony, it was less oppressive. Also, it seemed more fun and casual.

Even during the nighttime, the heart of the Town was lightened up. Furthermore, there were all kinds of lights shining. Along with the noise, it felt like a market.

From time to time, cultivators flew by in the sky in orbs of lights. It was very festive and lively.

The appearance of skyship was shocking to many cultivators. Instead of finding out who was in there, they all chose to make way for it.

It did not take long before the skyship had steadily landed. It was steady, even though the movement was big. It was a majestic sight.

It was as if a luxurious car had pulled up at a poor village.

Although there were many bigshots from all over the places attending this convention, there were not many who came in a skyship.

Soon, someone recognized them. He called out with delight, "Brother Mengji!"

"Oh, it's the Sect Master of the Linxian Palace, Sect Master Mengji!"

"He actually came! Our Cultivator Convention's getting famous!"

"You're all strange. Are you all straight? Why're you only looking at that old man? Don't you see the beautiful lady by their side?"

"Gasp...that's the Saintess of the Linxian Palace, Qin Manyun! So beautiful! So Saint-like!"

"Who's that woman by the side? She's very beautiful, too. So mature and elegant!"

Many cultivators called out in awe. They were hesitant.

They wanted to go over and meet them, but they only dared to observe from afar.

"Brother Mengji, I didn't expect you to actually come! Your arrival is bringing the Convention up a notch!"

Following some laughter, countless figures approached them. The man leading them was an elderly man with white hair, looking like an Immortal. He had a friendly smile.

Yao Mengji's face straightened as he said politely, "Brother Qingfeng!"

"Thinking back, we haven't met for five hundred years or so!" Longevous Qingfeng said with a sigh. When he saw Yao Mengji, his eyes narrowed and his lips parted. He had a look of disbelief.

"You...you broke through to Cross Tribulation?"

He realized that he could not see through Yao Mengji at all. It was apparent that Yao Mengji had surpassed him greatly!

"I was lucky, I was lucky." Yao Mengji smiled humbly. If he were to find out that he had already reached the late-Cross Tribulation, his eyes might pop out.

Furthermore, this was achieved within a few months. There was no precedent, he could not even feel it. Thinking back, it felt like a dream!

Longevous Qingfeng opened his mouth and said with a bitter face, "Se—Senior..."

Yao Mengji corrected him, "Brother Qingfeng, you've helped me a lot. If you call me Senior, I'll be mad at you."

"Alright, alright, alright." Longevous Qingfeng nodded. Deep in his eyes was a hint of delight and loneliness.

Back then, this man was still a kid. Yet, he had somehow exceeded him. Was he so much worse? Was he still able to Immortalize?

His heart thumped violently. Would he still have the chance to meet her?

He did not want to think any further. He was already half-dead, why bother thinking!

He shook his head. He heard Yao Mengji say, "Sect Mistress, this is Brother Qingfeng. After you had Immortalized, the Master was under the attack of the Natural Tribulation. Our Master survived due to his help!"

Gu Xirou halted. She said, "Oh? Then, we owe it to him!"

This voice...

Sect—Sect Mistress?

Longevous Qingfeng jolted. He looked up abruptly and stared at Gu Xirou. In just a moment, hot tears overflowed from his watery eyes.

It was her! It was really her!

His lips trembled as he said, "Senior...Gu..."

Gu Xirou halted. "Hm? Do you know me?"

Longevous Qingfeng said, trembling, "Senior Gu, do you remember the young boy who almost got eaten by a demon back at the Tianyun Mountain?"

"That was you?" Gu Xirou looked shocked.

"It's normal that you can't recognize me," Longevous Qingfeng said bitterly. "Senior Gu's still glowing like always while I've already aged."

He grimaced. He was extremely bitter.

Li Nianfan instantly had a strange look on his face. He could easily tell what this man was implying.

Was this a movie about the beautiful heroine saving the boy? However, this realm was indeed messed up. It was the real-life model of the saying of 'age is not a problem'.

When he was twenty, he fell for an Immortal. He cultivated bitterly for thousands of years to chase after her. In the end, he ended up with white hair all over while she was still an Immortal.

Was there a more cruel tragedy in the world?

Li Nianfan shook his head. He looked at this Longevous Qingfeng sympathetically.

As the saying went, 'a 3,000-year-old Immortal woman would still be stunning'. This was true.

"Longevous Qingfeng, you... You... You..." Yao Mengji's face changed as he pointed at Longevous Qingfeng, trembling. He was so angry that his beard stood up. "I can't believe you're like this! I treated you like a friend, and yet, you... you..."

'I treated you like a friend, and yet, you tried to get it on with my Sect Mistress? What if you actually got her? You'd end up being my Sect Master!'

"Heart of a wolf! Heart of a wolf!" Yao Mengji was very angry. He felt cheated.

He called out angrily, "So, you've always had this intention! You're like a toad trying to eat the meat of a swan! You're a bastard!"

"Mengji, be nice," Gu Xirou said elegantly. "People do fall in love at times. After all, your Sect Mistress is so attractive, it's hard not to fall for me. Qingfeng, get rid of this unrealistic fantasy. You're not good enough for me. You're so old now. Find a partner, if you're still capable. Who knows, you could still make some babies."

Longevous Qingfeng blushed, not out of anger but shame. He was embarrassed.

Why did he not conceal his emotions when he saw her alluring figure? His lack of control made him want to drill a hole and hide in it right away.

"Senior Gu, Brother Mengji, I'm sorry. I was poisoned with a drug not long ago, causing me to speak gibberish from time to time. Please, don't take it seriously," Longevous Qingfeng quickly covered up. He said, "Since you just came, you probably don't have a place to live. Let me arrange one for you."

He was in his late-Combination realm. His reputation was positive and he had quite an authority in this area. He was the one in charge of the Cultivators Convention.

Yao Mengji looked at Li Nianfan to seek advice. "Mr. Li, should we check in now?"

"Alright, it's getting late," Li Nianfan nodded. He added, "Mr. Yao, don't make it too troublesome. Don't waste too much money."

"I understand, don't worry, Mr. Li." Yao Mengji nodded. He then ordered, "Longevous Qingfeng, quickly arrange for us to check-in."

Longevous Qingfeng did not mind. However, he looked at Li Nianfan and opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"What're you standing there for? Hurry!" Yao Mengji pestered as he signaled to him with his eyes.

Longevous Qingfeng was left in the dark, but he was no fool. He repressed his suspicion and said, "Please, follow me."

Li Nianfan followed the group. It was not hard to tell that the cultivators attending this Convention were not too high ranking.

On the way, some cultivators would greet Yao Mengji from time to time. It was apparent that Yao Mengji was already a bigshot to them. He got lucky being able to follow him around.

Furthermore, there was an Immortal in the group! How amazing!

Longevous Qingfeng grew more and more suspicious. He could feel that Yao Mengji, and even Gu Xirou, respected Li Nianfan genuinely. They were observing Li Nianfan from time to time, and whenever he had any question or need, they would solve it for him right away.

However, he looked like an ordinary man from any angle!

"Stop looking, look at the road!" Yao Mengji scoffed in a low voice. He was very serious.

Longevous Qingfeng was curious. He said in a low voice, "Brother Mengji, this man..."

"This man's forever beyond your imagination!" Yao Mengji said with a serious look. "Stop asking and cast away your curiosity. Arrange for the best and most quiet room in here. Also...don't let anyone disturb this expert. From now onward, you'd better shut up!"

Longevous Qingfeng did not speak further but his heart was thumping heavily. Since he was no fool, he became more nervous.

Senior Gu was an Immortal. Even she did not make a fuss. This man... 𝘭𝑖𝑏𝘳ℯ𝑎𝑑.𝒸ℴ𝘮

He took in a deep breath to repress the shock in him. He grew uneasy as he anticipated the unknown.

They made a few turns to let Li Nianfan admire some sights. They saw two cultivators fighting, one striking the other here and there. They were not high-ranking cultivators and the fight was not grand. However, it was quite interesting.

It did not take long before they arrived at the hostel.

It was a big compound located in the Northwest of the Town. The compound was very big and it had a pavilion. It was quiet and indeed quite a nice location.

Longevous Qingfeng said, "Here it is. There are plenty of rooms."

Yao Mengji looked at Li Nianfan and asked, "Would you like to check in right away?"

Li Nianfan nodded. "I'm quite tired indeed. Where's the room?"

"Mr. Li, please, follow me," Longevous Qingfeng said with a serious look. He took the lead politely.

After showing Li Nianfan to his room, Longevous Qingfeng let out a long sigh of relief. He felt as if he had done something impressive.

He looked at Yao Mengji and said excitingly, "Brother Mengji, who is he actually?"

"This is a big deal. You, follow me!" Yao Mengji brought Longevous Qingfeng to a secluded corner. He asked, "Brother Qingfeng, how much longer can you live?"

Longevous Qingfeng first froze. He then lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly. "Probably less than three years. I won't be able to break through anymore. I'm ready to quit cultivation."

Yao Mengji said in a solemn tone, "Don't you say that I didn't help you. Since Mr. Li has come here, this will be the greatest opportunity in your life. Breaking through the bottleneck is part of the deal, but whether you can grasp it depends on you."

Longevous Qingfeng's heart thumped heavily. He looked at Yao Mengji suspiciously. "You're not lying to me?"

"You're really lucky. To make you believe me, I'll have to part with my love," Yao Mengji sighed. He then took out an orange that he had kept for himself.

After hesitating for half a moment, he cautiously peeled it and handed a small piece to Longevous Qingfeng. Painfully, he said, "Take this. You're welcome."

Longevous Qingfeng's excited face instantly froze. He looked at the piece of orange and then at the stingy look on Yao Mengji's face. He felt dumbfounded.

His mouth twitched and he could not help saying, "Brother Mengji, you're insulting me!"

Chapter 266

"Insult you?" Yao Mengji said. "What? You want the entire thing? I'm afraid it might be too much, you might end up dying!"

"This orange is poisoned?" Longevous Qingfeng was shocked. He looked at Yao Mengji bitterly and said, "Brother Mengji, I admit it was my fault, but we've known each other for a thousand years. You don't have to do this to me!"

Yao Mengji was furious. "Are you done? Would I need to poison you with an orange just to kill you? Shut up and eat it!"

Longevous Qingfeng accepted the orange and sniffed it. Instantly, he had a strange look. What fragrance!

Swiftly after, he put it into his mouth.

He gently chewed on it. The juice of the orange burst in his mouth, turning his lips orange. The sweet and sour taste interlinked, attacking his taste buds. He could not help taking in a deep breath. He felt as if he was about to fly!

"Yummy!"

Longevous Qingfeng licked his mouth. He felt as if the world was filled with Spiritual Qi. A wave of electricity rushed all over him as he tasted the most delicious food in the world.

"This orange..." he stopped speaking abruptly. His pupils dilated because he was too shocked. He let out a moan.

Vroom!

A wash of Law rushed up to his heart, attacking his brain. He blanked out. Other than the Law, there was also a hint of Immortal Qi.

Longevous Qingfeng snapped out from his thoughts. His hair stood up all over his skin. It was as if he had just witnessed the most terrifying and shocking thing in the world. He was mumbling gibberish. He could not speak. "This... This... This... This..."

Although a piece of orange contained only a hint of Law and Immortal Qi, to Longevous Qingfeng, it was a priceless treasure. It was so rare that a single piece would take a very long time to digest.

"How could it be? What is this about?" In his eyes was a look of disbelief. He had almost gone crazy. He stared at the rest of the orange in Yao Mengji's hand. He reached over, wanting to grab it.

However, Yao Mengji slapped him away.

Yao Mengji had seen through him. He smiled coldly and said, "Don't you pretend to be foolish. My heart's already bleeding. If it wasn't for the expert, I wouldn't even give you a single drop, let alone a whole piece!"

"Brother Mengji, it's my fault. Please, give me another piece, even half a piece would do! This would mean a lot. I'd be willing to do anything for you to make up for it," Longevous Qingfeng begged sincerely.

His eyes were burning as if he was looking at the last straw, the only straw. How could he not be excited?

He knew that if he ate a few more pieces, within three hundred years, he would stand a chance to Cross Tribulate and increase his lifespan!

Yao Mengji mocked and said, "Ha-ha, you don't feel that I'm insulting you anymore?"

"Brother Mengji, please, insult me again!" Longevous QIngfeng had already leaned over. He grabbed Yao Mengji's hand and said, "Come, insult me! Don't mind me, please, insult me! Do you want me to take off my clothes? Come on!"

"Go away!" Yao Mengji kept the orange. He said with a serious tone, "Alright, don't you try to eat my orange. This is the greatest treasure that I possess."

He halted for a moment before he continued, "If you follow the expert around, this orange would merely be an appetizer. Do you know what realm I'm at?"

"Early-Cross Tribulation? It can't be mid-Cross Tribulation, can it?"

Yao Mengji smiled. "I'm not trying to show off or anything. On the way here, I was lucky to have a breakthrough to late-Cross Tribulation. It's all due to the one cup of wine given by the expert!"

Gasp...

One cup of wine?

Late-Cross Tribulation? 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

Longevous Qingfeng almost fainted from gasping. His blank eyes widened and his brains were unable to think this shocking problem through. His brain had crashed!

Yao Mengji was just like himself. They were both in the late-Combination realm. It did not take long for him, and now he was in late-Cross Tribulation?

This expert... What kind of existence was he?!

He trembled all over, his face flushing red. How lucky was he to be able to lead the expert to the hotel? This was definitely the most glorious moment in his life.

Longevous Qingfeng said with a severely trembling voice, "Please...please, introduce me to him."

"I'm telling you this to make sure you're prepared," Yao Mengji nodded as he said in a serious tone. "There're a few important things you need to be aware of, but first and foremost, don't let anyone get close to the expert!"

"I understand, I understand!" Longevous Qingfeng nodded constantly. He was both excited and nervous. After all, if he served him well, he would get lots of advantages. If he offended him, it would be the greatest crime!

"Brother Mengji, please, tell me. I'm listening!"

...

As the first ray of sunlight landed from above, soon, the sky had brightened.

Li Nianfan was holding a cup. He brushed his teeth, rinsed his mouth, and spat the water out on a patch of grass

At the touch of the water, the initially dried-yellow grass moved slightly. Greenish color started to fill it up from the root, waking up its liveliness.

Swiftly after, Li Nianfan washed his face and walked to the yard.

Click.

Upon walking out, Li Nianfan saw that everyone was already waiting in the yard.

He smiled and said, "Everyone's so early. Good morning."

Everyone replied, "Good morning, Mr. Li."

Longevous Qingfeng had been waiting in the yard since early in the morning. He jumped and said, "Mr. Li, the Cultivators Convention has started. Many things are going on outside now. The watchtower is ready. Would you like to have a look?"

Li Nianfan nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Longevous Qingfeng."

Instantly, they simply packed some things and walked out from the yard.

The town was livelier during the day than the night. Apart from the cultivators, the ordinary men from the surroundings had rushed over for the convention, too. They all looked in admiration as the cultivators cast their spells. There were even some cultivators putting up stalls to recruit disciples.

By the sides of the road, there were also some cultivators putting up stalls to exchange treasures or spells.

People were calling and greeting. It was a very lively scene.

Li Nianfan instantly concluded, "The so-called convention is actually a market, except it's a market for cultivators."

Among so many activities, the one that caught Li Nianfan's eyes the most was the fighting ring placed all over the town. Cultivators were entering the ring to fight, very interesting.

Outside the ring, many cultivators would cry out in awe from time to time, watching with excitement.

Longevous Qingfeng remained serious throughout the journey. He wanted to make a good impression in front of Li Nianfan.

The path that he was leading them on had been rehearsed countless times last night. To avoid the others from affecting the expert, they had it cleaned out. They even arranged for a lot of actors to be here. They evacuated the crowds to avoid congestion, too.

Therefore, although it was exciting, the roads were still very clean. Furthermore, they would not feel crowded. Furthermore, the performers on this road were carefully chosen as well. Those that were too violent or too boring would not have appeared.

"We're here." Longevous Qingfeng stood before a tavern. The tavern was big and five stories tall. A board was hanging on the building, stating, 'Ru Immortal Pavilion'.

It was as impressive as the Immortal Pavilion in the Azure Ville!

Li Nianfan looked up to see that above the fifth story, there was even a tower.

This tower was big and squarely shaped as if it was the sixth floor of the pavilion. However, there were only railings on it without a wall. It was evident that if one stood at the top, one could see everything below.

Upon entering the Ru Immortal Pavilion, he followed behind Longevous Qingfeng. They did not go up. Instead, they arrived at an empty space in the center of the pavilion.

"Mr. Li, please!" Longevous Qingfeng stood in front of a gigantic disc and made a gesture at Li Nianfan.

They stood on the disc and Longevous Qingfeng cast a spell. Instantly, this disc started glowing, and steadily, it started to rise. It did not take long before they had arrived on the sixth floor.

Li Nianfan was surprised. "So, there's a lift!"

There were some cultivators inside the pavilion. However, they were all actors hired by Longevous Qingfeng. Their goal was to make sure the expert was not disturbed.

Someone had already prepared the best dishes at the best location of the pavilion.

Longevous Qingfeng said politely, "Everyone, please, have a seat."

Li Nianfan sat at the table. He looked ahead to see the spacious view with nothing blocking his sight. What pleased him the most was that he could see all the fighting rings from here. He could watch the fighting anytime!

There were eight fighting rings in total. They were round-shaped and were placed all over the town.

Li Nianfan could feel that he was treated differently this time around, but he did not say anything about it.

It was apparent that Longevous Qingfeng was being so enthusiastic because of Gu Xirou. She was the woman of his dreams and also an Immortal. Anyone would try his best to impress her. He got lucky just because he came with her.

"Longevous Qingfeng, this isn't too bad. How rare," Yao Mengji said sincerely.

This was a wasted land that lacked resources. Furthermore, there were demons all over, too. It was not easy to have made it into what it was today.

"I was just bored and managed to persuade some surrounding Sects to get together. I didn't expect it to work out!" Longevous Qingfeng said humbly. He had a sense of pride in his tone. However, he sighed. "Unfortunately, most of the cultivations of the disciples here aren't too good."

Gu Xirou praised with sincere admiration, "If this goes on, changes will be made eventually."

There were eight fighting rings and many Sect Masters arriving in person. Their eyes would look at the tower from time to time.

When they saw that the guests were seated, their faces straightened. Someone pestered, "Quick, everyone! The guests have taken their seats!"

"I repeat, the guests have taken their seats!"

"Only arrange for the best disciples to perform on stage!"

"Remember, the fighting must be exciting. A good performance will be heavily rewarded!"

"The Sect Master of the Linxian Palace has come. I heard that even an Immortal is observing! This is an opportunity! You all have to do well!"

"Disciple, this is my greatest treasure. Please, use it wisely. Remember, you're not meant to win the fight, you're meant to make it exciting!"

Chapter 267

It did not take long before another batch of casts went into the fighting rings.

They all had a solemn look on, their hearts pounding heavily.

An Immortal was watching them fight. What kind of privilege was that? If they were chosen, would they be able to Immortalize right away?

Since the Immortal was now observing them, they had to give 120 percent worth of effort to present themselves!

Instantly, the fighting level in the rings had gone up! One strike from here, another from there, very exciting!

Many disciples gave their best. They kept casting different spells, making sparkles all over with all kinds of effects.

Furthermore, other than the special effects, 80 percent of the fighters in the rings were handsome and beautiful people. The men were all handsome while the women were very beautiful and cold. They had elegant movements and postures. It was a lovely sight to watch.

Even the movies in his previous realm were not as good. There were too many good-looking actors involved, the costs would have gone too high!

This really satisfied Li Nianfan. He also sighed in awe. Cultivating would indeed make one seem more attractive. Beautiful women were everywhere.

However, Li Nianfan knew nothing about cultivating. By observation, the level of these disciples was not too high. They were way too far off from the disciples of the Azure Ville in comparison.

In one of the rings, there were two cultivators—one throwing a fireball, the other throwing a water ball. They were fighting as if they were playing, it was quite funny.

The crowd naturally looked over at what Li Nianfan was watching. They saw this weird duo. Longevous Qingfeng's face darkened. Instantly, he asked his staff to come over and scoffed in a low voice, "What're you doing? How did you arrange such a show? Throwing balls? Get them out!"

By the side, Dragin took a bit of the food and decided to put down her chopsticks. She looked at Li Nianfan with a pitiable look and said, "Brother, may I please eat a fruit?"

She was already picky. Now that she followed Li Nianfan around and had grown used to eating good food, naturally, she had become even pickier.

"No problem. However, you still have to eat the rice!" Li Nianfan smiled and handed an orange to Dragin.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Below him, Blackie pulled on his pants.

Li Nianfan helplessly took out an apple and put it in Blackie's mouth. "I've spoiled you all! Alright, you get one!"

Bite!

Blackie easily bit on the apple. It was chewing, making a munching and crispy sound. Meanwhile, the thick apple juice flowed down its throat.

Yao Mengji and the rest were in some mental endurance practice. However, Longevous Qingfeng was completely dumbfounded. He looked at the orange in Dragin's hand and the apple that was being eaten by Blackie. He could not help gulping.

This Spiritual Fruit was...was...was given out so easily? Also, he fed it to a dog?

'What a waste! What right does a poor man like me have to live on!'

His brains were buzzing, his heart shaking. He wanted to grab the apple from Blackie's mouth.

He looked at the apple juice dripping onto the ground. If it was not for the last trace of rationality in him, he would have bent down and licked it clean.

Swiftly after, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the orange skin that was being peeled off by Dragin. His eyes sparkled.

He hesitated for a moment and finally took a deep breath. With a very nervous, calm, and friendly tone, he said, "Miss, you don't have a place to throw away the peel, right? Why don't I help you to toss them away."

Dragin simply handed the peel over. "Here, thanks!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Longevous Qingfeng's voice was trembling. He carefully received the peel and left his seat. He found a corner and carefully kept the skin close to him. He was going to bring it home to taste it carefully.

What a gain! What a handsome gain!

He went back to his seat. The crowd had already started to discuss the fighting happening in the ring.

To them, there was nothing interesting to watch. They were merely a bunch of ants messing around. However, seeing that Li Nianfan was so excited, they had to play along.

Not only did they have to play along, but they also had to impress him as well. Instantly, they took on the role of explaining the moves to him.

The Holy Emperor saw that Li Nianfan was looking at one of the rings. He said instantly, "Mr. Li, the sword in the hand of that man is a middle-ranged treasure. It can cut through metal as if it were soil. It can also absorb spells, increasing its sharpness. His opponent also has a middle-ranged treasure. The sound of his bell messes up one's Spiritual Qi."

Li Nianfan could not help asking curiously, "How do you make a treasure?"

That was more powerful than his knife. If only he could have one in his hand, how cool would it be!

The Holy Emperor answered, "They're made using special body parts or with the core of dead demons, in addition to top-graded natural treasures."

Li Nianfan nodded. As expected, it was not easy to make!

He looked away and his eyes landed on another fighting ring.

The surrounding crowd of this fighting ring was bigger. It was not due to the interesting fighting. In fact, the two cultivators fighting were of lower rankings. However, they were beautiful.

The two fighting cultivators were beautiful women. One was using water while the other was using fire. Although they were not too high ranking, at least they did not toss water and fireballs around. They were striking back and forth, their dress flowing with the wind.

Their costumes matched well with their powers. One was wearing a red dress while the other was wearing a blue dress.

The woman using fire held a red pearl in her hand. Every time she casted a spell, she would use the red pearl to make the fire even greater, forming a long snake.

Watching that, Li Nianfan could not help smiling.

The crowd was shocked. Longevous Qingfeng did not understand. He asked, "May I know why Mr. Li's laughing?"

"I thought of something interesting. These two women are quite interesting," Li Nianfan waved it off. However, seeing that everyone was still looking at him, he had to continue, "I wonder if you all have seen some fire tricks? I suddenly realized that the woman doesn't even need the pearl. If she had kerosene, she would've had a similar effect."

"Huh?"

Everyone halted. They looked at the ring and were shocked.

It seemed...to be true!

The red pearl was a middle-ranged treasure, and yet, its effect was merely like kerosene?

Li Nianfan continued, "Furthermore, kerosene can control the opponent's water since fire can burn on water. If she uses kerosene, perhaps the result of the match would be more apparent."

This... This...

Everyone was shocked.

They were cultivators. They usually used their treasures and spells to fight. Who would have thought that the ordinary men had such tricks as well?

This...the ordinary item could have such a huge effect as well?

The ordinary men knew about this, but they had never thought about using it this way.

The Holy Emperor could not help saying, "Mr. Li's indeed a genius. One word from you is already so thought-provoking!"

However, even though they were all in awe, they did not take it to heart. This concept would be helpful to the cultivators of lower rankings, but to those around the table, it was useless.

"Actually, it's a very simple concept. It's normal not to realize it when you're used to it." Li Nianfan smiled and simply made an example, "For example, Mr. Yao likes to play the instrument. If you want the sound to travel further, you could place a speaker by the side."

Vroom!

Yao Mengji, Qin Manyun, and Gu Xirou instantly felt their heads exploding.

The Linxian Palace cultivated music. They passed on music sheets and usually controlled their volume through their techniques, music sheets, and instruments. They could actually place a speaker by the side?

Yeah, why not?

If this speaker was also a treasure, how powerful would they become?

Gasp...

Their scalps were instantly numbed. They looked at Li Nianfan and tried their best not to start worshipping him.

The expert was obviously making a point!

The others were equally shocked.

They pursed their lips. Suddenly, they all felt embarrassed.

How could they look down on this low-level fight? Look at the expert. Even though he was so powerful, he still watched them happily and thought of so many ideas from watching them.

What was their difference? This was their difference!

This showed their differences right away.

To be compared with the expert...wait, they had no right to be put in comparison with the expert! They were nothing beside him!

Where were their brains?

What was the use of even growing one?

Why were they so stupid?

Yao Mengji said sincerely, "Mr. Li, what you said was very useful. I'm enlightened. Thank you."

Li Nianfan could not help smiling as he mocked playfully, "Ha-ha, Mr. Yao, you're amusing. Unless you're really serious about using a speaker to increase the volume? Why don't you try it now and see how far the sound can travel?"

By the side, Gu Xirou flipped her wrist and two items appeared.

One was a blue hat and the other was a red fan.

She said, "By fate, Qingfeng, here're two things. One's a fire element attack and one's a water element defense. Help me give these to the two ladies."

These two middle-ranged items were useless to her. They could not even be considered toys.

These two young ladies were the reason the expert said such a thing. This was a great opportunity for her. It was a must to reward the ladies.

Li Nianfan looked at her in awe. His jaw almost dropped.

How cool was it to be an Immortal? How rich and healthy. When they were pleased, they could simply give away treasures. How cool was that! He could only shout out 'Smooth and Slick!' from afar.

Was this the world of a bigshot?

Longevous did not waste any time. He personally flew off the tower and handed the two treasures to the ladies.

The two young ladies were very delighted. They instantly stopped the fighting and bowed at the tower sincerely.

Treasures and Weapons were two different things. Furthermore, these were middle-ranged Treasures. Even the Yuan Ying cultivators would treat these as the greatest treasures!

Who would have thought that they would be rewarded by the Immortal? This was like a free cookie dropping from the sky!

Apart from the two ladies, their Sects were very grateful as well. Their Sect Masters stood up and bowed at the tower.

Li Nianfan saw it all. He somehow wanted to laugh. 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He felt as if he was watching a live stream of a bigshot rewarding disciples handsomely. If the two ladies shouted 'Smooth and Slick!' it would be perfect!

The others did not expect that the Immortal would reward them. Their eyes reddened. They powered up and used up all of their energy to perform. They almost hung a 'Reward me, please!' sign on their heads!

The scene became even more exciting. They were fighting with all kinds of effects. Li Nianfan was very satisfied. This was more exciting than watching his imaginary television in his four-part architecture.

The crowd ate and drank. They talked and laughed while watching the show. Time had passed unknowingly.

It was already in the afternoon.

Without warning, countless lights shot in from outside. Along with that, a striking chill arrived, disrupting the lively and peaceful atmosphere. Following that, an oppressive temperament engulfed the entire space.

An elderly dressed in grey was floating mid-air. His eyes were sharp like an eagle's as he glared down from above.

Behind him were six cultivators. They were high ranking and seemed as if they were searching for something.

The elder in grey clothes scoffed coldly in a low voice, "She definitely came in this direction. Search everywhere!"

"Search!"

The six cultivators behind him instantly searched around in orbs of light. They flew around, searching every corner.

Longevous Qingfeng's face instantly sank. He was so angry that he trembled all over.

He worked so hard to please the expert!

Just as the expert seemed pleased and the show was about to be over, this thing happened?

What had he done to this elder!

More importantly, one of the lights was shooting directly toward this tower!

Longevous Qingfeng could not hold it anymore. He exploded. "Damn it! Get out of here!"

His eyes were sparkling with a chill. He made a gesture. Instantly, the sound of a tsunami was heard followed by a tornado forming in the shape of a palm. As if swatting a fly, the palm swatted in the direction of the light.

Just as the light was traveling, it was quickly swatted away before it could even react. In the blink of an eye, it had vanished.

The elder's face darkened, his eyes piercing like electricity. He looked at the tower and scoffed, "Who was it?!"

"It was me!" Longevous Qingfeng said with a solemn look. He first bowed at Li Nianfan and the crowd before flying off. Then, he scoffed in a low voice, "Hou Xinghai, this is the Cultivators Convention. Do you know what you've done by showing up unannounced?"

"Ha-ha, Longevous Qingfeng, pardon me." Hou Xinghai smiled. He retained a stiff attitude and said, "I came here to look for a young girl. I don't have any ill intentions. Please, allow me to proceed."

Chapter 268

Longevous Qingfeng said with a displeased expression, "Just because you're looking for someone, it doesn't mean you can come here unannounced! Get out!"

"Brother Qingfeng seems agitated!" Hou Xinghai frowned. He scoffed coldly, "Although you're reputable, you're just a solo cultivator while I have a Heavenly Sun Sect supporting me! This is a big deal. Even my Sect Master got involved. Are you sure you want to stop me?"

"Hou Xinghai!" Longevous Qingfeng's face blushed red. If this was in the past, he would not have gotten involved. After all, there was a Mahayala cultivator from the Heavenly Sun Sect. It was a top Sect, so he had to make way for them.

However, his guest was enjoying the show and this man came to ruin things. Did he even want to live on?

Longevous Qingfeng said with a low voice, "Today's different, you can't look for anyone today. Hurry up and leave with your disciples. It'd be the best thing for you!"

"You're threatening me?" Hou Xinghai smiled arrogantly. He scoffed, "The best thing for me? I'm the Big Elder of the Heavenly Sun Sect, a Combination cultivator. It's always me being nice to the others. Why would I need you to be nice to me?"

However, as he spoke, he felt a threatening Qi landing on his shoulder. This Qi was skyrocketing and it was heavy like a mountain. It instantly caused him to crash, falling from mid-air.

Swiftly after, Yao Mengji's voice suddenly rang in the air. "What is it? Tell me!"

Hou Xinhai's heart sank. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He could feel a wave of deadly anger coming from this Qi.

He shivered and his arrogant temperament vanished. Even his back was bent and he was unable to straighten it. He looked up at the flying figure in fear and made a gesture. "May I ask..."

Yao Mengji remained calm. His eyes sparkled as he said coldly, "I'm Yao Mengji from the Linxian Palace!"

Hou Xinghai's pressure intensified. He smiled apologetically and said, "Oh, it's Senior Yao, I didn't know you were here. Sorry to have disturbed you. Please, don't be offended."

'Ha-ha, I don't mind you disturbing me, but the expert's here. How daring of you!

'If you disturbed the expert, you're disturbing me!' Yao Mengji thought in his mind, his eyes sparkling like they were filled with electric current. He said coldly, "You better give me a reasonable explanation!"

Yao Mengji only asked after seeing the curious look on Li Nianfan's face.

Hou Xinghai knew he was in trouble. He no longer spoke arrogantly, "Senior Yao, to be honest with you, I came here looking for a little girl to seek revenge for my Quan Zi!"

Yao Mengji squinted his eyes. "Tell me more!"

Hou Xinghai had a flash of hatred in his eyes. He said with sadness, "There's a young demon woman. She has cultivated a type of demon-like ability to devour someone else's cultivation. Quan Zi was a good man, he liked helping the poor and weak. He was going to help someone. Little did he know he'd be attacked by this demon, resulting in his Golden Core cultivation being destroyed!"

Everyone naturally neglected what he said. They all frowned. "Being able to devour someone else's cultivation? How arrogant! This power's almost impossible!"

Hou Xinghai nodded in agreement. "Exactly, this kind of demon-like capability is against the Law! That's why I came here to capture her!"

Yao Mengji saw that Li Nianfan's face remained calm. He made a gesture and warned, "Go on, go on. Go and look for the person, but be careful not to ruin the convention."

"Okay, I'll go right away," Hou Xinghai said hastily. He then went away in light.

The crowd looked at his figure running away and they could not help smiling with amusement.

There was an Immortal up there. This man went over with such arrogance? He got into trouble for sure!

Hou Xinghai had quickly vanished. His bent back instantly straightened up. He looked arrogant once again.

He glanced at the remaining five people and said, "Who would've thought that a Cross Tribulation cultivator would be present at this small Convention. We're unlucky! However, if we don't make a big fuss, we can still find this young demon lady!"

This was a small matter. Li Nianfan did not seem to mind it. However, there were too many unexpected things happening in this Immortal Realm. It was not very safe after all. The best way to deal with things would be to speak with one's power and capability.

"She can devour someone else's cultivation!" Li Nianfan could not help smiling. This reminded him of the absorbing power in his previous realm. As expected, this kind of power was regarded as demonic power in any realm. 𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Yao Mengji asked, "Mr. Li, would you like to continue watching?"

Li Nianfan looked at the sky and shook his head. "It's getting late, let's call it a day."

He had been watching the fight for quite a while. Even though they were fascinating, watching too much of it made it less impressive.

Longevous Qingfeng said apologetically, "I'm so sorry to have let everyone down."

The group descended from the tower. Longevous Qingfeng followed them and walked them to the hotel.

He politely sent Li Nianfan and Blackie back to their yard.

Yao Mengji then frowned. He looked at Longevous Qingfeng and asked, "Brother Qingfeng, what kind of man is Hou Xinghai?"

Longevous Qingfeng said, "He's the Big Elder of the Heavenly Sun Sect in his early-Combination realm. The Sect Master of the Heavenly Sun Sect is a late-Combination cultivator. It's considered as one of the top Sects in this area."

"How's his personality?"

"Very arrogant," Logevous Qingfeng said without hesitation. He was still upset about what happened today, so he did not cover it up. "Don't you listen to his one-sided words. His son isn't a good man. He was very arrogant and stole from the others. It's good news that his son is being destroyed."

The Holy Emperor could not help sighing in awe. "I didn't expect that anyone in the world could possess the Power of Devour. This is shocking!"

Even Gu Xirou nodded. "This is indeed strange. This power is extraordinary. If someone saw it, perhaps it would cause a big fuss."

Longevous Qingfeng saw through it. He smiled coldly and said, "I doubt the Heavenly Sun Sect's merely trying to get revenge."

After they bid their farewells, they all went away. Despite their curiosity, they were reputable people and could not simply go ahead with curiosity.

The sky was gradually darkening. Li Nianfan stood in the middle of the yard, his heart pounding. It was still early and he could not fall asleep. He was planning to go out for a walk.

Click!

He opened the door and walked out to the main yard.

He saw that the Holy Emperor and Dragin were in the middle of the main yard.

Dragin called out with delight, "Brother!"

"Mr. Li," The Holy Emperor greeted.

Li Nianfan smiled curiously. "You're all planning to go out?"

Dragin nodded her small head. "Hmm, I'd like Uncle Luo to accompany me to the night market. Brother do you want to come along?"

"I don't mind," Li Nianfan nodded. He added, "There are lots of people there. Don't run around. Also, don't show your demon features."

There were too many cultivators there. It was not the best place for demons to hang around.

The three of them left.

After the rehearsal in the morning, the night market was livelier. However, some lights were searching in the air, making the atmosphere of the lively market a little heavy.

Compared to the daytime, the number of people searching had significantly increased. Furthermore, other than the Heavenly Sun Sect, some smaller Sects had also gotten involved in the search.

They did not dare to make a big fuss, but their heavy temperaments and judgemental looks made it hard to relax.

They focused on the young girls passing by. Within ten minutes, there were already ten or so lights staring at Dragin. Three lights even landed directly beside Dragin.

How terrifying!

Dragin frowned. She pouted as if she was wronged. She really wanted to swallow all these people!

The Holy Emperor's face had also darkened. His anger was piling up like a volcano, ready to explode anytime.

However, he was very cautious. He was afraid that the expert would blame him.

How ignorant! How ignorant!

They were like a bunch of ants running around below the feet of an elephant. They were not afraid of being killed!

"Holy Emperor," Li Nianfan suddenly said.

The Holy Emperor jumped. He said instantly, "Yes, Mr. Li. I'm here!"

"I need a favor from you."

"Mr. Li, please, tell me. There's no need to be so polite with me," the Holy Emperor said nervously.

Li Nianfan said, "In the letter written to me by Nanan, she said she'll be attending this Cultivators Conventions, but I haven't seen her. You cultivators are better at searching. I'd like you to help me keep an eye on Nanan. I see that it's quite chaotic in here. I hope she isn't hurt."

He saw that everyone was looking at the young girls, interrogating them from time to time. He started to feel uneasy and worried about Nanan.

The Immortal Realm was too terrifying. She was just a young girl. Hopefully, she did not offend anyone.

"Don't worry, Mr. Li, I'll do my best."

"Thank you." The Holy Emperor followed Li Nianfan. His heart suddenly pounded heavily as Li Nianfan's words rang in his head.

Since he had been following the expert around for quite some time, he knew that the expert did not like to say things explicitly. Therefore, he already had the habit of overthinking.

A small girl, the Power of Devour. He hoped she was not hurt!

These messages messed with his head. Suddenly, the Holy Emperor jumped. He was covered in a cold sweat.

He could not help recalling that night when the demon stole Nanan away. In the end, the paper with Li Nianfan's writing instantly dried out the demon, sending its Yuan Ying cultivation into Nanan's body!

Was that not the Power of Devour?

Was Nanan the girl they were searching for?

The Holy Emperor's head almost exploded. He gulped with difficulty. He wanted to verify one last time. He asked anxiously, "Mr. Li, as for the Power of Devour, how do you feel about that?"

Li Nianfan answered without pressure, "Actually, I don't think there's good or bad power. It's just like a knife. Even though you can kill with it, the danger depends on the person wielding it."

It seems that the expert did not mind this power. This was an important message!

The hints combined were too apparent!

The Holy Emperor's heart pounded heavily. He could not wait to tell this shocking news to the rest!

Oh, no! This was a big deal!

Chapter 269

If anything happened to Nanan...

Then...

The Holy Emperor shivered all over. His body had stiffened up. He did not dare think further.

So terrifying!

He was unable to care about anything else. He accompanied Li Nianfan without being present. All he wanted to do was to get out of there.

Since his mood was affected by the others as well, Li Nianfan walked for another ten minutes before feeling rather mood-less. He decided to head back.

The Holy Emperor politely sent Li Nianfan back. He then jumped and instantly, he turned to leave.

Big deal! Very big deal!

"Brother Mengji! Brother Mengji!" he pestered as he went to Yao Mengji's door. He was drenched in a cold sweat.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Brother Mengji, open the door!"

"What? What is it?" Yao Mengji could feel that the Holy Emperor was anxious. He did not delay and instantly answered the door.

The Holy Emperor's face stiffened. He said with a heavy tone, "The young girl that the Heavenly Sun Sect is trying to capture is likely to be Nanan!"

"Nanan, which Nanan?" Yao Mengji first halted. Then, his pupils dilated. "It can't be the Nanan who listens to 'Journey to the West' in the Fallen Town?"

"Who else!?" The Holy Emperor was very anxious. "She's very close to the expert! When I went out for a stroll with the expert, the expert asked us to protect Nanan. We must go and save her!"

"Really!?" Yao Mengji instantly felt a sharp chill spreading all over him. He no longer felt sleepy. His mind was wide awake!

"I should've thought of that earlier. It's such a shocking power! Other than the expert, who else could create such a thing? What're we waiting for? Go and protect her!" Yao Mengji was still uneasy. He turned into an orb of light and went to Gu Xirou.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Sect Mistress, it's bad!"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Sect Mistress, come out!"

Ping!

Out of the blue, Yao Mengji and the Holy Emperor were pushed away by a strong force, sending them flying in the air.

Click!

Gu Xirou answered the door. Her face was dark as she said, "What're you two doing? How rude!"

"It's about the expert!" Yao Mengji brought up the big-name instantly.

Gu Xirou's face changed. She looked serious.

Swiftly after, he said, "I've no time to explain. Let's talk as we go!"

Gu Xirou realized the seriousness of the matter. She did not hesitate. "Alright!"

The three of them turned into orbs of light. First, they had to locate Longevous Qingfeng.

Meanwhile, Longevous Qingfeng was in his room. He was so excited that he could not sleep.

He still had the orange skin from earlier in his hand. He stared at it intently as if he was looking at the most precious treasure in the world. His eyes were filled with appreciation.

From time to time, he would cautiously put it into his mouth and gently take a bite. He was chewing delicately, enjoying this limited bliss.

Somehow, only half of the orange skin was left. Longevous Qingfeng felt unwilling to finish it.

"I'll use the remaining skin to brew some tea. Then, I can slowly enjoy the taste." He smiled gently, he was pleased by how clever he was.

Suddenly, there was an urgent-sounding voice coming from outside.

"Brother Qingfeng, it's bad! It's bad!"

Hastily, he kept the orange skin carefully before flying out from the room. He saw Yao Mengji and the other two flying to him rapidly.

He frowned and asked anxiously, "What is it?"

The Holy Emperor already prepared the sentence. He said, "The young girl that the Heavenly Sun Sect's trying to capture is a sister of the expert! Her power was given to her by the expert!"

"What!?"

It felt like a lightning bolt striking him out of the blue.

The Heavenly Sun Sect came to his territory to capture the sister of the expert?

If she was hurt in his territory, and the expert was angry, he would be over!

Longevous Qingfeng's eyes reddened.

'The Heavenly Sun Sect's trying to kill me!'

"This stupid Heavenly Sun Sect was raised by a dog. I'll kill them all!" Longevous Qingfeng mumbled and growled as he flew up in the air. "Let's go, let's go. We can't waste any more time. Hurry up and save her!"

At the outskirts of the town, inside a small village.

There was a row of houses made of soil. One of the doors slightly moved, followed by a 'click'.

The door swung open.

A young girl that was dressed humbly stuck her head out. She said, "Uncle Wang, Aunty Zhao, thank you. I'll leave now."

"Leave? Where to?"

A voice scoffed. Suddenly, eight cultivators appeared out of nowhere, surrounding Nanan. They looked at Nanan with evil smiles.

Nanan's face changed. She could not believe it. "Uncle Wang, Aunty Zhao, you all..."

"Little girl, please, don't blame us, we..."

"I don't blame you. Take care." Nanan gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. She turned into light and shot toward one direction.

She wanted to get to the heart of the Town to conceal herself among the others.

However, she did not fly for long before ten or so lights were shooting in her direction.

"Ha-ha, let's see where else you can go!"

Nanan instantly turned around. She was anxious. She wanted to turn in another direction.

"Ha-ha-ha! Little girl, you're surrounded!"

Someone let out a wild laugh and casted a spell. A gigantic flame gathered as if it was a flaming sun under the night sky. It flew in the air and fell, going for Nanan's head!

Nanan's eyes dropped. Her tiny face was full of determination. She did not slow down. Instead, she flew up and crashed into the flaming ball!

Sizz!

The flaming ball was cracked open. The flame had diminished into a candlelight flame. It was as if they were fireworks extinguishing in the air.

Nanan turned into light and raced away.

"What a power to devour! How mysterious!"

"She won't be able to get away! Chase after her!"

The group smiled. The prey had entered the trap. They merely had to capture her!

Nanan was quick. Soon, she left the village and entered an emptied mountain. She panicked as she did not know the way.

She bit her lip and her eyes reddened. She wanted to run away.

However, there was a bright light shining down from the sky.

Sizz!

Along with the loud sound, a sparkling thunderbolt fell from the sky, landing directly on Nanan's head.

Nanan's face darkened. She raised her hands with her palms facing outward. Instantly, a hole was formed just like a black hole.

Vroom!

The thunderbolt landed on Nanan's hands. Instantly, a loud crashing sound was heard. Nanan's body went numb and it stopped.

"Impressive! You can even absorb my Nine Heavens Thunder without getting hurt! This little girl's quite impressive!"

Along with gentle laughter, an elder in white robes gradually walked out. He had a compass in his hand with a purple current surrounding him. He was looking directly at Nanan.

Swiftly after, ten more lights race forward. They surrounded Nanan.

The elder in white robes smiled. "Demon girl, you can't get away. Just give in, it'll be less painful."

Nanan did not speak. She hid the panic on her face. She narrowed her eyes and attacked the elder in white.

"Ha-ha-ha, you have a big temper!" The elder in white smiled. He gently raised his hand and the compass started to glow. It floated above his head. With that, a loud clap was heard, followed by an electric current swirling around him, forming a current shield.

Not only that, the elder in white pointed a finger at Nanan.

The current was like a silver snake. It shot out instantly, ready to capture Nanan.

Nanan did not cast any spell. Instead, she raised her hands as if catching the snake. She caught the current and devoured it.

The elder in white saw it. The look of interest in his eyes deepened.

He did not panic. Nanan was merely a late-Golden Core while he was a late-Yuan Ying. They were one realm apart so it was like comparing a cat and a mouse.

Meanwhile, the other cultivators had rushed over. There were two sword cultivators. They had swords in their hands, ready to fight.

Nanan was alert. She did not care about the elder in white. She flipped her wrists and a silver ax appeared in her hands. It was not compatible with her tiny figure.

She did not back out. She raised her ax and swung it at a sword cultivator.

Smash!

The sword cultivator was attacked by a huge force, tipping him off balance. He shook vigorously in the air and fell toward the ground instantly.

"Sword Dragon!" Another sword cultivator went behind Nanan, lashing out with his long sword from below his feet. He spat out a sharp Qi as the sword was drawn out in the air, ready to stab Nanan.

Nanan held the big ax. Although it was too big for her, she moved with agility. She turned and the ax was in front of her, blocking the long sword.

However, another twenty or so cultivators had casted spells. All kinds of spells from different Sects were rushing toward Nanan.

Nanan was in the middle, waving around the ax in her hand. With each slash, a spell was extinguished.

However, she was fighting alone and did not specialize in casting spells. Soon, it went out of hand.

The elder in white scoffed coldly, "Demon girl, surrender now and I'll let you live."

Nanan gritted her teeth and her eyes became watery. She glared at the bunch of cultivators attacking her and did not speak a word.

"Not surrendering, eh!" The elder in white smiled coldly. The thunderbolt around the compass on top of him strengthened.

Instantly, six thunderbolts shot toward Nanan. They were entangled, forming a thunder shackle like a gigantic net, trapping Nanan.

The thunderbolts restricted Nanan's movement. Bolts were attacking Nanan from time to time.

Nanan's attack speed grew slower. She was unable to defend the attacks that were coming at her from all directions.

"Why did you kill my master? Why are you attacking me?"

At this moment, the emotions of betrayal, unwillingness, helplessness, anger, and hatred exploded out of the blue. It was as if they were about to engulf Nanan. Finally, they all turned into a boundless coldness.

Her eyes had reddened, her gums almost bleeding. Meanwhile, the memory of her master dying in front of her was replaying in her mind.

"As I said before, I won't let anyone bully me again! I'll keep my word! And...my master! I'll avenge you!"

Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Suddenly, a killing intent overwhelmed her completely.

She kept the ax. In exchange, a piece of paper with some written words appeared in her hands.

On the paper, there was a faint layer of white glow. Along with that, a vaguely authoritative Qi exuded from within.

Nanan tossed it in the air and the paper floated above her. There was a faint layer of white glow illuminating her.

"You should all die!" She marched toward them. The six thunder shackles were easily knocked aside. They were unable to restrict her anymore. Swiftly after, she turned into light and rushed toward the cultivators.

Around Nanan, there were layers of black ripples forming like a mini black hole.

Meanwhile, a flaming snake was attacking her. She merely had to raise a palm and with a single touch, the flaming snake instantly vanished.

Before the bunch of cultivators could react, she had already appeared in front of a cultivator. She raised her hand and slammed on the cultivator's stomach. With a slight pull, a golden core appeared in Nanan's hand.

She put the Golden Core into her mouth. Swiftly after, she flashed toward her next target.

As for that cultivator, his body softened and fell from the sky. He died instantly.

Meanwhile, Nanan was fierce and undefeatable. She no longer looked like she was panicking. Instead, she exuded a bone-wrecking chill.

One after another, the cultivators fell. They were all Golden Core cultivators. All of their Golden Cores were devoured by Nanan.

As a result, Nanan's Qi peaked. She was showing signs of a breakthrough.

She did not stop. Her reddened eyes stared at the elder in white. She raised her legs and her speed grew a few times quicker than before. As fast as light, an overwhelming killing intent latched onto the elder in white!

"Ha-ha, do you really think a Golden Core can kill a Yuan Ying?" The elder in white's face darkened. He put his entire Qi into the compass.

Instantly, an electric current was shooting out in all directions, forming a cloud of current that was swirling above his head. It looked as if he was showering under the thunderbolt.

Seeing that Nanan's killing intent was rushing over, the elder in white scoffed, "Moth to Fire!"

Nanan had already clenched her fists. She threw a punch at the thunderbolt!

"Why did you kill my master!?"

Ping!

With just a punch, the thick thunderbolt was cracked open. The compass jolted vigorously.

Nanan was ready for her second punch.

"Why did you kill my master!?"

Vroom! 𝓁𝑖𝑏𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝒸𝘰𝑚

With this punch, the thunderbolt collapsed. There was a big dent made.

"You! How's this possible!?" The elder's pupils dilated. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

Before he snapped out of shock, Nanan's third punch had already landed on his stomach. Her fist went right into him.

"Why did you kill my master!"

With that, the Yuan Ying Core of the elder was taken out.

The elder's face was still filled with disbelief and fear. He cried out in fear and panic, "My friend, my heroine, please, let me go! I've learned my mistake! I don't know why! I didn't kill your master!"

Nanan remained unperturbed. She showed no emotion on her face. A black hole appeared in her hands and with just a few breaths, the Yuan Ying Core was devoured by her.

With that, her realm vigorously peaked again. Along with a loud 'ping!' the Golden Core in her body exploded while a thumb-sized Yuan Ying looking exactly like Nanan was formed!

Nanan held onto the paper tightly in her hands. She rubbed the paper with a worn-out face and said in a hoarse voice, "Brother Nianfan, I really miss you."

"Impressive, a mere Golden Core cultivator can kill twenty-three Golden Cores and one Yuan Ying. And you even had a breakthrough to Yuan Ying yet. This is very impressive. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."

Along with a deep voice ringing in the air, five figures appeared in the air like phantoms. They glared down at Nanan from above.

They did not exude an air of authority but they had Spiritual Qi all over so they were unable to be seen.

Nanan slightly staggered a few steps backward.

The man leading was wearing a black robe. The edges of his robes were inlaid with a golden pattern, glowing with Insight Circulation. It looked like a treasure, very noble and expensive.

He stared at Nanan and said, "Little girl, I'm the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sun Sect, Yun Mo. Don't bother struggling. You know you won't be able to get away."

Nanan's eyes calmed down. She scoffed loudly, "Why did the Heavenly Sun Sect kill my master?"

"We don't even know who your master is." Yun Mo's face remained unperturbed and calm like usual. He continued, "There might have been a misunderstanding. However, you destroyed my Big Elder's son, Hou Qingwen, and that's the truth. I won't make it hard for you. Just hand me your Power and the paper in your hand and I'll let you go."

"Hou Qingwen isn't dead?" Nanan's eyes instantly widened. She was very agitated and she could not believe it. "Impossible! I killed him with my hands! His heart was broken by me! Why isn't he dead?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but he's indeed not dead." Yun Mo's tone remained calm. However, this sense of calmness made him seem even more arrogant as if he had no patience to fight with Nanan.

"Impossible. His heart was broken. How did he live?" Nanan mumbled blankly as if she was attacked by a force. A killing intent appeared in her eyes. "It was him who killed my master. Where is he? Bring him to me!"

"Ha-ha, you don't have the right to make a deal with me." Yun Mo smiled as Qi gradually appeared around him. "Do you want me to fight you?"

Chapter 270

"Fight?! Aren't you ashamed?!" a loud voice scoffed, followed by a shocking Qi of hatred and rage rushing toward them.

Longevous Qingfeng's buttock was almost on fire. He was so anxious, he stared at Yun Mo and casted a spell. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝒐𝙢

Instantly, a wild wind blew.

He waved his hands and the wild wind gathered into a gigantic palm, attacking Yun Mo!

Yun Mo's face darkened. His black robes started to glow. It moved with the wind, reflecting light in all directions. They formed a shield, blocking out the wild wind.

He frowned. "Brother Qingfeng, what do you mean?"

"You're asking me what do I mean? I haven't even asked you that!" Longevous Qingfeng was furious. He frowned and said, "I didn't do anything to you, why do you have to frame me!"

As he spoke, he casted a spell and a red flame appeared. They formed a long, flaming dragon, swaying in the wild wind while trapping Yun Mo inside.

"How dare you!"

The four people by Yun Mo's side halted. They turned into lights and surrounded Longevous Qingfeng.

Yun Mo covered himself with a layer of water vapor. He gradually walked out from the flame, glaring at Longevous Qingfeng coldly. "What are you on about? When did I frame you?"

"You captured this girl. If you aren't framing me, what are you doing?" Qingfeng's face was heavy like water. He gritted his teeth. "This girl has a brother whose existence is a taboo to be spoken of. How dare you touch her?"

Yun Mo frowned in disbelief. "A taboo existence? Who's that?"

"You don't have the right to know! Get out of my sight!"

Beside them, a cold voice rang in the air. Swiftly after, clouds moved violently in the sky and gathered into the shape of a palm like a small hill. The palm appeared above the head of Yun Mo and suddenly slammed down!

Ping!

Yun Mo had no chance to defend himself. His body fell from the sky and landed on the ground heavily.

Spit!

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The black robes he wore had become extremely dull.

Gu Xirou, the Holy Emperor, and Yao Mengji appeared by Nanan's side. Their hearts were pounding. Luckily, they came in time.

Yun Mo had chills all over. He stared at them in shock. He was dumbfounded.

Imm...Immortal?

Who was this little girl? Why was there an Immortal looking after her?

When Nanan saw the Holy Emperor, she was surprised and delighted. "Uncle Luo!"

She started crying after calling out to him.

"Alright, don't cry, we're here to help you." The Holy Emperor smiled. He then looked at Yun Mo coldly and said, "Sect Master Yun, do we have the right to speak to you now?!"

"So...sorry." Yun Mo trembled all over. He had become extremely humble. He smiled apologetically and politely. "I didn't know this young lady's a friend of yours. There must've been a misunderstanding."

Nanan cried out with reddened eyes, "Uncle Luo, the Heavenly Sun Sect killed my master!"

"No, it wasn't me! I didn't do it!" Yun Mo's scalp was itching. He was very terrified. He shook his head vigorously as he denied.

The Holy Emperor did not care about him. He said to Nanan, "Nanan, what is it?"

Nanan said, "I was attending the Cultivators Convention with my master. On the way here, we found a secret cave so we went in to look for an opportunity. Little did we know that Hou Qingwen and his group would attack us out of the blue. When we fought, my master was killed!"

She halted. Then, she said, her voice trembling, "However, I remember clearly that I killed him. So why isn't he dead yet?"

Gu Xirou's voice rang in the air, "Sect Master Yun, what're you waiting for? Do you want us to go and invite Hou Qingwen over?

"Madam Immortal, please, wait. I'll go and get them right away!" Yun Mo stuttered. He was trembling all over. "However, I should clarify that I had nothing to do with this. I don't know anything. I was tricked into this. I'm a victim myself!"

"Sect Master, I'll bring them over!" The other four said and instantly ran away as if they were impatient. They were so terrified that their souls had left their bodies. All they wanted was to get out of this place!

So terrifying!

Only Yun Mo was left. It felt like years passed as he walked on the border between life and death.

Luckily, it did not take long before a light approached them rapidly.

Hou Xinghai's face was pale. He had a teenage boy with him.

Yun Mo finally unleashed his rage. He scowled and said, "Hou Xinghai, you're a pig! You gave birth to a pig son! Look at who you offended!?"

Just as Hou Xinghai was about to speak, he felt his wrist hurting. Swiftly after, his Qi was all sucked out as his body simply shriveled up.

As he slowly died, he looked at his son in disbelief.

"The taste cultivators in the ordinary realm are indeed not bad." Hou Qingwen licked his lips. His eyes turned red as his original body gradually grew taller while getting thinner.

In the blink of an eye, he had turned into a scrawny elderly man.

He laughed strangely and looked at Gu Xirou. "Luckily, there's an Immortal here."

"This...this..."

Everyone was dumbfounded at this sudden change. They could feel a dark and scary temperament exuding from this scrawny elderly man. They all looked shocked.

Together with the appearance of this scrawny elderly man, the sky had gradually turned darker as well. In the sky, a dark cloud gradually appeared, hovering above them all.

Gu Xirou's face froze. "Who are you?"

"I'm a man who's fishing. It seems like my bait isn't too bad this time," the scrawny elder scoffed, his eyes sparkling with darkness. He said, "However, you don't have to be nervous. I know someone is backing you. I didn't come here to make an enemy. Who knows, we could even become friends."

Gu Xirou's face remained unperturbed, her eyes alert. "If you're friendly, why would you play such a dirty trick?"

The scrawny elder said, "A few ants died, making the game clearer while giving us an upper hand. Why not?"

Gu Xirou frowned. "What do you want to do?"

"I should be the one asking you that. What does the man behind you really want to do?" The scrawny elder halted before he continued, "A Human Sovereign was born, the road between the Immortal Land and Immortal Realm was reopened, the Luck has been growing. Do you know that what the person behind you is doing goes against the Law? From the breakdown of the road and the surge of demons, it's evident that the ordinary realm has been neglected. The Luck of humankind is going downhill. This is the shared vision of many bigshots. The expert behind you suddenly appeared and messed with the setup. This won't end well."

This was the first time they heard about this secret. Their hearts pounded.

Especially Yao Mengji and the Holy Emperor. They had cold sweat dripping all over them. Thinking back, if it was not for the expert stepping in, how would the ordinary realm fight against the demons? It would likely end up in a mess!

They could not help feeling shocked while feeling grateful and delighted. So, the expert had gone against the Law for the sake of all humankind in this ordinary realm!

As the chess pieces of the expert, although they could not do much, they might have been involved in some ways. In other words, they saved the world!?

Yao Mengji and the rest felt great about themselves. They were extremely excited.

'Waa...the expert's so kind to us. Not only does he give us opportunities, he even lead us to save the world. So what if it's against the Law? I won't regret even if I had to die for him!'

Gu Xirou scowled. She said, "What the man behind us does is none of your business."

The scrawny man did not hide the truth. He smiled and said, "My master's curious. Is he planning on something? Since there are so many changes happening, if he could share his plan with my master, perhaps my master would be willing to be friends with him."

Be friends with the expert? Did they even have the right!?

The crowd could not help laughing inside.

Gu Xirou wanted to do more for the expert. Thus, she tried to ask, "Why is the Luck of humankind going downhill? What happened during ancient times? Also, who's your master?"

"Are you trying to get information from me?" the scrawny elder laughed with no voice. "Unfortunately, I don't have the right to know about these things either. My patience is limited, show me some sincerity! Tell me everything you know!"

"Sincerity?" Gu Xirou's face froze. She flipped her wrists and a Guqin appeared before her. She exuded a layer of Immortal Qi. It was vague and authoritative.

Dong!

The string was plucked, and instantly, the sound rushed toward the scrawny man.

Instantly, the air was filled with killing intent. The wind was blowing violently as the dark clouds in the sky were affected by the music. They started to fly rapidly, swirling in a mess.

Of course, they could be sincere. However, they would only show their sincerity to the expert!

Gu Xirou's face darkened. Her eyes were filled with determination. She pestered, "Hurry up and leave. Let me handle this!"

"Lack of self-awareness! If you're asking for death, allow me! Nobody shall leave!" The scrawny elder had a glint of evil in his eyes. He pointed a finger and a silver bracelet appeared in front of him. The bracelet was glowing and there was a strange pattern carved on it. It looked as if there was silver liquid flowing in it.

"Hwa-la!"

The bracelet spun mid-air. A wave of silver liquid rushed out from above, rushing toward them.

The liquid was heavy. It looked like mercury. The sight of it caused one's head to buzz, making them dizzy as if their eyes could be destroyed.

The sight of it intimated everyone by instinct.

"Hwa-la!"

The liquid surged, and along with the huge waves, the water had surrounded them all in the blink of an eye!

There was still an unstoppable flow of silver liquid coming out from the bracelet, flowing toward the crowd!

The scrawny elder smirked coldly, "My Xuanyin Immortal Water will start from your blood and flesh and slowly work its way into your soul. It will corrupt you entirely. You'll experience the real sense of pain!"

"Ultimate Spiritual Treasure?"

"Late Immortal Realm?"

Gu Xirou had a look of despair. Once her instrument touched the Xuanyin Immortal Water, it would be destroyed. The difference was too big! She could not do anything.

Yun Mo and his men were so terrified. They were hiding by the side, trembling. They all fell to their knees, worshipping and begging, "Immortal, please, let us go. Immortal, please, let us go!"

Yun Mo hastily said, "Immortal, I'm willing to be your slave. Please, let us go. We don't have anything to do with them. We don't know anything. We're innocent!"

"If you don't know anything, why would I need you? You want to be my dog? Are you even good enough?"

The scrawny elder was not interested. He simply made a gesture and instantly, some of the Xuanyin Immortal Water had turned into small snakes, swimming toward them.

Once they were touched by the liquid, Yun Mo and his men jolted vigorously. They disappeared rapidly out of sight. Even their skeletons had melted away without leaving even a trace behind.

Chapter 271

Yikes—

Yao Mengji and the others felt their skin crawl. They went cold all over.

However, although they were terrified, they did not want to beg for mercy.

Yao Mengji raised his hand and took out the Tianxin Zither. He played the zither with determination. He had a zither duet with Gu Xirou.

The Holy Emperor looked serious, too. He took out his Gold Alms Bowl and casted spells. Red hot flames rose from the alms bowl and transformed into a fiery dragon. The fire dragon circled and attacked the Xuanyin Immortal Water.

Sizzle—

The flames went out immediately when in contact with the Xuanyin Immortal Water. It was useless.

The Holy Emperor did not look happy at all. It was a fated and expected result but he still felt helpless.

Jang!

Yao Mengji and Gu Xirou played their zithers like the sounds crossed strands of strings. The sounds were expanding in waves, covering everyone like a shield.

Splash!

The Xuanyin Immortal Water acted up, cornering everyone into the center of the shield. Its huge waves were like the mouths of beasts, about to swallow everyone whole. 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝘳𝑒𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝑜𝑚

Yao Mengji and Gu Xirou were visibly exhausted. Their zithers were gradually defenseless.

"Haha, why the meaningless struggle?" the scrawny elder laughed cruelly. Then, he said, "As a cultivator, you should take opportunities and avoid trouble. Go with the flow. That's the way to live long lives. It's not too late to beg for mercy!"

"Beg for mercy? Nonsense!" the Holy Emperor said. He hated that he was useless.

He looked at his Gold Alms Bowl and suddenly had an idea!

"Longevous Qingfeng, stop being in a daze. Hurry up and help!"

After he said that, he groaned and crushed his Gold Alms Bowl. Then, the crushed pieces started to regroup as elements.

Longevous Qingfeng was startled. "Holy Emperor, what are you doing? You crushed your Livelihood Treasure?!"

"It's already crushed, I don't want it anymore! Did you forget what the expert said? A speaker. We have to make a speaker on the spot to amplify their zither sounds!"

The Holy Emperor was bleeding from the corner of his mouth. He endured it and said, "Snap out of it! Are you perhaps afraid to die?!"

"Me? Afraid to die? I'm left with only three hundred years. So what if I die?"

Longevous Qingfeng was immediately pissed off. "I'm proud to die by battling an Immortal! It's also a battle for my people and the realm! I'd be honored to die!"

Then, he took out a green wind chime without saying another word. He tore it apart!

"Let's combine our Livelihood Treasures! My Livelihood Treasure's a wind-type. It can help enhance the zither!"

Longevous Qingfeng was slightly insane. "Come on! Merge!"

The two items quickly merged into a huge shiny speaker. It filtered the zither sounds and made it five times louder!

Jam!

The zither sounds seemed to be working. It gradually pushed the Xuanyin Immortal Water away!

"Haha, I'm still useful!" laughed the Holy Emperor.

Sigh!

Suddenly, the painting scroll that Nanan was holding automatically flew up into the sky with a long sigh. It shined like a halo that surrounded everyone.

The painting unscrolled itself and the writings transformed into the Immortal with the white hair again. The figure levitated.

Nanan looked at him and hurriedly said, "Grandpa Immortal!"

"Nanan, I have a consciousness that was gifted by the Master. It's to protect you."

The elder looked at Nanan lovingly. "The time has come. Let me help you out!"

He emitted Spiritual Qi. White light rained down like the zither sounds, covering the Xuanyin Immortal Water.

Power of Devour started to appear in waves. It started to devour the Xuanyin Immortal Water!

However, the Xuanyin Immortal Water was birthed in a land of despair. It existed in death for a long while so it had corrosive properties. Immortals would avoid it whenever they encountered it.

As he absorbed the Xuanyin Immortal Water, his figure was gradually weakened. He swayed as if the wind could blow him apart.

"Grandpa Immortal!" Nanan hurriedly grabbed the painting scroll but she realized the writings on it had vanished. It became a blank piece of paper.

The elder looked calm. "Since you've chosen the path of Devour, how's it enough to just absorb powers? You should be able to devour anything. You should be able to devour the Xuanyin Immortal Water, Samadhi Real Fire, and the Flame of Golden Crow!"

He used his Devour experiences to help Nanan on her cultivation journey.

"A challenge?"

The scrawny elder laughed. He raised his hand and out came a levitating bracelet. Then, a threatening aura exploded out from the bracelet!

The aura was very unfamiliar, but they could tell it was not from the Immortal Realm. It seemed to be coming from the Above Immortal Realm. The bracelet was an agent!

Gu Xirou looked horrified. She said in a trembling voice, "The Ultimate Spiritual Treasure doesn't belong to you!"

"Of course not. My Master let me borrow the Xuan Water Bracelet." The scrawny elder shook his head and mocked them in a pitiful voice, "Now my Master has to do it himself. You'll all die for sure!"

Splash!

The Xuan Water Bracelet started to shake. The Xuanyin Immortal Water suddenly increased. The layer of silver liquid transformed into a huge silver water dragon that surrounded them. The dragon's mouth was wide open and it was about to swallow everyone whole.

The person who was using the Xuan Water Bracelet was far away and it seemed like he only used a portion of his powers. However, it made the Xuanyin Immortal Water so powerful. Everyone was running out of chances to survive.

Spurt!

Yao Mengji was as pale as paper. He spat out a mouthful of blood. He was out of it and had cold sweat all over.

He did not stop casting spells. He said, "Don't worry about me. Spitting blood's my forte. I'm so used to spitting blood."

At the Chuchen Town.

Li Nianfan slowly walked out of his room. He looked across the horizon and was surprised. "Who's so passionate? Playing the zither in the middle of the night?"

Qin Manyun stood outside Li Nianfan's yard. She was an anxious mess.

"It's Master's zither. The zither sounds are rushed so he must be battling someone. And...it's a battle to the death!" She walked back and forth in the yard while biting her lip. Her fists were repeatedly clenched and loosened.

She wanted to help but she stopped herself.

The Master was with the ancestor. If they could not handle it, she would not be able to help. She might even become a burden.

What could she do?

She looked to the horizon where the zither played. Then, she looked at Li Nianfan's door. She did not know whether she should disturb the expert.

She could not disturb the expert because if the expert was displeased, he would not save them.

However, the Lord Dog was at the yard. She could go beg the Lord Dog!

She listened to the zither and felt like the zither sounds grew quicker. They were in a state of desperation and were fighting with their lives. She looked like she had made up her mind. She was determined. She could not let her Master and her ancestor die!

She took a deep breath and was about to knock on the door. However, the door suddenly swung open with a creak.

Li Nianfan walked out from his yard. He was taken aback by Qin Manyun. Then, he smiled and said, "Lady Manyun, you haven't slept, too?"

Qin Manyun felt her heart race. She hurriedly said, "Mr. Li, you haven't slept, either."

Li Nianfan nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep. I heard the zither and woke up. It must be the same for you, too, Lady Manyun."

"Yeah." Qin Manyun felt troubled and helpless.

She sneakily glanced at Blackie who was next to Li Nianfan. She was struggling and anxious.

She was sweating already. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say.

However, Li Nianfan suddenly asked, "Lady Manyun, did you bring your zither?"

Zither?

Qin Manyun jumped. She suddenly felt her skin crawl as her blood rushed because she thought of a possibility.

"Yes... I did."

Her voice was trembling because she could not help it. It even sounded like a sob.

She hurriedly flicked her wrist and out came a refined antique zither. She nervously and excitedly asked, "Mr. Li, are you perhaps...thinking of...playing the zither?"

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep. I coincidentally heard the zither and wanted to play, too. I wanted to join in on the duet."

Li Nianfan laughed and asked, "Lady Manyun, may I borrow your zither?"

"Yes, of course!"

Qin Manyun quickly nodded and moved away. "Please, Mr. Li."

"Thanks." Li Nianfan nodded and sat in front of the zither. He observed it for a moment.

"Truly a woman's zither. How refined and beautiful, unlike mine. I'm not sure what year my zither was produced but it's old and rusty."

Li Nianfan took a deep breath. His aura suddenly changed as he emitted a powerful elegance. Qin Manyun kept staring at Li Nianfan. She clenched her little fist.

She realized that Li Nianfan was like a character that walked out from a painting.

Even the endless night was dissociated from Li Nianfan. It was as if he was beyond it all, beyond the ties of the realm.

The Chosen One—he was truly the Chosen One.

Qin Manyun was mesmerized. Li Nianfan had his hands on the zither, his fingers gently plucking on the zither strings.

Ding!

His zither music flowed like the river. It was hypnotic. The first note alone was enough to make listeners visualize streams of a curvy creek.

Ding, ding, dong, dong—

Li Nianfan plucked the zither strings with ease. His fingers were not rushing. They were dancing like fairies on the zither. He made it look like it was easy.

The night was cool and quiet. It started to move with the zither music.

Even the moon in the sky seemed to be brighter.

Everything quieted down for the zither sounds.

Soon, Qin Manyun was completely engrossed. She was drunk on the zither music, she could not control herself.

She felt like she was on top of a huge mountain where continuous streams were flowing. She felt as if she was lying amidst the forest, feeling her spirituality being cleansed.

The zither started to change slowly. It was slightly lively, changed into a more upbeat tone.

It was as if he added the sounds of the birds and insects to the mountain streams. It was smooth and a nice touch.

Then, the tempo started to change again. It was low, quick, and constant. It sounded like they were ascending to hug the clouds but the clouds suddenly sped up. There were sparks in the air. It was breathtaking.

Ding, ding, dong, dong—

The power of music was unstoppable. The lively musical notes spread across the mountains and the rivers. It was like sunlight shining across the dark night.

"Longevous Qingfeng, do you hear the zither music?" The Holy Emperor was on the ground.

He was no longer able to fight. He could barely breathe. He was out of power. He calmly waited for death as he watched the huge waves of the Xuanyin Immortal Water.

Longevous Qingfeng was the same. He shook his head in a daze. "Zither music? Of course, I heard it. We're playing it."

The Holy Emperor shook his head. "Not ours, another's."

Splash!

The Xuanyin Immortal Water splashed again. The Water Dragon stared at everyone mercilessly. It attacked with its mouth wide open!

It was about to devour everyone!

"My Master, he's playing the zither."

That Immortal was vanishing into white smoke. He said his final sentence in a relieved tone, "I can finally rest in peace."

The white smoke vanished when he touched Nanan on the head.

"Grandpa Immortal..." Nanan was a sobbing mess.

Ding, ding, dong, dong—

The zither sounds were soft, it seemed to be coming from the other side of the realm. However, it somehow sounded louder than what Gu Xirou and Yao Mengji were producing on their zithers. It overpowered the sounds of splashes and the sounds of space and time. Everyone heard it clearly.

The Water Dragon instantly stopped. The Xuanyin Immortal Water retreated like an angry ocean wave. It started to boil like it was struggling.

The Xuanyin Immortal Water became calm and peaceful in mere seconds. It seemed to be transformed into an elegant flowing stream along with the zither sounds.

"Where is the zither music come from?"

The scrawny elder panicked. His hair stood on end and he felt his skin crawl. It was like the zither music was extremely dangerous and life-threatening!

"What's going on? How could this be?!"

He was annoyed. He was filled with fear and anxiety. He tried his best to control the Xuan Water Bracelet but soon realized it had no effect on the Xuanyin Immortal Water.

The Xuan Water Bracelet suddenly shined. The aura of his Master reappeared again. He seemed to be accompanied by a sneer. However, the Xuan Water Bracelet quickly dimmed and fell to the ground. All signs of usefulness were wiped from the bracelet.

"This..."

The scrawny elder's mouth was wide open. He was too terrified to speak. He begged in a trembling voice of despair, "Me...Mercy."

The Xuanyin Immortal Water quietly surrounded him. It slowly drowned him like a normal river.

Gu Xirou and Yao Mengji stopped.

They were extremely pale and they were bleeding from their mouths. However, they were smiling.

Gu Xirou mumbled, "Is that the expert playing the zither? The music...is so lovely."

Ding ding dong dong.

The zither was still playing gracefully. It was smooth like velvet and fresh like spring rain.

Everyone closed their eyes and enjoyed it. They were one with the music.

The final song was over but it echoed for a long while as it faded away.

Everyone slowly opened their eyes. They were shocked but they enjoyed it. Even their injuries got better. They somehow felt light and joyous.

The endless Xuanyin Immortal Water disappeared without a trace. They would have thought it was all just a big dream if it was not for the Xuan Water Bracelet that was on the ground.

Chapter 272

At the Above Immortal Realm.

A figure suddenly opened his eyes in an endless field somewhere.

He looked shocked and in disbelief.

"My divine consciousness was wiped out. How powerful."

He had a hoarse voice. Then, he slowly lifted his finger.

Ripples appeared in front of him. It was like a Water Mirror. Visuals started to appear in the mirror.

It played visuals of what Yao Mengji and the others experienced. The visuals stopped when the Xuan Water Bracelet dropped to the ground.

"Zither?"

He was weirded out. "Very few are good at music, not since the eldritch eras. What does he want to do? I shall wait and see. I mustn't be the only one who wants to find out."

...

At the Immortal Realm.

Yao Mengji and the others took a deep breath simultaneously. They felt the rhythm of their heartbeats and were genuinely grateful.

They did not expect to still be alive.

Longevous Qingfeng gulped. He asked in a trembling and respectful voice, "That zither, was that the expert playing it?"

"Duh!"

Yao Mengji rolled his eyes. He regarded, "Do you even need to ask? Who else could be that powerful aside from the expert?"

"Awe—Awesome." Longevous Qingfeng was beyond shocked.

He knew that the expert could bring out treasures anytime he wanted, but he did not know how powerful he was. Until... He witnessed it first-hand.

What a dangerous situation. It was unimaginable unless you experienced it yourself. The expert played a song from afar and managed to turn the battle around. Even powerful beings in the Above Immortal Realm could not fight back.

Terrifying, horrifying!

If the expert appeared in front of him, he could not make promises that he would not bow down and worship the expert. No way, he would not be able to control himself.

"I'm so cool. I lucked out and got to know a bigshot like that."

"Alright, stop it." Gu Xirou spoke. She looked serious. "Think about what the scrawny elder said. The expert saved the entire realm."

"Yeah. Truthfully, if it wasn't for the expert, I would've been dead multiple times by now."

Yao Mengji was in awe. Then, he said, "I finally know what the expert's up to. I have to work harder for the expert. My cultivation isn't anything much, but if I can die for the expert, I would have no regrets!"

The Holy Emperor said in an emotional voice, "He reconnected the bridge to immortality, and he increased the Luck of the Humans. What majestic achievements. To be able to work for the expert is my lifetime, wait, no, it is the greatest honor of several lifetimes!"

"Did you all forget? The expert's going against Fate. He's opposing powerful forces!"

Gu Xirou sounded heavy. She fell into deep thought and asked, "So, do you all still think that the expert pretends to be an ordinary man out of personal preference?"

"You mean... The expert's doing it for another reason?"

Yao Mengji raised his eyebrows and fell into deep thought, too. "It's indeed not a good choice to gain exposure for going against Fate. The expert pretends to be an ordinary man because he planned to. I guess that it might be because he wants his schemes to not be exposed! Of course, I think...more or less. It's his weird hobby."

The Holy Emperor nodded, "Bigshots love to be chess masters. They would speak with their chess skills. Most bigshots stay hidden. If you think about it, it makes sense that the expert pretends to be an ordinary man."

"Who cares what the reason is? In conclusion, we have to play along with the expert! We are chess pieces. All we need to do is obey and listen to the expert's orders. Since the expert's going against Fate, we shall go against it alongside him fearlessly!" summarized Longevous Qingfeng.

"True." Yao Mengji nodded. Then, he said, "Alright, everyone. Stop talking, we've got to hurry back."

Everyone looked at the Xuan Water Bracelet. They did not need to think much about it, and they also could not be greedy. They immediately came to an agreed conclusion, "This Xuan Water Bracelet belongs to the expert. We should bring it back to him."

At the yard.

Qin Manyun felt as if her emotions were being played like the zither. She felt like she was trekking up a mountain. Then, she felt like she was swimming freely in the water. It was as if she lost her consciousness.

Blackie was lying down next to Li Nianfan. His ears were moving to the music.

Dragin was still asleep on the other side of the yard. She snored and slept more soundly to the music.

"Done." Li Nianfan smiled. He would not avoid a daily show-off session. So, he asked, "Lady Manyun, what do you think?"

Qin Manyun immediately snapped out of it. She said without thinking twice, "It's nice. This song belongs to Heaven. I could never. May I know what song this is?"

"Haha, that's too much of a compliment, Lady Manyun," laughed Li Nianfan. Then, he replied, "This song is... 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'!"

Qin Manyun said genuinely, "What a suitable name. 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'. It's a totally different style from 'Ambush' but they're both nice, both legendary songs."

Li Nianfan smiled and asked, "Do you want to learn it? I can teach you."

Qin Manyun instantly blushed. She asked in a trembling voice, "Re—really?"

"Lady Manyun, you're good at playing the zither. It's just a song. Why not?" Li Nianfan stood up and yawned. "It's late. I'm going back to sleep. I'll teach you the song tomorrow morning."

Qin Manyun immediately stood up. She respectfully watched Li Nianfan head back. "Goodnight, Mr. Li."

Creak.

The door was shut.

Qin Manyun was still in the yard. She nervously waited.

Her Master stopped playing the zither. She was unsure how they were.

Suddenly, five figures swooped in and landed in the yard.

Yao Mengji excitedly asked, "Manyun, the expert played the zither, right?"

"Yes." Qin Manyun nodded and asked, "Master, ancestor, are you alright?"

"Haha, we weren't. But thankfully, the expert saved us so of course, we're alright," laughed Yao Mengji. He asked out of admiration, "Where's the expert?"

"After Mr. Li played the zither, he went back to sleep."

Yao Mengji immediately did a shushing gesture. He said in a low voice, "We have to be quiet. Don't disturb the expert.

Then, everyone noticed the zither in the yard.

The zither was still the same. However, it had a weird aura. When they looked at zither, it was as if they could hear echoes of that song.

Gi Xirou was shocked. She asked in a trembling voice, "Manyun, this is your zither. Did the expert use your zither to play?"

Qin Manyun nodded.

"Incredible, incredible!"

Gu Xirou hurriedly walked over and reached out. She wanted to touch the zither but the zither suddenly made a deafening noise by her ear. She jolted as if she just touched electricity. She hurriedly pulled her hand back.

"Leftover Wisdom. Is this what they call Leftover Wisdom? Who would've thought I'd be able to witness it? And to own it," mumbled Gu Xirou. She looked at that zither as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

"The zither was played by the expert. It went from a normal item to a Spiritual Treasure." Yao Mengji sounded awestruck. "Also, it has the leftover notes from the expert. It can help cultivation in zither!"

Was this the power of the expert?

Miracles were created casually for him.

Gu Xirou bowed at the zither. "From now on, this zither is the treasure of the Linxian Palace. It shall be worshipped for generations!"

Qin Manyun suddenly added, "The expert said the name of that song was 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'. He's going to give it to me tomorrow morning."

"What?"

Gasp—

Yao Mengji instantly rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot. "Holy Emperor, Longevous Qingfeng. Quick, hold me. I'm about to faint from happiness."

"Hold you?!" Longevous Qingfeng was tearing up from jealousy. "We risked our lives together. How come you're the only one who has benefits? I at least want an orange!"

Yao Mengji boasted smugly, "What do you know? The ancestor and I spent the most effort. You two barely helped. We were treated differently, of course."

"The expert knows what he's doing. Stop arguing, we don't want to disturb the expert," said Gu Xirou.

Everyone knew when to stop. So, they left.

The next morning.

Sunlight shined into the yard. It chased the chilly night away and warmed up the place.

Li Nianfan walked out of the yard. He looked over and was taken aback. He said in a surprised tone, "Nanan?"

Nanan quietly stood there with tears in her eyes. She rushed toward him and cried, "Brother Nianfan!"

"What happened?" Li Nianfan felt how upset Nanan was. He looked at everyone questioningly.

The Holy Emperor coughed and immediately stepped forward to say, "Um, Mr. Li, the little girl that those people wanted to capture was Nanan. Thankfully, we found out and saved her."

Li Nianfan frowned. "Really? Where are those people?"

The Holy Emperor continued, "It's a misunderstanding. We've already dealt with it. They were regretful and they were too ashamed to come over."

Li Nianfan sighed softly. He saluted them, "Thanks, everyone. You must've spent a lot of effort."

Those people were very bossy, they would not be reasonable. Thankfully, he had an Immortal on his side. They probably dealt with it.

"Oh yeah, here's the music sheet for 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'. If you don't mind, you can have it," said Li Nianfan as he took out the music sheet.

"No, of course, I don't mind at all! Thanks, Mr. Li."

Yao Mengji felt his heart race. He was incredibly emotional. He accepted the music sheet tremblingly.

"Alright, Nanan. Good girl, stop crying. You're alright now," comforted Li Nianfan. He asked, "Where's your Master?"

Nanan burst out crying. She wept and sobbed. "Master's dead."

She held it in for a long, long while. She finally had the chance to speak about it so she could not stop crying.

Li Nianfan went silent. He did not try to talk her out of anything. He let her cry and express her emotions.

He thought of that old lady. They only met once but she had left a huge impression. It had only been a few months before she was gone.

They said cultivators could not help it. They were all the more dangerous in the Immortal Realm.

Chapter 273

Nanan cried for a long while.

She was truly tired, the type of tired where she was physically and mentally exhausted. She gradually fell asleep.

Li Nianfan gently put Nanan down. He sighed softly. The little kid had a rough time.

He was ready to take Nanan back. He was not alright with a little girl going back alone. He did not want her to become very powerful, he just wanted her to be safe.

Moreover, he had a Phoenix and a Carp Demon in his house. He had a lot of cultivator friends, too, and he did learn a lot of defensive moves.

Since someone was holding a grudge against Nanan, they should not stay for long.

He thought about that and said, "Nanan was probably traumatized. Immortal Gu, when are you going back?"

Li Nianfan was giving an obvious hint. Gu Xirou instantly understood what he really meant. She hurriedly replied, "Mr. Li, we can leave today."

Li Nianfan looked at Longevous Qingfeng. He said in an embarrassed tone, "Longevous Qingfeng, I'm supposed to stay for a few more days, but Nanan's in bad condition. I'm afraid I have to pardon myself."

"Nevermind, nevermind."

Longevous Qingfeng almost cried. His hatred grew for those people from the Heavenly Sun Sect. What a bunch of ignorant fools. They displeased the expert and forced him to leave so soon.

Fine. He lost his Lifetime Treasure but at least he had a slice of orange. He had the orange peel, too. That was not bad.

'Be happy with what you got,' he thought to himself. Li Nianfan continued, "Longevous Qingfeng, thanks for the hospitality. I have nothing much to give as a farewell gift, just a glass of beautiful wine. If you don't mind, I shall drink to you."

Beautiful... Beautiful wine?

Longevous Qingfeng's mind was buzzing. His heart raced and he was perplexed by the sudden opportunity.

He remembered when he first came here that Yao Mengji told him about the breakthrough he had from drinking a glass of wine from the expert.

He did not have a lot of time left. The breakthrough would be like a second life for him. The...the expert was about to give him wine?

He knew that the expert would not be stingy. He was blessing him with a breakthrough!

Longevous Qingfeng could not control his smile. He was excited and pleasantly surprised. He hurriedly replied, "No, why would I mind? I love wine."

Li Nianfan laughed. "Alright, do you have a glass?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Longevous Qingfeng went away in a flash and swooped back in with several wine glasses. "Here we go, wine glasses!"

Bloop.

Li Nianfan took the jar of wine and filled the glasses. He raised his glass and toasted, "Thank you all, once again, for Nanan. Cheers to everyone!"

"Mr. Li, cheers to you, too!"

Everyone followed him by raising their glasses. Their hearts raced when they saw Li Nianfan drink the wine. They mentally prepared themselves and chugged the wine in one go, too.

"Yikes— Ah!"

They groaned at the spicy, stinging sensation of the alcohol. They shut their eyes and scrunched up their faces.

They felt a dizzy kind of buzz. They would have fainted if they did not endure it.

Li Nianfan stood up and said his farewells, "Longevous Qingfeng, farewell."

"Mr—Mr. Li... Safe flight." Longevous Qingfeng was already feeling drunk.

Soon, everyone was on the skyship.

Longevous Qingfeng waved at them. "Everyone, visit often."

He waited until the skyship took off. Longevous Qingfeng was flushed. He felt as if his forehead was about to go up in smoke.

He could not control it any longer. He opened his mouth and burped. It was a long and deep alcoholic burp.

His consciousness started to fade away. He felt like he was heating up. Along with a 'pop', the problem that had been troubling him for thousands of years suddenly broke through.

He had to go through a Natural Tribulation for him to go from the Combination realm to the Cross Tribulation realm.

Longevous Qingfeng was thrilled yet worried. He felt a strong aura coming toward him. His Insights jolted.

The Interrogation of Insights...had begun!

However, the kickback from the alcohol made him jolt again before he could get ready.

The Interrogation of Insights was over before it had begun. He easily passed the test.

Rumble!

The sky started to darken with storm clouds. The thunder was loud and the lightning was frantic like silver snakes.

A storm tribulation.

Longevous Qingfeng was shaking. He was drunk. He looked up at the sky and acted like a drunk maniac.

"Haha, natural tribulation? I, Longevous Qingfeng, am going to go against Fate along with the expert. Why should I be afraid of natural tribulations?!"

He started to boast and fly around. His white hair and white beard blew in the wind. He was suddenly an arrogant old man who was beyond it all. He boasted, "I have the beautiful wine blessed by the expert. I'm not afraid of you! Come on, strike me down! Come on!"

...

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck like a long dragon. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝒐𝙢

"Yo, what a big bolt of lightning! Storms in the Immortal Realm are so sudden."

Li Nianfan stood on the deck of the skyship while he watched the stormy weather from afar. He was slightly surprised.

Thankfully, he avoided it.

"Yeah."

Yao Mengji looked over and thought to himself, "Longevous Qingfeng, the expert has already blessed you with a breakthrough. The rest is up to you."

The skyship was fast. Li Nianfan felt countless white clouds pass by. He looked at the ground again and felt much better.

Suddenly, Qin Manyun walked out. She said, "Mr. Li, Nanan's awake."

Li Nianfan hurriedly walked into the skyship.

He asked caringly, "Nanan, do you feel better?"

Nanan was in a better mood. She barely smiled and said, "Brother Nianfan, I feel much better."

Then, she lifted her small hand. She had the Xuan Water Bracelet in her hand. She said, "Brother Nianfan, this is for you."

"You brought me gifts? What a good girl," laughed Li Nianfan.

He took the Xuan Water Bracelet and wore it. He realized the material was nice. It looked silver and it was heavy. There were odd patterns sculpted on its surface, too. It was alright but it was considered well made.

Daji did not have any jewelry. He could give this to her. He wondered if she had returned with the Fire Phoenix.

"Thank you, I like it a lot."

Li Nianfan smiled. He paused because he felt like he needed to mention something. He asked, "Oh yeah, Nanan, do you have the power to devour other cultivators' powers?"

Nanan did not dare to look at Li Nianfan. She carefully nodded and asked coyly, "Yeah. Brother Nianfan, do you hate it?"

"Haha, no. Why?"

Li Nianfan laughed and then said in a more serious tone, "I just want you to remember to always be true to yourself. You're the Master of your powers, you should be the one to decide if it's a good or bad thing. Don't be swayed or manipulated by your strengths. You don't need to do whatever it takes to be powerful!"

Nanan was still young. She could easily go off on the wrong route because of her powers and because of her deceased Master.

Nanan looked cutely serious. She nodded hard and said, "Brother, I promise you. From now on, every power I devour will be righteous!"

"Good kid," Li Nianfan said while he patted her head. He gave her an orange. "Eat up. Brother Nianfan will cook something delicious for you when we head back."

"Yeah, thanks, Brother Nianfan." Nanan smiled with squinted eyes.

Li Nianfan did not bother Nanan anymore. He returned to the deck of the skyship instead. He found a spot to sit and examined the Xuan Water Bracelet under the sunlight.

Gu Xirou and the others stood at the side. They did not understand what was going on but they did not want to bother him.

Then, they saw Li Nianfan take out a carving knife. He was ready to carve on the bracelet.

Qin Manyun gulped. She asked, "Mr. Li, are you going to carve on it?"

"Yeah, the patterns on the bracelet are too simple. I'm going to improve it and give it to Daji," answered Li Nianfan.

Then, he carved on the bracelet with his carving knife.

Qin Manyun and the others stood at the side. Their eyes almost popped out from staring. They were mystified.

Ultimate Spiritual Treasure could be improved?

Sorry about being ill-informed but that was unheard of.

Most importantly, that was an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure. It was impossible to damage it. How could the carving knife easily cut into it? What kind of Godly move was that?

Li Nianfan was too busy to notice them. He focused on carving.

The bracelet was not large and already had patterns on it. Therefore, he had to be extra careful when carving it. It would be troublesome if he made a mistake.

Qin Manyun and the others silently watched Li Nianfan. Not because of anything else, but because he was nice to look at.

Right, nice to look at!

They said men were the most handsome when they were serious. Not only was Li Nianfan serious, but every carve he made was also elegant. His beauty was boosted by a beyond-it-all type of elegance. It was as if...only his moves were the most perfect. Since he was perfect, he was also perfect to look at. They would never be tired of it.

No performance was comparable to that.

If they could, they would look at him forever.

Meanwhile.

At the Above Immortal Realm.

At the Liuyun Palace.

Compared to its previous glory, the Liuyun Palace ended up in a tragic mess. It was completely different.

The graceful white clouds were gone and half the palace was in ruins. Crushed stones were everywhere, and only half of the palace was still standing but it was full of damages.

There was a lot of charring from the terrible lightning.

The disciples of the palace could no longer stay there. They slept on the streets. It was extremely tragic.

Most of the disciples were still in a state of shock and confusion. They did not know what happened.

"Isn't the Liuyun Palace the best sect in the Above Immortal Realm? What happened so suddenly?"

"What's going on with our Master? How did he fail like that?"

A disciple said in a mysterious tone, "Everyone, according to reliable information, our Sect Master offended a Godly bigshot."

"I see, I knew something was up. Which bigshot did he offend? How powerful."

"The Above Immortal Realm is full of powerful forces so how would I know? But to be honest, our Sect Master's indeed too arrogant."

"Yeah, we're the top sect, but look at all the Sacred Lands of the Above Immortal Realm. They have Taiyi Golden Immortals who were the best fighters of the Above Immortal Realm. However, they were extremely lowkey. They stayed hidden like air."

"Arrogance is doom! Remember that girl the Sect Master captured last time? She was sneakily saved. Then, our Liuyun Palace turned to ashes."

"Yikes—Scary. They wouldn't care even if they destroyed the Liuyun Palace!"

"Will this affect us? Should we run?"

Boom!

Suddenly, a big door swung open in the backyard of the Liuyun Palace.

The Lord Immortal walked out.

He was still pale, but compared to earlier, he looked much better.

His gaze was sharp as he glanced at his disciples. When he looked at the damaged ruins, he looked like he was in pain.

Cough.

He hurt his wound when he got too emotional. He hurriedly took a sip of the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Cream to calm his injuries.

He could not wait until he felt slightly better to come out. He wanted to calm everyone down.

"Everyone." He flew up to the sky in a calm demeanor. He was expressionless. He did not need to look angry to be powerful.

Everyone was silent.

"Don't worry, disciples. The last storm was an accident. It seems like I can't hide it any further so here's the truth. I'm cultivating a legendary skill that can destroy worlds!"

He smiled calmly and said in an arrogant tone, "However, the skill's too powerful. That's why it attracted such a big natural tribulation. I...have already learned it! How about that?"

As expected, every disciple was in awe. They cheered in admiration.

"Your training attracted such a strong natural tribulation? It'll kill someone instantly if you use it, right?"

"Awesome. Truly our Sect Master."

"I see. That frightened me."

They all stood up and congratulated him from the bottom of their hearts, "Congratulations to the Sect Master for gaining a legendary skill!"

The Lord Immortal laughed. Then, he said in a serious tone, "This skill's too powerful. Let it be the Liuyun Palace's top secret. Don't talk to anyone about it. I won't use the skill unless absolutely necessary either."

Everyone nodded understandingly. "Got it, we got it."

Boom!

Suddenly, there was a rumble from afar.

They saw a huge figure stomping toward them on a cloud. It was enraged.

They looked closer and realized it was the Five-Color Sacred Cow.

It was on top of the Liuyun Palace. Its powerful aura overwhelmed everyone.

It growled, "Who's the Liuyun Lord Immortal? Come out right now!"

Every disciple looked at the Lord Immortal.

The Liuyun Lord Immortal awkwardly forced a friendly smile. He saluted and said, "It's me. What's going on, cultivator Sacred Cow?"

Boom!

The Five-Color Sacred Cow suddenly attacked the Lord Immortal. It growled menacingly, "Give me my daughter back, or else, I'll stomp your Liuyun Palace to the ground!"

The Liuyun Lord Immortal was distressed. He hurriedly said, "Cultivator Sacred Cow, there must be a misunderstanding. I didn't capture your daughter."

His injuries were hurting again. He hurriedly drank another sip of cream. Milky white liquid dripped out from the corner of his mouth.

The Five-Color Sacred Cow saw that. It was instantly enraged.

"Lies! You're drinking milk! Argh, I'm so angry!"

It roared and attacked the Lord Immortal in a flash.

The Lord Immortal did not dare to fight it head-on. He could only try his best to avoid the attacks. He almost cried.

"Cultivator Sacred Cow, please, listen to my explanation. This isn't milk, this is..."

"I won't listen, I won't listen!" The Five-Color Sacred Cow frantically shook its head. It yelled, "Die, milk-drinking maniac!"

Chapter 274

Boom!

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow stomped.

Suddenly, the ground gave way, and cracks spread everywhere. The disciples of the Liuyun Palace frantically ran away.

Soon, the cracks spread to the remaining half of the Liuyun Palace.

Crumble!

The remaining half of the palace fell apart. The ruins levitated into a huge mountain and crushed the Lord Immortal!

The Lord Immortal teared up. He did not expect that his palace would become nothing in mere days. He had nothing left.

Life was truly full of surprises.

He roared, "Hurry, everyone, cast the spell! Quick! Quick! This cow's crazy!"

The disciples were exhausted. They had already casted spells to withstand the natural tribulation and were injured from it. Now, a Taiyi Golden Immortal Cow suddenly attacked them?

They were worried that they would die from that.

Soon, they got into formation. Endless Spiritual Lights beamed to the sky, activating the defense spell.

The Liuyun Lord Immortal looked serious. He casted spells for all sorts of shields.

Boom!

The big mountain rocks crashed on the shields. Rocks were flying everywhere like meteors, creating holes everywhere. Some mountains were instantly flattened!

The Liuyun Lord Immortal groaned. He stepped back, blood dripping from his mouth. He drank the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Cream again.

The Five-Color Sacred Cow was in disbelief. It was utterly pissed as it said, "You dare drink milk in front of me? You're instigating me! I'll fight you to death!"

It stomped angrily. Power of Law came rolling in. It almost created a crack in time and space. Everything was falling apart quickly. It was still attacking the Liuyun Lord Immortal.

The Liuyun Lord Immortal almost spat out blood.

His hair stood on end as he used his powers. He felt his skin crawl knowing he was in grave danger.

Spells and items were fully used but they were defenseless, too.

Suddenly, a disciple screamed, "Sect Master, stop hiding your powers. Use that signature legendary move!"

"Yeah, Sect Master! It's an 'absolutely necessary' moment. Don't you have a world-destroying skill?"

"I have a feeling that the skill's extraordinary. We can finally witness it today."

Nonsense legendary skill!

The Liuyun Lord Immortal groaned. He was still trying to save face.

"Everyone, my skill's too powerful. It isn't appropriate for me to use it here. I'm afraid I'll accidentally hurt you all."

He looked at the Five-Color-Sacred Cow and suddenly beckoned, "Come on!"

The mockery was effective. The Five-Color-Sacred Cow yelled angrily while it sprinted toward him.

The Liuyun Lord Immortal immediately ran. "Everyone, I'll lead the cow to another area. Wait for my good news when I return victorious."

On the other side of the Above Immortal Realm.

The East land.

It was covered in ice. The place had a creepy kind of chill. The ice had not melted for millions of years. It was not ordinary ice and it was glistening and shimmering like crystals!

It was a Sacred Land in the Above Immortal Realm, also known as the Ice Palace.

A lady stood on the ice cliff in a light-blue chiffon dress. Her long hair covered her shoulders and her skin was pale. She was gorgeous. The view seemed less stunning with her around.

However, she looked sad. It was not a temporary sadness. It seemed like she was remarkably sad and could not hide it, as if she had been sad for a long time. Her sadness made her look pitiful.

She looked across the horizon. It was as if she wanted to see the other side of the realm.

The cold wind was howling on the ice cliff, her long dress blowing in the wind. It was like a scene in a painting.

Suddenly, a figure slowly appeared behind the lady. It was an elder with white hair.

The elder bowed to that lady and said, "Seventh Princess, that expert has returned."

The lady turned around and said, "Xing Guan, about that person... What do you know about him so far?"

"Pardon me, I don't know much about him." Xing Guan shook his head and looked troubled. He groaned for a moment and said, "This person disguises himself as an ordinary man so we can't tell how powerful he is. But since he has caused such a stir in the Immortal Realm, he has to at least be a Daluo Golden Immortal. More importantly, he's not in hiding at all. He moves amongst the public crowd. Unless we can look at him directly, we won't be able to find anything about him."

The lady said, "No matter what, he's the one who reconnected the bridge to immortality and helped the Human Sovereign. I thought the same, too. If... Never mind, you should visit him first."

"I understand."

Xing Guan immediately sat crossed-leg. He astral projected and bowed at the lady once more before his consciousness flew away.

At the Immortal Realm.

Li Nianfan finally saw the Fallen Immortal Mountain after a full day's journey.

He stood at the deck of the skyship as he got closer to the familiar mountains.

The skyship stopped to levitate above the ground before it slowly landed.

Li Nianfan saw something when he was at the deck. He smiled and waved at some figures below.

Soon, the skyship landed.

Li Nianfan walked out in excitement.

He smiled and said, "Daji, Fire Phoenix, you're back."

Blackie, on the other hand, had droopy ears. His love from the Master would vanish again, right?

Daji and the Fire Phoenix greeted him at the same time, "Sir."

Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng hurriedly greeted, "Mr. Li."

Dragin walked out, too. She smiled sweetly at Urchin and greeted, "Daddy."

Then, Li Nianfan noticed the six-feet tall Five-Color Sacred Cow.

"Yo, what a big cow. It has five colors!" he exclaimed. "Is this an animal that you guys hunted? Since we're going to welcome Nanan back, I can make a steak."

Moo?

The Five-Color Sacred Cow jumped. It was startled. It started to struggle and tear up.

Moo!

'Didn't they say they wanted to capture me for milk? Why did they suddenly change their minds to make me into a steak?'

The change was too sudden! 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

'Mommy, save me. They don't want my milk, they want my meat!'

Daji smiled and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to drink milk last time? We went out to search. This cow has milk."

"Oh?" Li Nianfan was intrigued. He said in a surprised tone, "This is a dairy cow."

Although the cow was black and white, the cow also had three extra colors. However, it was reasonable since it was the Immortal Realm. Even the cows were different.

"Daji, thanks." Li Nianfan suddenly felt touched. He thought she had gone for a trip. He did not expect that it was to surprise him.

"I brought you something nice, too." He smiled. He was glad that he prepared a gift for her. He took out the Xuan Water Bracelet. "This bracelet probably suits you. What do you think? Do you like it?"

That... Heavenly Spiritual Treasure?!

Everyone jumped. They stared hard at it.

That was a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. Although it was an Inferior Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, it was still a hot-shot item that everyone wanted, even during the eldritch eras. The Immortal Realm did not have many Heavenly Spiritual Treasures either.

Urchin was the most shocked. He did not have a lot of Heavenly Spiritual Treasure in the Dragon Palace. Did the expert just simply give one away?

For a cultivator, a Spiritual Treasure was insanely helpful for battles. As long as the item was good, challenges could be easily overcome. Spiritual Treasures were important.

Gu Xirou and the others were ready for that. They looked at the reaction of the others and smiled awkwardly.

'Oh, surprised?'

'If only you all knew that it was originally an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure. It became a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure after the expert carved it. You all would faint from shock!'

He transformed an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure into a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure! The expert had magical carving skills.

Daji was instantly joyous. She blushed. "Thank you."

"As long as you like it."

Li Nianfan smiled then looked at Gu Xirou and the others. He said, "Immortal Gu, do you all want to hang around in my yard?"

"No thanks, Mr. Li. We should go since you have guests."

Gu Xirou secretly wanted to. Even a sip of water from the expert would be nice. However, she had to be understanding. She could not be blinded by greed.

More importantly, what a bunch of freaking people!

Xiao Chengfeng, Urchin, the Fire Phoenix, and Daji. She was stressed out being in the presence of the bigshots. How could she shamelessly stay as a puny Immortal? She had to let it go!

"Thanks, everyone, for taking care of me these few days." Li Nianfan saluted, "Farewell."

Yao Mengji and the others immediately replied, "Mr. Li, goodbye!"

Then, Li Nianfan and the others walked into the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan looked at Daji. He suddenly felt a pair of little eyes staring at him.

He noticed something and was instantly intrigued.

"Huh, little fox? Daji, you finally brought your sister."

The little fox was adorable and snow-white. She almost blended in with Daji who was wearing something white. Its nine tails wrapped around Daji like a belt, which was why Li Nianfan did not notice it at first.

She carefully observed Li Nianfan with her big eyes.

Was that the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox? She was not as scary as described in stories. But she was indeed beautiful and so cute!

Li Nianfan smiled and asked, "Little fox, do you know me?"

"Yes," said the little fox hesitatingly. She seemed to be shy and nervous.

Daji passed her over to him. "You can hug her."

"Alright, I'll try."

Li Nianfan was not scared. He was excited. He smiled, carrying the little fox while gently caressing her smooth fur.

So comfortable.

A feeling that he had missed.

He remembered how it felt when he touched the Six-Tailed Fox. However, the fur of a Nine-Tailed Fox felt even better.

Softer, smoother, and more importantly, warmer. She was like the best pillow, very lovely to touch.

Chapter 275

Daji silently glanced at the little fox in his embrace. She was envious.

Her Master hugged her like that, too. It was a nice feeling.

She thought that her sister was so lucky. She wanted to exchange positions with her.

The little fox was shaking with hesitation though.

Was he flirting? Should she resist? Would her sister be jealous?

Her mind was muddled. She hid her head like an ostrich in the end.

Soon, everyone followed Li Nianfan into the four-part architecture.

Creak.

The door opened. Xiao Bai stood at the door and bowed like a gentleman. "Welcome back, my noble Master. Welcome, guests."

"Xiao Bai, hurry up and prepare some tea." Li Nianfan paused. Then, he corrected himself, "Wait, no, you should prepare some beautiful wine instead."

Xiao Chengfeng was intrigued. "Wine? No wonder it smells like good alcohol here!"

He already smelled the aroma before walking into the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan laughed. "Yeah, and it's a beautiful wine! Please."

The wine had been brewing in the cauldron while they were away for a week. The aroma had grown more intense.

He ushered everyone to take a seat. Xiao Bai carried the wine glasses and filled them for the guests.

Li Nianfan raised his glass. "Come on, cheers, everyone."

"Mr. Li, cheers!"

Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng did not dare to reject him. They hurriedly raised their glasses and chugged the wine in one go.

"Argh! Good wine!"

They were shocked because they were powerful but still felt that punch from the wine. They were starting to get flushed, too.

The troubles that were bothering them for years were being solved by the alcohol.

They looked at each other in extreme shock.

The effectiveness was scary. It was too incredible!

The wine...was a precious one-of-a-kind treasure!

The benefit of following the bigshot around was getting free food. Every single meal, every bite, and every sip were breakthroughs.

"If you like it, I'll get Xiao Bai to pour another glass for you. But the alcohol in this is very strong, so don't get addicted."

Li Nianfan was half-joking. Then, he said, "Drink up first, I'll find a spot for the cow to settle down in the backyard."

"No worries. Go ahead, Mr. Li," said Xiao Chengfeng and Urchin.

They understood what Li Nianfan truly meant. The expert was trying to hint to them that it was not good to overdrink the wine. They had to drink moderately. Otherwise, it would affect their brains. It would be too late if they got too drunk.

"I want to drink, too."

The little fox leaped onto the table, coyly looking at Li Nianfan.

Nanan and Dragin had glistening eyes, too. "Brother, we want to try it, too."

Li Nianfan stopped. He looked at them. He suddenly felt like he was looking at three problematic underaged girls.

He helplessly said in a troubled voice, "Xiao Bai, pour them some, too. Remember, only a little bit."

"Yes, my noble Master."

"I'll follow you to the backyard," said Daji.

She pulled the Five-Color-Sacred Cow to the backyard.

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was traumatized.

It was one lonesome cow in a field of enemies. More importantly, it was surrounded by a bunch of freaks. They sealed its powers and would not even allow it to talk. They told the cow that from now on, it was an emotionless dairy cow. How rude.

What a dark life for a cow.

It looked at Li Nianfan weakly. Was he going to milk it in the backyard?

'Should I let him?

'If I don't, will he turn me into a steak?'

It anxiously went to the backyard.

Its nose twitched as soon as it reached the backyard, sniffing the nice herby aroma.

Yummy!

Super yummy!

It immediately stopped feeling sad. It slurped its saliva back up and looked around.

Then, its eyes almost popped out of its skull.

The...land was covered with Spiritual Herbs?!

How was this possible?!

It looked down at its hooves. The grass was all Spiritual Herbs!

That...

What was going on?

It went blank at the magical sight. It would not dream of something like this.

Those were Spiritual Herbs!

Its mother was an elite being in the Above Immortal Realm, but they were very lucky if they could even bring back some Spiritual Fruits to eat. For thousands of years, it had only heard of Spiritual Herbs but never had the chance to taste them before.

Was it in paradise?

It stood there for a while. It glanced around and suddenly saw oranges hanging from a tree.

The golden oranges were round and plump, hanging high up in the tree. They had a sheen under the sunlight and they emitted an alluring orange scent.

Oranges!

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was excited.

The orange peel was so delicious. The fruit itself must be beyond tasty. Could it taste the oranges?

"Alright, don't be scared. This is your new home from now on," Li Nianfan said as he patted the Sacred Cow. He smiled and said, "This land's pretty nice. As long as you keep producing milk, I won't let you starve."

'He... Is he going to let me eat the Spiritual Herbs?'

The Sacred Cow looked at Li Nianfan and its ears trembled. It could not believe its ears.

It licked its lips and finally caved in to the seduction of food. It chewed on a small pinch of Spiritual Herbs.

"I did it, mother. I ate the Spiritual Herb! Boohoo—"

The Sacred Cow was feeling extremely emotional, it almost cried.

It noticed Li Nianfan did not react, so it proceeded to chew and slurp the grass like noodles.

Was that how Spiritual Herbs tasted? Delicious. Sacred Cows were supposed to eat something as delicious as this!

It shined brightly as hot tears streamed down its face—tears of happiness.

Moo! Moo!

It mooed softly. It could not speak, but if it could, it would say, "I have to tell my mommy about this. She has more milk than I do. Can I call my mommy? Boohoo, mommy, these people aren't freaks. They didn't lie to me. They were really looking out for us!"

"Seems like it likes the grass here."

Li Nianfan smiled. Then, he said, "Daji, look after it. I'll try to milk it. It's been a long time since I had milk. I can't wait."

He rolled up his sleeves while he spoke. He placed a wooden bucket underneath the cow and squatted. He reached out with his 'perverted' hands.

He squeezed and milk instantly squirted out.

Li Nianfan was pleasantly surprised. "Yo, this cow's nice. It has a lot of milk!"

Soon, he had half a bucket full of milk. Li Nianfan stopped. It was enough.

"Thank you." Li Nianfan patted the cow. Then, he carried the bucket and left.

Urchin noticed Li Nianfan coming back. He immediately asked, "Mr. Li, is the milking process successful?"

"Haha, very successful. I got a lot of milk."

Li Nianfan laughed and put the bucket down. He groaned for a moment and said, "I have nothing to serve you all today, but I do have milk. I should make Papaya Milk Almond Junket for you all."

"Papaya Milk Almond Junket?" Everyone was taken aback.

Li Nianfan laughed. "You'll find out what it is later. The weather's cool, and this stuff is great for skin replenishment. It has other benefits, too, and of course, it's also quite tasty."

He started to make it.

Papaya Milk Almond Junket was easy to make. All he had to do was remove the peel from the papaya, dice it, and set it aside. Then, crush the almonds into powder and pour in a nice amount of milk, stirring it well while it boils.

After an hour or so, mix in the papayas. Of course, Li Nianfan also added honey to increase the sweetness.

It was a dessert that focused mainly on the ingredients. No skill was required to make it.

Li Nianfan made the dessert while chatting casually with everyone.

Soon, the pure white milk started to boil. The sweet scent of milk and honey was everywhere.

The milk already had a nice milky scent, but after boiling it, the aroma was more deep and intense. Especially when it was the milk from the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. The nice aroma was enhanced to its extreme. The aroma was subtle and elegant, smooth like velvet.

Everyone did not need to smell it hard. They simply had to breathe in and enjoy the lovely scent.

"Done."

Li Nianfan scooped a bowl for everyone.

Everyone lifted their bowls to examine the dish closely.

Maybe because the almond powder was added, the color of the milk was no longer pure white. It was more of a brownish cream instead. It was also very soupy. There were bits of food in it, like decorative stars.

An almost translucent papaya floated on the milk's surface. It was a delicacy that no one had seen before but it looked great. It looked very appetizing.

It was a dessert. Girls would love it.

As expected, Daji and the girls were the ones who ate it first.

They did not have spoons so they sipped on it. The sticky liquid smoothly went down their throats. It was aromatic.

The combination of milk and almond was perfect. The sweetness from the honey was extremely enjoyable on the palette, too.

Delicious, so delicious!

Their lips looked glossy from the sticky soup because they ate it too hurriedly, including the Fire Phoenix. It was sexy and also quirky.

The little fox was outrageous. She buried her entire head into the bowl to lick up the milk. She was feisty and agile. Soon, she had cleaned the entire bowl. She then realized her face and fur were covered in soup when she looked up again. It was a funny but cute look. Li Nianfan burst out laughing at that.

Knock knock.

Suddenly, there was a knock outside the door.

Li Nianfan slightly raised his eyebrow. Everyone froze, too.

Guests?

Xiao Bai walked over without Li Nianfan's orders.

Creak.

The door swung open.

An elder in a white shirt stood outside the door.

Xiao Bai looked at the elder. Suddenly, Xiao Bai glared at him with red mechanical eyes.

"How rude, visiting with your figure. Begone!"

Then, Xiao Bai lifted its arm. Mechanical fingers retracted, revealing five vacuum-like holes.

The elder was shocked at the sight of Xiao Bai. He did not have the chance to say hello before he heard a 'vroom' and was sucked away by Xiao Bai like a vacuum. No traces were left.

Xiao Bai acted as if nothing happened and turned around to shut the door.

Li Nianfan asked, "Xiao Bai, did somebody come?"

Xiao Bai replied, "My noble master, it's just the wind."

Everyone did not care much either. They continued to eat and drink. 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

At the Ice Palace in the Above Immortal Realm.

The elder opened his eyes vividly. He groaned, he was flushed. Blood dripped out of his mouth.

His hair still stood on ends from the horrifying incident.

That was...a Spiritual Robot?

So scary!

If he was there for real, he would have been dead.

How could such a scary Spiritual Robot exist?

That lady still stood at the same spot. She frowned, "What happened?"

"Seventh Princess, I was wiped out by a Spiritual Robot." Xing Guan could not stop smiling awkwardly. He fearfully described what happened.

The lady was intrigued. She sighed softly and said, "It's our mistake. We should've known who they are. How could we visit using our figure? How disrespectful."

Xing Guan asked, "Seventh Princess, what should we do next?"

"Pay them a visit, of course," said the Seventh Princess without hesitation. Then, she said, "But you have to be cautious this time. Don't offend the expert's rules, and be mindful when you talk. Otherwise..."

"I got it." Xing Guan felt a chill go down his spine.

He had to be careful. Any mistake could send him to his grave.

He bowed and said, "Seventh Princess, I'll be on my way."

"Wait."

The Seventh Prince groaned for a moment. She flicked her wrist and out came a long silver needle. It glistened. "Take this as a greeting gift. You must clear up the misunderstanding that happened just now."

Xing Guan looked shocked. He said, "Seventh Princess, isn't this greeting gift too valuable? We..."

"Say less. This represents our sincerity." The Seventh Princess waved him away. "Go."

Xing Guan looked like he was in pain for a moment. He saluted and said, "I...got it."

Chapter 276

Kaboom!

Thunder rumbled loudly in the sky.

A bolt of lightning flashed during the daytime.

Xing Guan simply recollected himself mid-air. He brushed away some charred hair from his beard. Then, he rode on a cloud toward the four-part architecture.

He picked a spot further away from the four-part architecture so he would not disturb the expert.

His cloud was a much cooler ride than the others. First of all, his cloud was in the shape of a spiral. Not only did he have clouds underneath him, he also had a lot of decorative small clouds around him. He looked like he was surrounded by clouds, it was very cool.

He was fast on a cloud, too. He soon arrived at the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

He remembered how powerful Xiao Bai was. He felt a chill. Even the doorman was so scary. Who was the owner of the four-part architecture exactly?

He groaned for a moment. He did not dare to ride on the cloud uphill so he parked his cloud at the foot of the mountain.

He had to show respect so he walked uphill on foot. He eliminated every element that the expert might be displeased with.

There were no obstacles or problems on his way up.

Soon, he saw the four-part architecture.

He jolted and walked slowly.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Trembling, he knocked on the door.

Then, he waited anxiously as he felt his heart jump out of his throat.

It had been so many years since he felt that nervous.

He did not know why but at that moment, he was more fearful than when he interned at the Heavenly Palace. He was not that nervous when he visited all sorts of bigshots.

His gut feeling from those years of experience was telling him something. It was telling him that the expert was beyond extraordinary!

Creak.

The door swung open. It was still Xiao Bai.

He hurriedly bowed out of respect. He said in a trembling voice, "I'm a humble Taoist who's passing through this land. Sorry for the unwanted visit. Please, forgive my intrusion."

Xiao Bai stared at him and asked, "Do you know the rules of this place?"

Xing Guan was taken aback. He had an idea and flicked his wrist. He took out a rare Spiritual Stone and smiled apologetically. "My mistake. This is a small token of appreciation."

Xiao Bai took the Spiritual Stone and simply crushed it, crushing the Spiritual Stone into bits. 𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Xiao Bai quietly stared at Xing Guan with red eyes.

Yikes—

Xing Guan was horrified. He did not know what to do. He could already sense his death. Even his beard started to stand on ends. He went cold all over.

Xiao Bai's red eyes were the nightmare of his lifetime.

"I—I—I—I..." he stuttered. He almost cried and he started to spout nonsense. "The expert lives in this realm as an ordinary man. I shouldn't have disturbed the expert. I'm wrong, can I please go?"

Xiao Bai stopped with the red eyes.

Xiao Bai calmly said, "My Master enjoys his disguise. Don't ruin his experience as an ordinary man. Otherwise...instant death!"

Xing Guan was already on the ground. He was slightly baffled.

He did not expect to be alive. He hurriedly replied, "Uh-huh, I got it! Thanks for the tip. Thanks for sparing my life, Sir."

Xiao Bai's eyes were red again. "My name's Xiao Bai. I'm just an ordinary homestay robot, got it?"

"Got it, I understand!"

Xing Guan did not know what a robot was but he did not dare to ask. He did not dare to speak. He only nodded frantically.

"Xiao Bai, why are you at the door for so long? Do we have guests?" asked Li Nianfan curiously.

Xiao Bai replied in a professional tone, "My noble master, there's a stranger who's passing by. Should we let him in?"

A stranger? How rare.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Anyone who comes is a guest, let him in."

Xing Guan hurriedly got up and dusted the dirt off his butt. He rubbed his stiffened face and walked in.

He wanted to turn around and run. It was too dangerous, too scary.

However, he was like a bow on an arrow, he had to take his shot.

Xing Guan was a fantastic actor. He soon adjusted himself and said, "Sir, I'm a humble Taoist that was passing by. I saw this place and thought it was simple yet elegant. I got curious so I tried to visit. Please, forgive my intrusion."

Li Nianfan smiled. "It's not an intrusion. Please, sit."

Suddenly, Urchin asked, smiling, "Brother Guan, do you remember me?"

Xing Guan looked at Urchin and jumped. "You-you're..."

"That's right. It's me, the big Carp Demon." Urchin immediately interrupted him while smiling. Then, he said, "Who would've thought I'd see you here at Mr. Li's place. That's fate."

Li Nianfan was surprised. "You guys know each other?"

Urchin replied honestly, "Yeah, it's been a while. He's one of my oldest friends. Mr. Li, let me introduce you. This is Taoist Xinghe."

It seemed like the old man was also a cultivator.

So, Urchin was a Carp Demon. What was the old man?

Li Nianfan nodded. He met a lot of cultivators so he did not ask a lot of questions. He smiled and said, "I see, Taoist Xinghe. My name's Li Nianfan."

Taoist Xinghe hurriedly saluted, "Mr. Li."

He suddenly ran into a friend so he felt much calmer. He started to observe his surroundings carefully.

There were a lot of people in the small yard. Next to Urchin was a black-robed elder with a long sword. He was a sword cultivator but Xing Guan could not figure out how powerful he was.

He glanced at the Fire Phoenix and Daji. They were more stunning than the Seventh Princess. He would not dare to offend them.

Huh? That little fox was a Nine-Tailed Fox?

The little dragon girl, Dragin. Did the Dragon King bring his daughter here?

There was a little human girl, too. However, her aura was extraordinary. He felt like she might devour his powers. She was awesome.

Bigshots. A house full of bigshots. He could not mess with any of them.

Plop!

He saw a Firefinch Demon at the corner of the yard. It laid an egg, which fell safely into the egg basket.

"Cool!"

His heart raced as his worldview shattered. He hurriedly looked away and noticed everyone had a bowl in hand.

A bunch of bigshots holding bowls. It was somehow quite a funny sight.

He noticed that everyone was gathered around a pot. The pot had some leftovers and it smelled good.

What a nice scent.

He sniffed and looked closely at the leftovers in the pot.

His eyes widened with shock. The Immortal Qi was intense in the pot. Power of Law seemed to flow in it!

Although it was just the leftovers, it still felt overwhelming.

"Heavenly Soup, this must be Heavenly Soup!"

The taste must be smooth and lingering. It shimmered in its essence.

He was a man of knowledge and he was also a foodie. He soon detected it was an extraordinary soup!

Of course. This was the house of the expert. Also, so many bigshots were sitting around with bowls. How could the soup be ordinary?

Taoist Xinghe felt his heart race. He started to tear up. He took in the aroma in the air and gulped.

Li Nianfan felt slightly awkward. "Taoist Xinghe, how unfortunate. We just finished the dessert soup. Sorry about that."

Taoist Xinghe licked his lips and asked, "Mr. Li, there's still a bit left in the pot, right?"

Li Nianfan shook his head and said, "That's the leftovers. I'm about to throw it away. It'd be rude if I let you drink that."

"It's not rude at all."

Taoist Xinghe felt a sting in his heart. He still tried his best to say, "Mr. Li, there's still a lot left in the pot. I don't think it's considered leftovers. Also, it smells so good, I'm getting hungry. I really want to try it and it'd be a waste to throw it away."

"That...isn't good," frowned Li Nianfan.

Urchin explained, "Mr. Li, cultivators don't have a lot of hobbies, so they never want to miss out on good food."

True. Cultivators were very passionate about their likes and dislikes because they lived for a long time.

Li Nianfan hesitated and said, "Fine. If you don't mind, please, help yourself."

"Thank you, Mr. Li."

Taoist Xinghe was overjoyed. He looked at Urchin with gratefulness and hurriedly scooped a bowl for himself.

He sipped on it.

Slurp!

He was drunk from the delicious flavor. The smoothness of the milk flowed into his throat. It felt like a massage.

He did not chug it down. Instead, he savored it.

The milk of the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. Honey from the Golden Bees. And...that papaya. Power of Law came from the papaya. Was it perhaps a Spiritual Root?

So many treasures in such a small pot!

Luxurious, too luxurious!

He never had the chance to taste such delicacy before, not even when he interned at the Heavenly Palace. The ambrosia would definitely be the final dessert of the Flat Peach Feast!

Thankfully, he shamelessly asked to try it. Otherwise, he would have missed out and regretted it for the rest of his life.

Who would have thought that the old glory days were over but he was still lucky enough to taste such delicacy? Life was full of pleasant surprises!

Soon, the bowl of soup was finished. He still tried to scoop out the remaining leftovers. He would wash it down with water to avoid wasting a single drop, but he stayed rational.

Li Nianfan silently stood by and watched.

No wonder he would take the leftovers. The old man was a classic foodie.

However, it meant that his cooking was truly delicious. People loved his cooking no matter who it was.

Taoist Xinghe put down his bowl and complimented, "Delicious. So delicious! I've never eaten anything so delicious in my entire life."

Li Nianfan felt slightly awkward. "Taoist Xinghe, that's making me slightly embarrassed. I'm sorry you had to eat the leftovers."

Taoist Xinghe jumped. He could not allow a bigshot to apologize to him. He hurriedly smiled apologetically and said, "No, not at all! Mr. Li, I should thank you for the delicious food."

"Haha, you're welcome." Li Nianfan laughed. No wonder he was friends with Urchin. He was also another friendly cultivator.

He suddenly remembered the seed he had with him. It would dry out and die if he did not plant it.

That was his wine gourd. How could he forget?

He hurriedly stood up and said, "Everyone, I suddenly remembered that I have to plant something in the backyard. Excuse me for a moment."

Chapter 277

They watched Li Nianfan walk to the backyard with a shovel. Urchin thought of his ancestor in the backyard. His lip twitched and he asked, "Mr. Li, can we follow you?"

Li Nianfan casually replied, "Why not? But the backyard's just full of dirt and trees. Nothing interesting."

What a humble statement.

He was secretly proud of his backyard. With his tender care, the backyard was like a fancy back garden. Even the fruit trees were trimmed and planted well. The crops were fabulous and he had a lot of decorative plants, too. It was beautiful.

Urchin and Xiao Chengfeng were energetic because Li Nianfan agreed. They followed him. Daji would naturally follow Li Nianfan, too. It caused everyone to follow suit.

Taoist Xinghe could not just sit there. He followed out of curiosity, too.

Why did it feel like a group trip?

Creak...

The door to the backyard swung open.

Suddenly, everyone was focused. They saw the backyard through the opened door and felt eldritch-era vibes.

The vibes...

Urchin, Xiao Chengfeng, and Taoist Xinghe were stunned. They were the ones who felt it the most. They teared up from reminiscing.

Because... They were people from that era.

The backyard was way different compared to the outside of the four-part architecture. The backyard was pure. Not pure as in naïve, but pure as in clean.

It had no messy substance at all. No Spiritual Qi!

The Eldritch eras had no Spiritual Qi. It was filled with Immortal Qi instead. Insights were everywhere, powers were overwhelming, a lot of strong forces existed, and the sky was full of Immortals. It was glorious. It would make an Immortal feel embarrassed to show up.

Times were different. Cultivators took over and became the elites.

The three of them trembled as they stepped into the backyard with devotion in their hearts.

Then, they all took a deep breath simultaneously.

"Ah—Wonderful!"

They looked over at the bushes of flowers, the green forest, and the flowing river streams. It was a unique sight to behold. It did not look much different from ordinary scenery but it did somehow feel like Heaven.

It was kind of like looking at the same clothes. They look the same but they could tell it was made from different materials.

The materials were too different.

Taoist Xinghe observed closely. He was reminiscing about a previous era, but he was also trying to achieve a mission.

Incredible, the place was incredible.

'Seventh Princess, you can't possibly imagine what the place looks like. He's a massive bigshot.'

He first saw the Five-Color-Sacred Cow who was eating the grass. It wagged its tail and looked at everyone curiously. When the Sacred Cow saw Li Nianfan, it spread its legs like it was ready to be milked.

How self-aware.

Then, he saw the surrounding plants. A lovely fruity scent could be smelled. He did not need to cultivate to feel his powers growing.

He finally knew why that papaya contained the Power of Law. It was because...the papaya was from the backyard. It was filled with Spiritual Plants!

He looked at the tree again. It was full of fruits, glistening and cool. They were all Spiritual Fruits!

When he interned at the Heavenly Palace, he would only have one Spiritual Fruit every 100 years if he was lucky.

He was from the eldritch eras and he survived natural tribulations. He was a man of knowledge and he considered himself a calm person. However, he was still shocked by the backyard.

Incredibly terrifying!

Buzz...

A little bee happily buzzed by in the flowers as it collected honey.

A few curious bees surrounded Taoist Xinghe. It made him stiffen up. He did not dare to move.

Golden Bees.

Those were Golden Bees. Even in eldritch eras, the Heavenly Palace spent a lot of costs to capture it. In the end, they could not even tame a Golden Bee!

Did the Golden Bees settle down in the backyard?

No wonder the expert could simply drink milk from the Five-Color Sacred Cow and eat honey from the Golden Bees. Those were just the tip of the iceberg in his backyard.

Truly the life of a bigshot. Unimaginable happiness.

Li Nianfan noticed that everyone was mesmerized. He laughed and asked, "How is it? Is it nice?"

"Ni—nice. Super nice!"

Urchin and the others nodded. They were beyond shocked. They had lived for a long time and they knew they had a fancy vocabulary. However, they could not think of words to compliment the place. The backyard was indescribable.

"I thought so, too," laughed Li Nianfan. Then, he said, "Too bad I still have a lot of empty spaces. I worry that my plants are too repetitive. It would affect the look, so I cleaned it out and waited for new things to plant. I'm not sure when I can fill it up."

He looked excited. As a certified farmer, he wanted his back garden to be perfect. However, he had not found the suitable plants yet.

The Immortal Realm was great, but there was too little variety in plants. It was not interesting enough.

There it was!

The hint of the expert!

Everyone was intrigued. They were not surprised. They were joyous instead.

It was a huge honor to work for the expert.

They looked at the things in the backyard again and suddenly felt stressed.

There were various plants and they were extraordinary species. It seemed like they had to work hard on it.

They all looked at each other. There were sparks in the air as they viewed each other as competition.

Taoist Xinghe hurriedly said, "Mr. Li, I know a few rare species of plants. I'll take notice of some when I go back."

Bootlicker!

Xiao Chengfeng and Urchin secretly cursed. They were too late. They hurriedly added on, "Mr. Li, we can do it, too."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Thanks, everyone. It'd be nice if you could, but don't force yourselves."

It was so nice to be friends with helpful cultivators.

He continued to walk in the backyard. Soon, they were at the center of the backyard, next to the pond.

Everyone followed as they stepped on the grass. It made small crunchy noises but the sounds hammered on their hearts.

They were stepping on Spiritual Herbs!

They thought to themselves, "Mother, Father, look at me now. I'm stepping on Spiritual Herbs."

Urchin looked at the nearby pond. He had a complex gaze.

Was his ancestor hidden inside the pond? No wonder he stayed. If he could live in the backyard, he would not want to leave, too!

He thought about it and calmed himself down. He chose to not disturb his ancestor.

Li Nianfan took out the gourd seed. He observed it before roughly digging a hole. He placed it in the hole and stared at it. He fell into deep thought.

Everyone else was silent because Li Nianfan did not say anything. They did not dare to breathe hard.

Daji squatted and helped Li Nianfan up. "Any problems?"

"This seed is eight percent dead. It's not hard to revive it but it won't bear fruits for a year or two."

Li Nianfan frowned. He was relying on the gourd to be a bottle for his wine. A year or two was not much for a cultivator, but for him, it was a long time.

"Seems like I have to rush its growth." Li Nianfan stood up and said, "Wait for me, I'm going to get some growth serum."

He walked out from the backyard and ran to the storage room.

Everyone let go of their breaths when Li Nianfan left. They were as stressed as Alexander the Great around the expert.

Urchin looked at Taoist Xinghe. He smiled and said, "Xinghe, who knew you'd still be alive."

"You're alive too, right?" laughed Taoist Xinghe. He asked, "You're the Dragon King now?"

Urchin nodded. "Yeah. How about you? If you're having a rough time, you can come to my Dragon Palace."

Taoist Xinghe laughed and said, "I'm working for the Seventh Princess. She gave me the title 'Xing Guan' to work amongst the stars. You want to hire me?"

The two looked at each other and smiled. However, they suddenly teared up, feeling bittersweet.

It was a simple conversation but it contained so many unforgettable memories. They could not help but reminisce.

At that time, Urchin was still a rebellious Dragon Prince. Xinghe was a small deity working for the stars. The Heavenly Palace did not get along with the Dragon Palace. So, Urchin would cause trouble during the night. The two of them became close friends over time.

At that time, they had no ambitions. They were the punk duo.

They would never have imagined that the realm would end up like that.

Urchin was a Dragon King, but he was a Dragon King when the Dragons were facing extinction. It was an empty title. Xinghe was known as Xing Guan who lost the Star Realm. He felt like he was nothing.

If they could have it their way, they would rather not have anything. All they wanted was to go back to the eldritch eras.

Urchin said, "At that time, all the elites of my Dragon kind went away. They were on the move. In the end, they had to shut the Dragon Door. I was stuck inside and had no idea what was going on outside. Xinghe, do you know what happened?"

"I luckily survived, too. I only know a bit of it," Xinghe said and paused. "The natural tribulation was the first sign. It represents the rise of the Demons. Chaos ensued. It annihilated some Buddhism sects. Then, the battle between Buddhists and Demons never stopped. They battled for more than ten thousand years. Humans began to rise. They're against the Demons. Perhaps they were arrogant, as they chose to battle the Demons. The Above Immortal Realm was more than ridiculous. Some supported the humans, and some supported the Demons. We also fought in the end."

Urchin said, "I know about that. There were a lot of internal conflicts. They fought their own kind."

The Fire Phoenix frowned and said, "It's just meaningless conflict. How did it end up so badly?"

Xinghe helplessly said, "I only know that much. I have no access to the deeper reason."

Dragin interrupted, "I know. Is the leader of the Demons named Lawless?"

Xinghe was slightly taken aback. "How did you know?"

Dragin smiled and said, "Brother told me so. I also know about the Gautama Buddha and Wukong."

Xinghe looked serious. He said in a low voice, "You're talking about 'Journey to the West', right? During that era, I wasn't born yet. But I confirmed it with the Seventh Princess. It seems like the contents of the story is real."

"Brother's from the eldritch eras. Those were his personal experiences. It's real of course."

Dragin pouted and said, "Sister Nana knows the goal of the expert."

Everyone looked at Nanan.

Nanan was slightly surprised. Then, she said in an unsure tone, "I think Brother Nianfan's going against Fate."

Everyone raised their eyebrows in shock.

Daji did not look happy at all. "Why so?"

Nanan immediately told them about what happened in the Chuchen Town. Then, she looked angry. She said with determination, "I have to find out who's behind it and avenge my Master!"

Xiao Chengfeng looked like he realized something. He said, "I see. So, the expert's going against Fate. That means I have to be his frontline."

The Fire Phoenix fell into deep thought. She said, "Yes. In a faraway era, humans were considered the elites of the realm. After the big tribulation, humans became incredibly unlucky. It's the circle of Fate in the realm."

Daji had sparkles in her eyes. "Master wants to rebuild the eldritch eras. Change the fate of the world. We have to help him!"

Urchin said, "I don't understand any of it, but I do know how powerful the expert is. I'm going with the expert for sure."

Everyone was previously troubled because they did not know what the expert was up to. They pieced it together and felt uplifted. It was as if they figured it out, as if they realized their value to the expert.

Blackie quietly laid on a tree. Blackie looked at the bunch who were having a wild discussion, then looked at the sky. Blackie yawned. "Master's going against Fate? Why don't I know about it?"

Li Nianfan walked over with a glass container as small as a thumb.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at the small glass container.

It was filled with a translucent liquid, not much different from normal water.

"This is the growth serum. It's a kind of fertilizer that can speed up the growth of the plant," explained Li Nianfan while he poured it on the seed.

The liquid was quickly absorbed by the dirt. Then, everyone could feel the rapid growth of the seed. They witnessed the sprout come out from the dirt with a 'pop'!

Most importantly, the sprout emitted an odd liveliness. It was astounding to look at.

Heavenly Spiritual Plant!

Was the seed a Heavenly Spiritual Plant?

Moreover, was the growth serum so effective? It could speed up the growth of a Heavenly Spiritual Plant?

A Heavenly Spiritual Root was raised by the realm. It would not fully grow unless it has been millions of years.

"This..."

Taoist Xinghe felt his worldview crumble. His mind was buzzing. He could not believe what he was seeing.

It could not be described as legendary. It was completely magical. Not even Fate could do that.

The expert defied the Laws of Nature with the liquid.

"Awesome, right? This stuff is rare and limited. I won't use it unless I have to," laughed Li Nianfan. Then, he said, "It can be used to speed up ordinary plants."

The Heavenly Spiritual Plant was considered an ordinary plant?

Everyone moved their mouths but no words came out.

Urchin twitched. He stiffened and looked at the glass container. He forced a smile and said, "Ha, this growth serum's truly magical. You should use it sparingly since you only have one container of it."

Li Nianfan replied, "Oh, I have more. Not a lot though. Just a full bucket ."

Chapter 278

"A bucket will be... Huh? A bucket?!" Taoist Xinghe widened his eyes at Li Nianfan. He could not believe his ears.

Li Nianfan nodded, "Yeah. Mainly because the growth serum's too hard to make and the ingredients are hard to get, too. So, I have to use it sparingly. Limited stuff is precious, after all."

The bucket of growth serum was awarded to him by the System. If he made it himself, he would need a lot of equipment. Moreover, it was a tedious process. Li Nianfan did not plan to invest in science in the Immortal Realm. He simply forgot about it.

'Ha, you could make it?'

'But you didn't because it's hard to make?'

'Is that how a bigshot usually speaks? Sorry, I'm not used to it.'

Everyone lost their ability to think. They were stunned by how cool he was.

'Can Saints create a serum like that?'

'No, wait, can serums speed up the process of a Heavenly Spiritual Plant?'

More importantly, the seed was an extraordinary Heavenly Spiritual Plant. It was a holy seed.

They were not Saints, so they could not understand how powerful a Saint was. However, it would be difficult for a Saint to do so.

Li Nianfan looked at the sprout of the seed. He instantly laughed. "That's better, much faster."

He looked at the glass container at hand that had very little serum left. He was too lazy to bring it back. He walked over to a nearby tree and poured out the remaining serum.

The little tree had a strong stem. The leaves were green and glistening. It looked like it was growing neatly. It was a kind of decorative tree.

It would look good when it was fully grown. It would be decorative for the backyard.

The liquid was instantly absorbed by the little tree. The branches moved with the wind. The leaves were instantly brighter.

An indescribable aura appeared and everyone noticed it.

It seemed like the realm was starting to change again.

No one was sure what it was. However, they felt it. The Immortal Qi of the backyard was more intense.

They stared at the little tree in a daze. They suddenly wanted to worship it.

"Alright. I'm done. Time to go."

Li Nianfan pulled them back to reality with his voice. They instantly snapped out of it. They were sweating.

They all looked at that small tree anxiously and tried to conceal their shock.

'Heavenly Spiritual Plant? Or more than that?'

They could not imagine what it was, but they knew they could not mess with it.

They watched Li Nianfan return to the yard. Everyone took a final look at the backyard then slowly followed Li Nianfan.

They looked at the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. Urchin was envious and jealous of the cow.

He whispered in a low voice, "If I could, I'm willing to be that cow in the backyard. It gets to stay in paradise just by producing milk. How lucky."

Xiao Chengfeng whispered back, "If I could, I'd be one of the little bees. They can stay here and collect honey from Spiritual Plants."

Taoist Xinghe said, "I'll be a Spiritual Herb here. I'd be happy to be a blade of grass."

They started to argue about the ridiculous topic.

"I'm willing to be a leaf here."

"I'm willing to be a drop of water here."

"I'm willing to be the dirt here!"

Suddenly, the Fire Phoenix chimed in. She sneered, "Look at the dirt beneath your feet. Are you even worthy?"

Urchin and the others were slightly taken aback. They looked at the reddish-brown dirt under their feet.

They noticed that the dirt was equally spread. It did not feel dirty at all. The dirt would not cling to their feet because it had no interest in doing so.

Urchin picked up some dirt.

"So heavy!"

He picked up a small pinch of dirt. He almost could not lift it. He was a Dragon, he was not a weakling.

Such scary dirt!

The dirt was filled with the Power of Weight and the Power of Life!

He smiled awkwardly and put down the dirt. "Dirt, sorry for the disturbance. I'm not worthy."

Taoist Xinghe asked in his most seductive voice, "Goddess Fire Phoenix, can I pack some dirt back?"

The Fire Phoenix smiled. "I want to find out, too. You can try to pack it and take it away."

Xiao Chengfeng gulped. "Goddess Fire Phoenix, can the dirt...be eaten?"

Soon, they were out of the backyard.

Urchin watched the backyard door close slowly. He felt sentimental. "Ancestor, you're living in such bliss!"

Then, he looked at his oblivious and ungrateful daughter. He said, "Dragon, this backyard is a marvelous place. It's a great honor to be working for the expert. Go play in the backyard more when you can."

"What's so fun about the backyard?" pouted Dragon. "I have to chop wood and carry buckets of water every day in the backyard. So tiring."

Urchin stopped breathing. He almost died from depression right there. He pursed his lips and stopped talking.

'That's not a sentence from someone with a conscience!'

Xiao Chengfeng knew it was time to say goodbye. He said, "Mr. Li, we've disturbed you long enough. We should go now."

"Yeah, Mr. Li. Thanks for the hospitality," said Urchin.

"Mr. Li, this is my first visit. I didn't prepare anything. Please, don't mind my small token of appreciation."

Taoist Xinghe was feeling awkward. He remembered when he thought the gift from the Seventh Princess was too luxurious. Now, he thought it might be too cheap for the expert.

He felt like he had just visited a billionaire and ate shark fin and abalones, but only repaying him with a carton of eggs.

Sigh, it was his first time feeling like he was unprepared.

He took out the silver needles.

Li Nianfan was surprised. "These are...needles?"

He took it from Taoist Xinghe and looked at it curiously.

The needles were silver and shiny. They looked exactly like the silver needles from his past realm. Nice-looking needles.

There were thirty identical needles in total, the length of two palms. It was more like a craft project, very well-made and refined.

The needles made Li Nianfan miss his past life. He used needles like that to croquet.

Another polite cultivator.

He smiled and said, "You are so courteous. I don't need things like visiting gifts."

Taoist Xinghe thought Li Nianfan was unimpressed. He immediately went pale and was extremely nervous. He said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Li, this is my sincerity. Please, don't mind it."

"Alright, thanks. The needles are very useful to me." Li Nianfan accepted the needles.

He suddenly remembered.

He did not know how to sew, but he could use the needles as barbeque sticks!

How did he forget? The Barbecue was super delicious. Would it not be nice to make barbeque lamb sticks?

"Good, good." Taoist Xinghe sighed in relief and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

No one would believe that he had cold sweat because he felt troubled giving away an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure.

Going along with a bigshot was like going along with a tiger.

The others could tell that it was an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure, the Cloud Needles.

Each needle could easily destroy the defense of an Immortal. Thirty needles were very horrifying. It would be unstoppable. More importantly, the needles could be merged into one for a stronger attack. The attack was as good as a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!

However, it was indeed too cheap.

The expert simply gave Daji the bracelet which was a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. What about it?

Everyone shook their heads. They felt like they were being too arrogant thinking that the Ultimate Spiritual Treasure was not good enough for them.

Taoist Xinghe said, "Mr. Li, I should be going, too."

Li Nianfan nodded and said, "Yeah. Goodbye, fellas."

They walked out of the four-part architecture. Urchin was still emotional.

They thought about being a guest at the house of a bigshot. They felt hot and thought it was dreamy.

Especially everything in the backyard. Every item in the backyard was a treasure from the eldritch eras. More importantly... The items were too extraordinary. It turned their worlds upside down.

Urchin said, "The expert's on a whole new level, it's unimaginable. He could magically revive things, whatever. But he could also turn magical things into miracles. So horrifying."

"Well, duh?" Xiao Chengfeng glanced at him judgmentally. He laughed and exclaimed, "Let me ask you this. If the expert couldn't do that, how could he recreate a scene from the eldritch eras?"

Taoist Xinghe exclaimed, "Yeah. The glory of the eldritch eras can't be easily recreated. He can change realms!"

He was in awe. He was mostly excited.

If the expert could recreate the eldritch eras, there would be a sky full of stars, glorious palaces, endless fields, endless Immortal Qi, and endless treasures...

So beautiful, so majestic.

'Stop thinking about it or I'll cry.'

It was easy to destroy things. However...recreation was difficult. Too difficult!

Destruction and recreation were two different things, they were not on the same level.

Urchin nodded and exclaimed, "Only the expert could do that!"

Xiao Chengfeng looked cold. He said in a determined voice, "It's the expert's choice. We can't do much to help him. But if anyone dared to stop him, I'd kill them with my sword!"

Taoist Xinghe sighed and said, "Too bad we know too little about the eldritch eras. Otherwise, we could help the expert more."

Urchin said, "The Seventh Princess would know. You can ask her."

Taoist Xinghe rolled his eyes. He said, "This is one of her taboos. How can I ask?"

Xiao Chengfeng suddenly asked, "Cultivator Urchin, isn't your ancestor alive? You could ask your ancestor."

"How did you know?" Urchin looked at Xiao Chengfeng with shock. Then, he sighed and said, "Dragon told you? That kiddo's so unreliable!"

Xiao Chengfeng silently looked at him. He calmly said, "That Five-Color-Sacred Cow told me so."

Urchin was baffled. "Oh? Really... I see."

Taoist Xinghe was weirded out by the side. "Your ancestor? The old Dragon King?"

"Yeah. Seems like I can't hide it anymore. This is the biggest secret of the Dragons so please, don't tell anyone that my ancestor's still alive!"

Urchin said in a mysterious voice, "Also... My ancestor's living in the expert's backyard."

Gasp—

Taoist Xinghe twitched. He was not shocked that the old Dragon King was alive. Instead, he was shocked that the old Dragon King lived in the expert's backyard.

He twitched for a while and slowly got a grip of himself. He said in a jealous voice, "What a breakthrough, what a huge opportunity! Your ancestor's so freaking lucky. I'm so envious."

"Sigh, I feel the same way, too!"

Urchin was slightly sad. His ancestor and his child had such breakthroughs while he was caught in the middle. What a miserable situation.

He reminded them, "My ancestor doesn't want to be found out. Please, keep it a secret."

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," Taoist Xinghe nodded and smiled. Then, he flew away. "Today's too important. I have to report everything to the Seventh Princess. She'd freak out if she knew the expert plans to recreate the eldritch eras. Goodbye, cultivators!"

"Goodbye!"

Chapter 279

At the Above Immortal Realm.

Gu Yuan and Payne were at a sandy wasteland.

The area was vacant and it was surrounded by steep mountains. It was not tall but it looked majestic.

Gu Yuan and Payne were standing in front of a square platform. There were tall pillars at the sides of the platform. It looked cool and powerful.

It looked antique. They could almost see its previous glory.

However, it was covered in dust. The platform and the pillars were covered in a layer of dust. One of the pillars was broken.

Payne frowned. He asked in a worried voice, "Why is Old Man Changqing not here yet?"

Gu Yuan looked at the platform and replied, "Is he dead from Space Turbulence? It can't be. My grandson isn't that weak. Unless he's unlucky?"

Then, the abandoned platform shimmered. The shimmers formed into a door on the platform.

It was like a Delivery Array. A figure slowly came out from the door.

The figure had a messy appearance. His white hair was untidy and there were a lot of scratches on his body, too. The figure simply adjusted his appearance and sighed in relief.

It was Gu Changqing.

Gu Yuan asked, "Changqing, why so slow?"

"The Space Turbulence is too strong. There's chaos everywhere. I have no idea which direction I'm heading. Thankfully, you two gave me tips. Otherwise, I would've been lost in there," said Gu Changqing in a grateful tone.

Then, he observed the platform. He asked in an unsure voice, "This is the reception place?"

Gu Yuan nodded. "Right."

"It's so ugly?" Gu Changqing could not help but frown. He was hugely disappointed. He said, "Isn't there a saying that there'd be rewards when you immortalize? Where is the Feixian Pond?"

Payne pointed at a hole in front of him. "There. There's a hole, right? Should I fill it with water for you? Want to jump in and see how it feels?"

"That's it?"

Gu Changqing was baffled. "How did it end up like this?"

"The bridge to immortality was broken. No one was immortal anymore so this place was abandoned."

Payne reminisced, "I remember when I was immortalized. This place was crowded. You had to line up to bathe. Who would've thought that the glorious bath would be gone just like that?"

Gu Changqing was not having it. "What about me then?"

Gu Yuan said, "Give it a rest. The Above Immortal Realm is far from the previous eras. Immortal Qi's decreasing year after year. We have to fight for Immortal Qi as a resource and the water from the pond was drunk dry."

Gu Changqing frowned in realization. "They drank the water from the pond. What a bunch of animals."

Payne did not look happy. "Shut up! It's not easy for anyone these days. You just immortalized, go sign up at the Azure Ville Sect."

"Oh, yeah. Something huge happened in the Above Immortal Realm recently! Let's talk while we walk." Gu Yuan looked excited so it had to be good news.

The three of them rode on clouds towards the Azure Ville Sect.

Gu Changqing asked excitedly, "Grandpa, what is it?"

Gu Yuan asked in a low voice, "Do you remember the Lord Immortal I told you about?"

Gu Changqing nodded. He remembered that the Lord Immortal was a Golden Immortal. Extremely powerful with Immortal Qi flowing in him—the terrifying Golden Immortal.

He said worriedly, "I remember that the Lord Immortal captured the ancestor's lover."

Gu Yuan nodded, "Yes, but actually a lot of things happened. It's dangerous and risky. You're still a child so we didn't bring you along."

Gu Changqing felt like he should have become an Immortal sooner. He said curiously, "It must be good from the looks of it. Quick, tell me everything."

"Alright, here's what happened..."

Payne and Gu Yuan told him every detail.

Gu Changqing was mesmerized by the story. He wished that he could witness the glory of the expert. He could only say respectfully, "The expert's truly an expert."

"Not done yet!"

Payne laughed. He was pleased. He made fun of the Lord Immortal, "That Lord Immortal's Liuyun Palace faced a natural tribulation that day. According to sources, the storm tribulation was extremely scary. Skies went dark, everyone was fearful, and half of the Liuyun Palace was struck down by lightning!"

Gasp—

"Awesome!"

Gu Changqing was astounded. He said, "The works of the expert, it must be the works of the expert! He challenged the expert so he faced his fate."

"I thought so, too!"

Gu Yuan nodded and burst out laughing. "But that's just the start of it. Rumor has it that the Lord Immortal's being hunted by a Five-Color-Sacred Cow. He can't get rid of it no matter where he goes. It's been days. It's a popular topic in the Above Immortal Realm."

Gu Changqing was shocked. "Is this also the work of an expert?"

Payne shook his head. "Not sure. According to reliable sources, he sneakily drank milk from the cow's daughter. Not only that, he captured the cow's daughter for the milk. He has a new title now. He's known as the Milk-Drinking Maniac."

"So crazy? He'd rather have milk than his life!" exclaimed Gu Changqing.

The three of them chatted and laughed. They arrived at the Azure Ville Sect.

They looked joyful and had smiles on their faces.

"Yo, the three elders? You're so nice. You knew that we were coming so you waited at the door to welcome us, right?"

Payne looked up and smiled. He said, "Let me introduce my descendant to you all. This is Gu Changqing."

The Big Elder looked troubled. He said in a low voice, "Sect Master, stop with the introduction. Someone huge is here in our sect!"

Payne was slightly taken aback. "Who's here?"

The Big Elder moved his mouth, "The Liuyun Lord Immortal!"

"Liuyun... Lord Immortal?!"

Payne's voice cracked. He was fully awake.

Gu Yuan looked horrified, too. "Big Elder, you're joking, right?"

The Big Elder shook his head. "I'm not joking. He wanted to see you and he won't leave!"

Payne felt weak in his knees.

It was over. It was all over for him. He was probably here for revenge.

He just made fun of the Lord Immortal. Suddenly, he became the butt of the joke. Karma was too fast.

He turned around without hesitation. "Go. Does it look like we can stay here? Hurry up and run!"

A powerful aura rose inside the Azure Ville Sect before he could run. It targeted Payne and the others. A middle-aged man appeared in front of everyone in a flash.

Everybody stood still. They even stopped breathing as they felt their hair stand on ends. They were ready to fight for their lives.

The man slowly lifted his arm. He saluted and said in a friendly voice, "You must be the Sect Master of the Azure Ville Sect, Cultivator Payne, right? I am Ye Liuyun. There was a misunderstanding. I came here to apologize."

Payne pursed his lips. Then, he asked, "Liuyun Palace Master, what's going on?"

Ye Liuyun had a hoarse voice. He could not conceal his sorrow. "I came here to apologize. I want to ask all of you to help me beg for mercy from the expert. Please, spare me."

"This..."

Payne and the others were stunned.

They looked weirdly at Ye Liuyun and noticed something.

Ye Liuyun was completely different from the previous Ye Liuyun. He was no longer luxurious, he looked more like a lost soul looking for refuge. He had dirt on his face and his clothes were full of holes. One of his sleeves was gone. His face was pale and he was injured.

There was one word that could describe him—tragic.

Payne was quiet. He was so cool when he passed the painting scroll to him. It had only been a short while before he became like that. Life was full of changes.

"Everyone, I was wrong. I made a mistake."

Ye Liuyun stared at everyone with tears in his eyes. "That cow's crazy, it won't listen to me. It's determined to kill me. It's crazy! Please, spare me, I beg you!"

At that moment, Ye Liuyun looked like an arrogant teenager who was violently dealt with by society.

He tried everything but still could not get rid of the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. He used up all his items, but his life was still being seriously threatened. That cow also loved to attack the butt.

The impactful attack with its cow horn...

Ye Liuyun shivered. He clenched his butthole and felt cold. He did not want to think about it. It was a nightmare!

His Liuyun Palace was destroyed. Everyone was making fun of him. Moreover, his life and his butt were on the line. He was truly desperate. He had to cave in.

Payne asked, "Liuyun Palace Master, why did the cow attack you?"

Ye Liuyun shook his head, "I don't know why either! But I heard that the Nine-Tailed Fox, Dragon King, and the Fire Phoenix worked together to capture its daughter. I thought about it and in my list of people I've offended, only your expert can pull off a scheme like that."

Nine-Tailed Fox, Fire Phoenix?

Payne and Gu Yuan looked at each other in realization. "It's the expert indeed."

Ye Liuyun kept apologizing. "I used to be bossy. Please, give me a second chance. I know I was wrong. Please, stop the cow from chasing me down."

Payne frowned. "We can't do anything about that either. I'm afraid you can only go to the expert."

Ye Liuyun hurriedly said, "I'm willing to go and apologize! I can't mess with someone like him, I don't expect his forgiveness but I'm going to beg him to spare my life. Please, everyone, please, help me."

Payne hesitated.

He stared at Ye Liuyun for a while. He frowned and said, "I'm afraid so. I can take you there, but behave yourself. Also, I have to tell you about some of the expert's rules."

"Liuyun Palace Master," Gu Yuan suddenly spoke up at the side. He looked at him with a serious face and slowly said, "I know you realized how powerful the expert is. However, let me tell you this, what you know is only the tip of the iceberg. The expert's unimaginably terrifying! Don't say I didn't warn you. You have to be sincere and have a respectful attitude!"

Ye Liuyun kept nodding. "Don't worry, everyone. I don't have a lot of strengths except for reading the room."

Payne and the others sighed. "Fine. Prepare to go to the Immortal Realm."

"Thank you, everyone. Thank you, everyone." He was the most powerful one amongst them. However, he was the most humble and puny one.

At the Immortal Realm.

The four of them flew through the clouds as the dark clouds went away. Soon, they were at the foot of the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

Gu Yuan said, "The expert's on this mountain, we have to walk uphill."

Ye Liuyun nodded without disagreement. "I get it. That's how it's supposed to be."

The four of them walked on the small path without talking.

Everyone felt heavy. They did not walk very fast.

Ye Liuyun was worried that the expert would hold a grudge and simply kill him.

Gu Yuan and the others were worried that the expert would be displeased because they brought Ye Liuyun. The expert might simply kill them.

Halfway through the mountains, everyone jolted when they looked up at the faraway horizon.

They saw a huge figure sprinting at them angrily.

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow had a fire in its eyes. It roared, "Where are you running to? Milk-Drinking Maniac, die!"

The four of them were horrified. Their souls almost left their bodies.

They were not horrified by the Sacred Cow. They were scared that the Sacred Cow would demolish the mountain. Who could handle the wrath of the expert?

Too scary, they did not want to imagine it.

They levitated at the same time without hesitation. They used all their might and power to stop the crazy cow.

"Cow, chill. Relax!" Payne was bleeding from his mouth. "I beg you to change your location. Don't do it here, not here! You'll cause the apocalypse!"

"Change the location? Never in my life have I heard of such ridiculous begging." The Five-Color Sacred Cow was entertained from that.

It maximized its Power of Law and came down fast like it was a hammer. It was going to demolish the mountain to the ground!

Gu Yuan and the others were worried. They had to protect the mountain but they would soon be knocked away. 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝘮

Kaboom!

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow landed on the mountain. It looked coldly at Ye Liuyun with red eyes. "Give me my daughter!"

Gu Yuan coughed up blood. He panted and said, "We'll let you meet your daughter again. But firstly, you can't damage anything on this mountain!"

"It's just a small mountain. Why not?" sneered the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. It lifted its hooves and stomped.

Usually, the mountain rocks would fly away and the ground would crack apart. However, it did not react.

Huh?

What was going on?

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was baffled. It looked over and saw a black dog on top of the mountain. The dog slowly walked over. It had a calm gaze as the mountain breeze blew on its hair. The dog looked cool.

It stood on a huge rock as it looked down on everyone.

"Your daughter's at my Master's house," said Blackie. "Her milk is nice, my Master's very satisfied."

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was livid. "What did you say?"

Blackie was expressionless. "I'm afraid milk from your daughter isn't enough. You're here just in time. From now on, you're an ordinary milking cow."

"Milking cow?!"

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow blew its top off. It could not believe that a mere dog dared to speak to a Sacred Cow like that. "No way, no way!"

It stomped around and sprinted at Blackie like a heavy tank.

Gu Yuan and the others were conscious again. They had never seen Blackie attack before so they were drenched with cold sweat.

"Stop! That's the expert's loving dog!"

"Quick, quick, protect the expert's loving dog!"

"It's over. The expert loved the dog. He'll hate us!"

In the blink of an eye, the Five-Color-Sacred Cow sprinted to Blackie. It was as fast as light. They could not see its huge body.

Blackie stood there and gently lifted its paw. Then, it gently tapped the ground!

Suddenly, everything was on pause. The Five-Color-Sacred Cow froze like someone hit the pause button.

How was that possible?!

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow noticed the dog paw on its head.

It opened its mouth and moo-ed.

Payne and the others had their mouths wide open. The scene froze like their brains.

Everything went quiet.

Blackie simply glanced at everyone. Then, it turned around with its tail up and left coldly.

Chapter 280

Blackie left.

No one tried to speak.

They stopped breathing as if they had turned into statues.

Half a second later, they gasped at the same time. They felt suffocated.

Too scary!

Such a scary dog. It was unbelievable if they had not seen it for themselves.

Moo.

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow mooed meekly. It sounded weak, pitiful, and unbelievably helpless.

'I can't speak anymore?

'My powers were sealed?

'I'm a Sacred Cow. Was I disabled by the paw of a dog?'

It was having a mental breakdown. It looked at Payne and the others with confusion. It was asking for help.

Payne said, "Stop looking at us. We told you to relax but you wouldn't listen. Now, look what happened. Not so cool anymore, right?"

"Cow, I didn't kidnap your daughter. Do you believe me now?" Ye Liuyun walked over and patted on the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. He suddenly sympathized with the cow.

He was also once arrogant and cool until the expert punished him. The cow was more tragic than him. It was easily stopped by a dog. It must be traumatizing. 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He felt sentimental for a while and gulped. He asked coyly, "That...was the expert's dog?"

"Yes," nodded Gu Yuan. He smiled awkwardly and shook his head. "We were so silly just now. How would the Lord Dog not know how to attack? We were worried over nothing."

Payne also nodded, "Yeah, it's a huge opportunity to follow the expert around. The expert's Saintly, his dog would naturally be extraordinary, too."

Gu Changqing rushed them as he trembled, "Ancestor, grandpa, since Lord Dog's out, we can't delay any longer. We have to hurry up and go!"

"Yes, you're right." Everyone nodded.

Payne reminded, "Liuyun Palace Master, remember the rules that I told you. Be mindful of it!"

"Yes, yes, I got it!" Ye Liuyun looked anxious. He kept nodding.

He pictured how powerful the expert was. However, his imagination was shattered when Blackie showed up. It seemed like the expert was way more powerful than he imagined.

He was unsure who he offended, but he felt ridiculous and scared at the thought of his painting challenge insult. He was so ignorant and stupid!

He tried his best to stop shivering and slowly followed them with heavy footsteps.

The Five-Color-Sacred Cow was also tamed. It moved its hooves and stomped anxiously from time to time.

Soon, the four-part architecture appeared in sight.

The four cultivators and the cow were intrigued.

Gu Changqing took a deep breath and asked, "Is Mr. Li at home?"

"The door is unlocked. Come in," said Li Nianfan.

Blackie suddenly came out, then ran back in again. Blackie knew there would be guests.

The four of them carefully walked into the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan was playing chess with Daji and the Fire Phoenix.

Daji was getting good at chess after a long time of practice and teaching. The Fire Phoenix was also learning fast, too. The two of them were close like sisters. They worked together and proposed a chess battle against Li Nianfan.

Li Nianfan would not miss out on something so interesting. It was entertaining to be playing chess with two beautiful ladies. Especially when one of them was a Phoenix.

He had to admit that he was a cool ordinary man.

No one else was around. The little fox was in the backyard doing chores. Nanan was focusing on her cultivation in the backyard, too. She was very hardworking.

Li Nianfan would understand why. Nanan had tough experiences. She was captured by Demons, she was an Inferior Spiritual Root, and her Master was killed. The journey of cultivation was hard, it would be abnormal to be lazy.

However, Li Nianfan was glad that the kid had a huge appetite. She was as much of a foodie as Dragon.

Payne and the others hurriedly greeted, "Greetings to Mr. Li, Lady Daji, and Goddess Fire Phoenix."

"It's you guys. Take a seat." Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Xiao Bai, bring out the wine. Let the guests taste my beautiful wine."

Gu Yuan noticed Li Nianfan was playing chess. He said in an apologetic tone, "Mr. Li, sorry for the disturbance."

"No worries, you're too courteous."

Li Nianfan noticed the huge figure behind them and exclaimed. "Milking cow? You guys brought a milking cow?"

'Not really. We would've been killed by this cow if it wasn't for your dog.'

They looked at Blackie at the corner. Blackie innocently looked at them and wagged its tail. Blackie was completely different from the previous cold demeanor.

Everyone twitched.

Payne had a stiff smile. He said, "We coincidentally ran into this cow on the way here. We felt like it looked unique so we brought it here."

"What a nice coincidence! It's fate!"

Li Nianfan laughed. "Thank you all so much. This cow can be the companion of the cow in my backyard."

He observed the cow and was pleased.

The cow was bigger than his cow in the backyard. It was also stronger. It probably had more milk. He did not need to worry about milk anymore.

Milk was good. He would drink it for breakfast and could use it for a lot of dairy products. He needed a lot of milk. The cow in his backyard did not produce enough so he had to use it sparingly.

No one dared to take credit for it. They hurriedly said, "No need for thanks. It's a small gesture. As long as Mr. Li likes it."

Li Nianfan said, "Sit here for a while. I'll go settle this milking cow in the backyard, excuse me."

Payne smiled and said, "Go ahead, Mr. Li."

Everyone watched Li Nianfan walk into the backyard. Before they could sigh in relief, the tension was high again.

Daji glanced at Ye Liuyun. She asked, "You're the Lord Immortal that made the painting?"

Ye Liuyun jumped and felt tense. He frantically stood up and said in a trembling voice, "I'm the humble Ye Liuyun. Previously, I made a mistake because I was out of it. I realize now how wrong I was. I came here to apologize."

Daji nodded. The Fire Phoenix did not say anything.

Ye Liuyun was more anxious. He could not stand well nor sit well.

He felt like he was no longer a Golden Immortal. It was as if he was back to the rookie he once was. He wanted to slap himself as a sign of sincerity for the bigshots.

Xiao Bai walked over with the wine. "Sit, everyone."

Ye Liuyun stuttered, "Thanks, thanks."

He trembled as he held his glass. He was blank from nervousness and subconsciously took a sip.

The sip of wine pulled him back to reality.

Lovely wine!

He smacked his lips and blushed. His powers were boiling within him.

It kind of felt like when alcohol met with fire. His powers were about to break through.

He hurriedly held his breath and focused. He absorbed and processed the wine.

He opened his eyes after a while and looked at his glass, baffled. He looked extremely shocked and perplexed.

"This... The wine..."

Legendary item. It was a legendary item!

As the Liuyun Lord Immortal, he was one of the elite forces of the Above Immortal Realm. He was a man of knowledge. He ate a lot of ambrosia and delicacies. However, those delicacies were trash compared to the glass of wine!

Such beautiful wine. If cultivators knew about it, they would go nuts from trying to steal it.

He suddenly remembered when he once fought for opportunities. He realized he was so immature.

He once fought with all his might for lousy opportunities. He realized they were not as valuable as the glass of wine.

No wonder Gu Yuan and the others kept saying he was the Godly expert. He could not mess with him.

He did not need to compare himself with the expert because the difference between a bigshot and an insect was too wide. Even a pig could see it.

He carefully held the glass in his hands as if he were holding the most precious treasure. He was excited and touched.

He was just a puny insect in front of the expert. He insulted him but the expert only gave him a simple punishment. He also blessed him with such precious beautiful wine. He was so nice to him.

'Was this the generosity of the expert?'

He suddenly felt like he was only lightly punished. It was too merciful.

He sipped on the beautiful wine while squinting. He was having the time of his life. It was pure bliss.

He sipped while respectfully observing his surroundings. He first saw that cauldron and jumped. That was the Intermediate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron.

Thirty long needles were on a nearby table, casually spread out. The Ultimate Spiritual Treasure—Cloud Needles.

Then, he looked around. Spiritual Treasure. All of it was Spiritual Treasure!

Moreover, it seemed like some of them were normal Immortal Items that were transformed into Spiritual Treasures. How amazing!

It was slightly terrifying. Turning Immortal Items into Spiritual Treasures was a hundred times harder than turning an ordinary man into an Immortal!

As for the chessboard and the antique zither, he could not figure them out. He also did not dare to look too closely.

He slowly looked away and was startled. He noticed a familiar crumpled paper in the garbage bin, under the table where the chessboard was placed.

He excused himself from Daji and the Fire Phoenix. Then, he carefully squatted and picked it out from the garbage bin.

He slowly opened it.

It was the painting he sent.

The Fire Dragon was still on it. It was under the storm, being attacked by everyone. It was obvious that the dragon lost.

He felt complex as he looked at the painting directly. It was very impactful for his Insights.

In the backyard.

Li Nianfan slowly walked over with the new member of the backyard.

The little fox was on the little cow. They were running and playing freely in the backyard while chewing grass.

All of a sudden, it froze like someone casted a spell when it saw the big cow. It did not move at all.

The two cows looked at each other. They were emotional and they started to tear up.

Moo. 'Daughter.'

Moo. 'Mother.'

...

Chapter 281

The two cows sprinted toward each other as if they experienced a life-and-death separation.

They wished they could hug each other like humans.

Moo...

Moo...

Li Nianfan was touched by the sight. At the same time, he sympathized with them.

The two cows were emotional but could not speak. They could only express their emotions through sounds. So pitiful.

The two cows rubbed their heads against each other as if they were communicating and expressing affection.

'There are too few cows in the Immortal Realm. This is probably the first time these two cows are meeting the same species. It's unavoidable that they're emotional. Seems like they'll produce a lot of milk.'

The emotions of the cows would affect the taste of the milk.

Li Nianfan did not want to interfere with their bonding. He was about to leave.

Dragon jogged over with her short legs and asked excitedly, "Brother, why are you here? Do you have anything delicious for me?"

"No, I'm here to help the cow settle in." Li Nianfan shook his head. Then, he thought about something and warned Dragon, "Don't mess around and milk them for fun, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," modded Dragon.

Li Nianfan smiled. He told Nanan, who was practicing nearby, "Nanan, watch over them!"

"Alright, Brother Nianfan."

He was relieved.

The small cow waited until Li Nianfan left. It bit off a mouthful of grass and passed it to the big cow like it was a gift.

Moo, moo.

The big cow did not notice it at first. It simply swallowed it.

Then, it widened its eyes and jumped.

At that moment, it noticed its surroundings. From the air to the dirt, even the grass and the water, they were all irreplaceable treasures!

It could eat Spiritual Herbs, drink Spiritual Water, and eat unlimited Spiritual Fruits.

Never in its dreams did it imagine living in a paradise like that.

'From now on, I don't have to look for Spiritual Fruits around the world anymore. Everything here's a precious treasure!'

The blessing of the expert!

If it knew, it would not have fought and resisted. It would have crawled its way here with its daughter!

It thanked the realm for not missing it out!

The big cow teared up and looked at its surroundings in a daze. It finally snapped out of it after the little cow mooed a few times.

It looked at its excited daughter seriously.

It could not allow its daughter to continue being playful. It had to discipline its daughter and teach her how to produce more delicious milk!

Since it was related to the cow mother-and-daughter business!

At the yard.

Everyone saw that Li Nianfan had returned. They quickly adjusted themselves.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Sorry for the long wait everyone."

Payne hurriedly shook his head. "No worries. No worries at all. It wasn't long at all."

Li Nianfan was in a good mood because of the new cow. He said, "Xiao Bai, fill up their wine."

Payne and the others were overjoyed. They hurriedly said, "Thanks, Mr. Li."

Ye Liuyun had the painting scroll in his hand. He looked embarrassed. Xiao Bai filled his glass. He sighed softly and said, "Mr. Li, I don't deserve this!"

"What?" Li Nianfan was slightly surprised. "Oh, yeah. You're..."

Ye Liuyun clenched his jaw, stood up, and said, "Mr. Li, I'm the humble Ye Liuyun. I was the one who asked Cultivator Payne and the others to send you this painting."

As he said that, he did not dare to look Li Nianfan in the eyes.

The expert obviously threw the painting in the garbage bin for him. The expert was hinting at him to admit to his mistakes.

Li Nianfan looked at Ye Liuyun and said, "I see."

Ye Liuyun had a sincere attitude. He said in a low voice, "I offended you, Mr. Li. I'm too embarrassed to drink this wine."

"Haha, why are you embarrassed?" laughed Li Nianfan. The painting fella was an honest guy.

He was competitive and aggressive at first, but it seemed like Li Nianfan had won him over with the painting. Li Nianfan felt proud of that.

He waved and said casually, "We're all friends of art. It's not a physical battle anyway, don't be a stranger."

Everyone was sweating bullets. They were frightened.

'You demolished his entire palace. He was desperate because his butt was constantly being attacked. But it wasn't considered a physical battle? What would happen if it was a physical battle?'

'In conclusion, the expert...can't be messed with!'

Li Nianfan was slightly embarrassed when Ye Liuyun reacted like that.

After all, he did crumple his painting and threw it into the garbage bin. It was rude because Ye Liuyun picked it up.

He raised his glass and smiled. "Alright. Since it's a misunderstanding, we should toast to that and let it be bygones."

"Oh, alright. Alright!" Ye Liuyun was thrilled. He hurriedly raised his glass and drank the wine.

Li Nianfan noticed that Ye Liuyun was still holding the painting scroll. He glanced at it from time to time. He looked slightly disturbed.

He realized.

Ye Liuyun was indeed a lover of paintings.

The painting probably became his grudge. If that was the case, Li Nianfan would be the bad guy.

He could form a good friendship with the bigshot through painting.

Li Nianfan groaned for a moment and asked, "Cultivator Liuyun, what do you think about the painting?"

Ye Liuyun answered genuinely, "Mr. Li, your art is wonderful. You easily painted such a lively scenery. I lost. I'm such an amateur."

"That's too humble of you, Cultivator Liuyun. Your painting skills are already hard to come by." Li Nianfan laughed. Then, he asked, "I'm asking you if the painting can be improved?"

Improved?

Everyone was taken aback.

They all looked at the painting at the same time.

The fire was weak, the stormy rain poured, and the people were busy. The painting was extremely perfect. In their opinions, another stroke of paint would be extra and one less stroke of paint would be insufficient.

How could it be improved? Where?

Even Daji and the Fire Phoenix frowned. They fell into deep thought.

Cultivators would cultivate their state of mind. Their goal was to break through and seek opportunities. That was a moment of cultivation for them.

They were all great cultivators so they could tell the expert was testing them.

Ye Liuyun stared dead at the painting and teared up.

Finally, he sighed and said in a helpless voice, "Mr. Li, I'm stupid. I can't see it."

"It's in the details. It's normal that you all can't see it." Li Nianfan smiled. "Daji, get me a brush."

Daji stood up, smiled, and said, "Yes, sir."

'Here it comes!'

Everyone was flushed. Their breathing was heavy as their hearts raced. They were nervous and excited.

The expert was going to show them how in real life!

It was a huge honor to be able to witness the expert paint!

Ye Liuyun was trembling all over. Every cell in his body was active and his hair stood on end.

He hurriedly opened his painting scroll without a second thought, carefully flattening it with his hands. He did not dare to be too forceful. He would slap himself to death if he accidentally damaged anything.

Soon, Daji walked over.

"Here's the brush."

Li Nianfan nodded and held the brush. He stared at the painting with mysterious eyes.

The others widened their eyes at their maximum capacities. They wished they could burn the following sight into their minds.

The painting was made by Ye Liuyun to instigate Li Nianfan. Li Nianfan countered his challenge by degrading the fire in the painting.

It made Ye Liuyun rethink his life.

It was time to paint.

Li Nianfan smiled and lifted his hand. He slowly painted on the painting.

The brush stroke landed between the water and the fire. It was a heavy stroke. Then, it became calmer and softer...

Next, the second stroke.

The third stroke...

Every stroke seemed the same, but they were painted on different areas.

Li Nianfan was fast. Soon, marks were left in several areas of the painting. They were slightly transparent but they were there.

Bam!

Everyone was mind blown. Their skins crawled and they had goosebumps all over.

They were breathing heavily. They felt as if electricity was flowing through them. They felt slightly numb.

That was...

Smoke and mist!

Of course. It was a huge fire. How could smoke not be there?

Everyone stared at the painting without looking away.

It was only a few strokes but it changed the painting completely.

Smoke was everywhere because of the huge fire. It covered the edges and it had no weaknesses despite the pouring rain. The flames did not go out. It even turned the rain into steam. It became a misty scene!

The Fire Dragon was once again wild and aggressive with the help of the smoke. It was as if the dragon would fly up and challenge the sky!

Everyone was silent.

Their minds were buzzing. They were more shocked now compared to when Li Nianfan painted the storm.

Legendary touch. That was a legendary touch in a painting!

All of a sudden, the painting was no longer about water diminishing fire. The fire was fighting back, too. The two sides were balanced. No one was at a disadvantage.

The aura of the entire painting was instantly different, too. It contained more tension and competition as if it was a heated battle. The conflict between water and fire was perfectly captured. It was visually impactful.

Everyone held their breaths and looked at each other. They could see the admiration in each other's eyes.

As expected, only the expert could defeat the expert.

Ye Liuyun was stumped. He was inspired. He felt like there was a thin layer of mist in front of him. He should have been able to easily fade it away but he could not touch it.

Li Nianfan put his brush aside. He smiled and asked, "How is it?"

Payne was trembling and mesmerized. He said, "Beautiful... Too beautiful. Mr. Li, your talent's incomparable!"

Gu Yuan also exclaimed, "This painting perfectly captures the scene of conflict. The power of water and fire was brought out nicely. So amazing."

In their eyes, it was not about water and fire. The painting contained Insights. It was a battle between the Power of Water and the Power of Fire. Tragically majestic!

"It isn't a good choice to paint just one thing. Sometimes, contrast brings out the essence of an object."

Li Nianfan paused before he continued, "Water and fire seemingly don't get along with each other, but at the same time, they do. Fire can melt ice to form water. Water can turn into oxygen and gasses that help fire ignite. The two exist together, inseparable. As the saying goes, "Lone Yin doesn't last long, Lone Yang doesn't grow."

'Lone Yin doesn't last long, lone Yang doesn't grow.'

Everyone knew that the expert was talking about ultimate wisdom. Although they did not understand the phrases, the last sentence still hit them hard like a hammer.

He concluded the Theory of Existence in a few simple words!

"Lone Yin doesn't last long, lone Yang doesn't grow." Ye Liuyun was affected the most. He instantly replayed the phrase in his mind like it was his morning alarm. He was mesmerized and could not help himself.

The mist in front of him slowly faded away, revealing everything.

He teared up and cried.

000 years!

It has been 5,000 years!

He thought he understood the Power of Fire perfectly. He did not improve because he could not see any breakthroughs.

His problem was right in front of him but he could not reach it. The feeling almost drove him insane.

However, at that moment, he had truly solved his problem and found renewed hope. How could he not cry from being emotional?

Of course, he used to chase after being the best at the Power of Fire. He only wanted to be good at using the Power of Fire. However... How would the lone Yang grow?

He understood it!

He was flushed and trembling from excitement.

He tried his best to control himself but he still could not help it. He bowed at Li Nianfan and said from the bottom of his heart, "Mr. Li, thanks for your guidance."

He would kneel and worship the expert but he knew the rules.

Previously, he challenged the expert out of recklessness. The expert only punished him lightly. Not only did he bless him with the opportunity, but he also gave him advice.

'I'm just a puny Golden Immortal, why would the expert treat me so nicely?'

He was emotional, touched, guilty, embarrassed, fearful, and in admiration... He almost drowned in all sorts of emotions.

How could he repay such generosity?!

"No, no," Li Nianfan hurriedly said. "It's just a painting. I don't deserve such politeness."

Ye Liuyun said, "Mr. Li, not only do I want to thank you, but I also want to apologize for my previous behavior."

Li Nianfan casually said, "It's a small incident, you don't have to."

Ye Liuyun teared up again. He almost wept.

He was not a sentimental man. However, he was truly feeling touched by the actions of the expert.

Maybe that was the attractive personality of a bigshot.

He sneakily wiped his tears and said, "Mr. Li. I've disturbed you long enough today. I learned a lot. I should go now."

Payne and the others also said, "Mr. Li, we're about to leave, too."

Li Nianfan smiled and saluted, "Safe journey, everyone."

They walked out from the four-part architecture. Ye Liuyun suddenly stopped and bowed at Payne and the others. "Thank you, cultivators, for introducing me. I regret all my previous insults and offenses. If you ever need me, please, feel free to look for me."

Payne smiled and said, "You're too courteous, Liuyun Palace Master. From now on, we all work for experts. We're like colleagues now."

"Haha, that's right! I sure do hope that I can help the expert." Ye Liuyun was already excited.

Payne continued to ask, "Liuyun Palace Master, are you about to break through?"

Ye Liuyun nodded and said in a respectful voice, "The expert showed me the way."

The four of them chatted and walked to the bottom of the mountain.

Suddenly, the trees rustled. A boar and a bear appeared. "Immortals, please, wait."

The four of them immediately stopped and questioned them, "You two are?"

The Wild Boar Demon replied, "We work for Lord Daji. We need a favor from you."

Ye Liuyun and the others were instantly attentive. All their judgments faded away as they said in a friendly tone, "Please, tell us, Cultivator Boar and Cultivator Bear. We'll do our best to complete Goddess Daji's task."

The Wild Boar Demon said, "Lord Daji has requested for you to check the source of the Xuan Water Bracelet. Previously, somebody schemed against the expert and they were using the Xuan Water Bracelet."

"Really?"

Ye Liuyun and the others did not look happy at all. They said in a cold voice, "That person hasn't experienced death before! Please, inform Goddess Daji that we'll investigate the matter!"

At the same time, they were secretly happy. They were worried that they could not help the expert until the next time they received a mission. They must not disappoint the expert!

The person was sacrificing himself to offer them an opportunity!

They all rubbed their hands. They were ready to fight.

"Sorry for the trouble, Immortals." The Wild Boar Demon and Black Bear Demon nodded and were ready to leave.

"Please, wait."

Ye Liuyun was holding a jar of medicine pills. He passed it to them. He smiled and said, "This jar of medicine pills will be helpful for you two. Please, accept it."

The demons were inferior but they worked for Goddess Daji. Goddess Daji was close to the expert. Even if he was the Lord Immortal, he had to please them, too.

The Wild Boar Demon and the Black Bear Demon were instantly happy. "Thanks, Immortal."

It was indeed nice to work for the expert. Even Immortals would please you.

Chapter 282

At the violent Southern grounds.

Blood pathed the area.

The Xia Kingdom shifted its strategy from defense to offense. Although they were not stable in the South, they managed to stop Tu Jiu and win battles.

Meanwhile, they were expanding their army under the suggestion of Meng Junliang. Signs were set up to recruit talented people.

Humans were feeling hopeful from that. Countless knowledgeable people signed up.

Zhou Yunwu was always on the front lines. At that moment, he was in a tent, listening to battlefield reports from the soldiers.

Meng Junliang was by his side. Rich was sent to the front lines because they needed backup.

Zhou Yunwu was reading an old book as if he was looking at the most precious treasure ever. He exclaimed, "The 'Jiang's Six Secret Teachings' given by Mr. Li's truly marvelous and invincible. If I can't win the war with this war strategy, how can I ever face Mr. Li again?"

Meng Junliang said respectfully, "Mr. Li's talents are far beyond. We have the strategy but it only applies to ordinary people. We have to be attentive to any changes on the battlefield. The Demons have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."

Zhou Yunwu said, "Of course! Advisor, how many cultivators have we recruited so far?"

Meng Junliang replied, "The Demons aren't afraid of death. The cultivators are more selfish and weak."

Zhou Yunwu interrupted him, "Continue with the recruits! Make this announcement saying that if any cultivation sects join the war and achieve a victorious battle, I'm willing to share my nation's Luck with them!"

He felt the pressure because the expert was counting on him. He had to win the war no matter what!

Meng Junliang said, "My King, there's good news."

"Oh? Tell me." Zhou Yunwu was intrigued.

Meng Junliang said, "There's an Immortal who's a self-proclaimed Tara. The Immortal preaches Buddhism and has many disciples. They're opposed to the Demons like water and fire, so they joined the war."

"Haha, it's good news indeed!"

"Also... It appears to be the doing of the expert!"

"What? Mr. Li did that?!"

Zhou Yunwu felt his heart race hearing Meng Junliang's words. He was instantly overjoyed. He asked with a quivering voice, "This Buddhism... Perhaps it's the same Buddhism from 'Journey to the West'?" 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝘮

He thought about the marvelous universe of 'Journey to the West'. He had always resonated with the part where the human King had a normal conversation with the Immortals of the Heavenly Palace. He was utterly excited.

Meng Junliang calmly nodded. "I think so!"

Zhou Yunwu said respectfully, "Okay! Mr. Li must've predicted the Demons would become powerful, so he set up Buddhism."

"Report—"

Suddenly, a soldier frantically rushed over with blood all over his face.

Zhou Yunwu walked out of the tent. He frowned and asked, "What?"

The soldier quickly replied, "My King, there's a sudden haze growing in the South battlefield. We can't see anything. General Chen Guang is dead and General Rich's badly injured, too. We need immediate backup."

"Demons!" Zhou Yunwu growled with a clenched jaw. Another fallen General.

"My King, the haze must be caused by the demons. I'll go check it out."

Meng Junliang looked at the faraway horizon. He groaned for a moment and said, "My King, I should go, too."

Zhou Yunwu was slightly confused. "What do you mean, advisor?"

"Mr. Li created Buddhism and allowed Tara to preach Buddhism. We've been too focused on the war and neglected what Mr. Li truly meant."

Meng Junliang paused and said, "We need preachers! My King, haven't you realized? You asked for recruits but we have very few talented people. We lack people in our army. Mr. Li once told me that he wanted me to preach! So, I'm going to set up a class and pass down Mr. Li's knowledge."

Philosophy, Art of War, medical skills, and farming skills were all hard to grasp. It could not be learned overnight. That was why he needed to teach it to future generations, ensuring the continuation of the legacy!

"I neglected it! Knowledge is the treasure blessed by the expert and given to the Humans. I'd rather die than let it fade away!"

Zhou Yunwu nodded and hugged Meng Junliang. "Advisor, you'll always be my army advisor. You must protect yourself at the front lines! This is my request!"

"I will." Meng Junliang bowed at Zhou Yunwu and walked away.

At the Southern battlefields.

Mountains were steep and the area was filled with screams and the sounds of weapons clashing.

However, the entire area was hidden by a huge haze. The haze was creepy because it came in the afternoon and it would not go away.

Figures and spells flashed nearby. The effects were dazzling.

It was the battlefield of cultivators. The cultivators were battling the Demons. It was majestic but it was also tragically violent.

They would turn into dust if they were not careful enough. Indirect attacks could shock someone to death if they were not strong enough to withstand them.

There was a beautiful figure amongst countless figures. The figure did not stand out. She had flames surrounding her, and when the red flames illuminated her face, she looked extra determined.

It was Luo Shiyu.

She casted a spell and the fiery light instantly transformed into a Fire Dragon. She wiped out the enemies around her.

However, it attracted more Demons.

Luo Shiyu was focused. She stepped out elegantly and turned into a swift breeze. She flew toward a direction and was miles away in the blink of an eye.

Four Demons were standing there with various items in their hands. They were casting a spell.

The haze was caused by them.

"Ha, little girl. Your spell unique. Who taught you that?"

Two black-robed Demons chuckled and attacked her.

One of them was from the Pre-Out of Aperture Realm. The other was from the Post-Out of Aperture Realm.

The battle was heated. They tried to grab Luo Shiyu. Suddenly, a black chain became entangled around Luo Shiyu.

Luo Shiyu was unsettled.

She was a beginner cultivator from the Post-Yuan Ying Realm. She felt like this was out of her comfort zone.

However, she did not look afraid at all. She flicked her wrist and out came a fiery longsword.

The long sword trembled mid-air before splitting into seven fire rings. They circled her and transformed into a powerful fire tornado.

Clang!

The black chain hit the fire shields and wavered weakly.

The fire smelled like Insights, as if it was the fire of the realm. The chain started to melt. Black smoke sizzled away.

The Demons were from the superior Out of Aperture Realm. They could not believe that they were losing to a cultivator from the Yuan Ying Realm, especially when it was two against one.

They were impressed.

"Amazing. You're just a cultivator from the Yuan Ying Realm, but you can control your powers so well. You must be a prodigy amongst the cultivators." A Black-robed Demon with red eyes grinned maniacally. "Kill her!"

"Hmph!" Luo Shiyu sneered. Her expression was cold. She lifted her arm and wild flames danced. There were sharp swords in each flame.

She was thinking of Li Nianfan.

She thought about being with the expert. It was as if everything in the realm made sense. The expert did not teach her anything but she learned a lot just by being around him. Even a pig could learn something from the expert.

She had gained a lot of benefits.

She was going to keep it to herself. However, she ended up on the battlefield and finally showed what she was capable of. She was improving fast, too!

Endless Insights flowed in her. She realized her own weaknesses.

The battles taught her a lot.

"My talents aren't enough. I'm ordinary in everything I do but I'm blessed to be in the expert's good graces. I need to understand everything the expert taught me. Only then can I help the expert!"

Her mind was at peace. She felt like she was way beyond the others, as if she was looking down at the realm from the shoulders of a giant.

The writings of the expert started to resonate with her.

"Ten steps per kill, leaving no trail behind!"

Her eyes were gleaming. She had a fierce, bloody aura. It mixed with the flames.

She lifted her wrist and the seven red swords echoed. A red light flashed and the two Demons drowned in the flames. Nothing was left!

Luo Shiyu panted, a small trail of blood dripping down her pretty face. She looked creepily beautiful.

The previous Luo Shiyu would have bragged about that battle non-stop. However, she looked calm and unfazed.

It was not enough. She was embarrassed that she could not fully realize the teachings of the expert.

She scolded herself. Then, she looked to the source of the Haze Spell. She flew there with determination.

A demon jumped out. It seemed like he was the temporary leader. He pointed at Luo Shiyu and said, "She's a prodigy cultivator, kill her!"

"Amitabha!"

Suddenly, a few bald Buddhists with shawls appeared in Buddhist lights along with hymns.

Their light was gold and blinding. Their bald heads were even shinier. They were instantly the flashiest ones at the scene.

"Lady, you don't need to wage a battle again. Please, leave."

Luo Shiyu said anxiously, "I have to break their Haze Spell or else the humans can't win!"

"Don't worry. We Buddhists won't allow the Demons to cause trouble."

Another wave of hymns was heard.

"Amitabha!"

Gold light shone on the battlefields. The haze was visibly cast away.

A few dark figures laughed creepily from a faraway mountain. "The Buddhist baldies are finally here!"

Chapter 283

Boom!

Dark energy came rolling in on everyone.

They transformed into dark clouds. Everyone felt suffocated.

The entire realm fell into darkness.

"Amitabha!"

Hymns were heard just when the dark clouds were about to engulf the realm.

Golden light shone on the other side. It was as if a small sun was levitating mid-air, battling the darkness.

At the center of the golden light was a figure who sat crossed-leg. She had droopy eyelids and looked compassionate. It was Tara Yuecha.

She somehow got herself a Lotus Terrace. It was roughly made but it was good enough. It spun slowly underneath her.

Amon and Backo walked over on dark clouds. They looked menacing. They said in a cold voice, "Yuecha, you've gone mad!"

"Please, call me Tara Yuecha," Yuecha corrected them. "Have you thought about your decision since the last time we met? It's never too late to turn around. My Buddhism sect is starting to become successful. You guys could be elders if you join. There'll be a lot of benefits."

Backo said coldly, "You should be the one to turn around! We've reported this to the Lord Demon God, and he's livid. If you go back now and admit your mistakes, he might spare your life!"

"There's a choice between good and evil. It seems like you two aren't smart enough to make the right choice. You need me to convert you forcefully!"

Yuecha slowly opened her eyes. She said loudly, "Cast the Heavenly Dragon Spell!"

"Amitabha!"

38 bald-heads did the Namaste gesture with shut eyes. They then chanted the Buddhist verses before suddenly opening their eyes. Golden light shined from their eyes as their shawls were ripped open, revealing their strong muscles.

Even the old monks with flying beards were muscular.

Bald and muscular—a visually impactful combo. There were countless Buddhist figures in the sky with golden lotuses. Hymns could be heard from all directions.

"I see, so Buddhism's about cultivating muscles!" Amon sneered and slightly waved his arm. The dark energy around him came to life, spreading everywhere like a black mist. "Cast the Demon Shadow Clone Spell!"

Fume!

Hundreds of black-robed demons were cloned. They surrounded everyone.

Dark energy surrounded them, covering their figures. No one could see clearly.

They casted a spell. Their dark energies flew to the sky and turned into a Black Dragon. It roared and tumbled in the sky.

The Black Dragon was cross-connected. It was like a huge Black Dragon net!

"Puny tricks!"

The 38 monks looked cold. They stepped forward at the same time. "Take this, Heavenly Dragon!"

Boom!

Their golden light turned into a Golden Dragon!

The Golden Dragon was huge. Its scales were clear as day and it was about 1,000 feet long. It slowly moved. It was visually impactful!

Roar!

The Golden Dragon roared and flicked its tail to attack. It created a hole in the Black Dragon's net-body.

However, dark energy rolled in again to re-patch it. The Demons pulled out long whips to attack the Golden Dragon.

Meng Junliang stepped out fast. He said with a serious expression, "Cultivators, the muscular baldies are on our side. Let's fight the Demons together!"

He lifted his finger and suppressed the dark energy.

The cultivators respectfully looked at Yucca and the others in admiration. Their hearts were beating fast.

It seemed like the Immortals had joined the war.

They energetically casted spells.

"Yuecha, since you're stubborn, we shall follow the Lord Demon God's orders. Time to clean up!" Amon had a cold gaze. His dark ax attacked Yuecha!

Backo had a magic bottle in his hand. He lifted his finger and out came endless dark energy. It was a terrifying smoke that could corrupt souls. It surrounded Yuecha.

"Yuecha, let's see if your Heavenly Dragon's more awesome than my demon powers!"

"As a powerful Buddhist, I don't just have the Heavenly Dragon as my move. Let me show you my new move. Buddhist, Light!" Yuecha smirked and lifted her arms as if she was supporting the sky.

A golden halo appeared behind her. The halo spun. It was holy and powerful.

Yuecha emitted a powerful golden light that shines throughout the realm. The dark energy had no way of reaching her.

Yuecha became more powerful with the light shield. As she fought Back and Amon, Buddhist light and demonic energy struggled and wrestled.

Backo and Amon looked at each other. They were up to something menacing.

Backo flicked his wrist and out came a round bead. It was jet-black like a huge eyeball. It had a creepy sheen to it.

The surrounding dark energy became insanely active when the dark bead appeared. The dark energy was like a sharp sword. It started to corrupt everything in all directions.

Backo and Amon looked like fanatics. They said in a devoted voice, "Welcome, Lord Demon God."

The black bead instantly levitated off of Backo's palm.

Fume!

Endless dark energy swirled around the black bead. It covered the sky.

"This..."

Every cultivator looked at the sky with horrified looks.

"Feet... Feet!" exclaimed someone. They stepped back.

The land was turned black. Everyone felt a horrifying aura. They felt like it was hard to move. Even the air became sticky.

"Yuecha!"

A voice like thunder was heard out of nowhere. The dark energy had already become a huge dark face. It rumbled, "I treated you well. Why did you betray me to turn into one of the baldies?"

Yuecha did the Namaste gesture and said in a serious tone, "For my dreams!"

"Excellent."

The dark face turned darker. It said slowly, "I'm used to the many changes of life. Through my experiences, I've concluded that the true way of survival is to directly kill my enemies. Thus, every attack I make will be a killer move! I'll personally wipe out Buddhism! You've been my trusty assistant, so I'll give you one last chance. Give up on Buddhism, re-join the embrace of the Lord Demon God!"

Yuecha sat cross-legged. She was expressionless. She said calmly, "Amitabha. The Buddha once cut off his flesh to feed an eagle. Today, I, Tara Yuecha, shall sacrifice myself to fight the leader of the Demons."

"If that's the case, die!"

The dark face had a deep voice. It turned into a giant skull with a mouth that was wide open. Wild winds blew, snapping the surrounding trees in half. Some were even ripped off the ground.

Dementor!

Roar!

Scary soundwaves came out of its mouth. It seemed to be insanely destructive.

The cultivators at the scene were scared to death. Their hairs stood on end.

At that moment, they felt a chill go down their spines. It was as if something horrifying entangled them. It was an odd fear but it was very real.

Some cultivators were shivering on the ground. Some were actually scared to literal death and passed away. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝒐𝓶

Yuecha was the first one to be affected. Her Buddhist halo was nipped like a small flame in the stormy rain.

The lousy Lotus Terrace underneath her was turned to dust.

Then, the 38 baldies were affected.

Their Heavenly Dragon was blown apart like sand. Their muscles were torn and blood dripped as they linked hands with tightly shut eyes. They suffered through it.

Spurt!

Luo Shiyu was weak. She could not hold it anymore. She spat out a mouthful of blood. She could no longer stand still.

"Lady Luo." Meng Junliang hurriedly stepped out and stood in front of Luo Shiyu to protect her. He formed a shield to block out the noises.

Luo Shiyu was also a guest of the expert so he could not stand by and watch.

More cultivators fell to the ground, their bodies curled up. They were horrified.

Amon sneered and looked at everyone mockingly. He stared at the bald head and said in a cruel voice, "Shiver in fear. Shiver in fear of the almighty Lord Demon God!"

Yuecha was as pale as paper. She was bleeding from her mouth while she quietly chanted Buddhist verses.

Suddenly, her wavering halo lit up brightly.

An old yellowish scroll flew out from her chest and levitated above her.

The yellowish scroll slowly opened and hymns could be heard.

"The Bodhisattva of Compassion, when meditating deeply, saw the emptiness of all five skandhas, and sundered the bonds that caused suffering. Here then, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form. Form is only emptiness, emptiness is only form..."

Meanwhile, the golden light shone like a projector. A huge projection of Buddha slowly appeared out of thin air. It was almighty.

Hymns were sung from everywhere. It quickly overpowered the roars of the dark face. It woke everybody up.

The dark face opened its mouth wider. It roared as loud as it could.

Roar, roar, roar!

However, it soon realized it was not as loud, even if it tried its best. It instantly admitted defeat.

It seemed like it could not destroy Buddhism.

It was time to retreat.

The dark face left without a trace. The black bead dropped from the sky back into Backo's palm.

Hymns were still heard.

A lot of demons heard it and were converted on the spot. They automatically sat cross-legged and started to shave their heads.

Backo and Amon were feeling deranged. They turned and left, filled with hatred. "The baldies are powerful. This is an emergency. Retreat!"

The yellowish scroll slowly rolled back up and fell into Yuecha's hands.

Yuecha held the yellowish scroll. She stood mid-air and devotedly bowed in the direction of the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

It was a victorious battle. The baldies did the Namaste gesture while looking calm. They said, "Amitabha."

Then, they slowly rose and adjusted their shawls while the cultivators looked at them with respect. They walked away with friendly smiles. "Cultivator, you have a predestined fate with the Buddha. Do you want to convert into a Buddhists?"

Meng Junliang looked at the baldies with admiration. He was more determined to preach.

Before that, he had something troublesome that he needed to do.

He looked at Luo Shiyu. She was pale and in a coma.

Luo Shiyu was already weak when she fought the Demons. She was now badly injured, half-dead with no hope of a cure. How could he report back to the Holy Emperor?

...

Time flew by. It had already been five days.

It was peaceful as usual in the four-part architecture.

Nobody came to visit. Li Nianfan thoroughly enjoyed his leisure time.

Beautiful food, beautiful woman, beautiful wine, two kids, and a pet. He could live out the rest of his days like that. How nice.

He was lying on a chair. Daji quietly sat by his side. She was plucking grapes with her beautiful hands to feed him.

The grapes were seedless and the acidic sweetness was delicious. He was having the time of his life.

Xiao Bai was grinding tofu nearby.

Suddenly, the door of the backyard was pushed open. Dragon, Nanan, and the little fox came rushing in like three fairies. They quickly ran to Li Nianfan.

The three of them were familiar with the 'process'. They worked well together.

Dragon was responsible for massaging his back. Nanan was responsible for massaging his leg. The little fox jumped on his other leg to massage his thigh.

The Fire Phoenix came over looking like she did not care. In reality, she had her ears open.

Dragon said, "Brother, storytime. It's time for a story."

Li Nianfan laughed when he noticed everyone was looking at him with anticipation. "I've finished telling you the 'Journey to the West' story. I should tell a new story today."

Storytime was an activity invented by Li Nianfan. Dragon and Nana were kids. It was his way of preventing the kids from being naughty and a chance for them to grow up with a happy childhood. Therefore, he set up sessions for storytime.

He had too many stories in mind. He could go on for another four or five years. Li Nianfan also felt like it was entertaining because everyone would look so focused while listening to his stories.

Nanan asked curiously, "What's the new story?"

Li Nianfan smiled mysteriously. "It's a secret for now. I'll tell you the story later. Let me make you all a unique delicacy first!"

The Fire Phoenix could not hold it in anymore. She asked, "What is it?"

Li Nianfan pointed at the little wooden bucket at the corner. He smiled and said, "It's in there. A very delicious snack. It'll surprise you all for sure."

Meanwhile, two figures landed softly at the foot of the Fallen Immortal Mountain...

Chapter 284

The Seventh Princess wore a long light-blue chiffon dress. Her dress moved with the wind. Her refined features looked like a gorgeous sculpture under the sunlight. She looked up at the mountain.

'Who would've thought that an ultimate expert lives on this mountain? The expert makes this the best mountain in all three realms!"

Taoist Xinghe stood behind her. He waited for a long time before carefully asking, "Seventh Princess, are we still going to hike up the mountain?"

The Seventh Princess took a deep breath. She asked, "Are you sure you didn't exaggerate anything about the expert?"

That was her sixth time asking.

Taoist Xinghe smiled awkwardly. He said, "Seventh Princess, I'm sure of it!"

"Alright, let's go!"

The lady slowly walked on the small mountain road.

She was not as calm as she looked. She grew increasingly nervous on the way up. Her heart was thumping hard.

She was utterly horrified when Taoist Xinghe told her what happened that day. Days had passed but she was still in shock. She would have come to visit as soon as possible but she feared it would disturb the expert.

She waited, losing her mind as she endured the wait.

While she walked, she recalled what Taoist Xinghe told her.

The honey of the Golden Bees, the milk of the Five-Color Sacred Cow, and the Spiritual Plants that contained Power. Those were the things the expert normally ate.

Especially his backyard that was filled with Spiritual Herb, the Leftover Powers in the air, and the magical growth serum.

The expert made an entire bucket of it.

Absolutely unheard of.

She would have believed Taoist Xinghe was possessed by demons or had dementia, but Taoist Xinghe triple-swore that he was not lying.

Truthfully, she was still unconvinced because it was too scary to be true. It was way beyond her understanding. Even during the eldritch eras, it was unimaginable. It was only possible in dreams.

She asked again, "The Old Dragon King's alive and living in the expert's backyard?"

Taoist Xinghe nodded with seriousness, "Seventh Princess, it's true! This is the Dragons' top-secret. I know about it because Urchin and I go way back."

The Seventh Princess asked again, "The expert's really going against Fate? He wants to recreate the eldritch eras?"

She tried her best to control herself but she still sounded excited. 𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

She dreamt about recreating the eldritch eras every once in a while. Those were beautiful dreams that she did not want to wake up from. It was too bad that recreating it was too hard. It was almost impossible.

Taoist Xinghe nodded again. "It's absolutely real!"

Phew—

The Seventh Princess sighed in relief. She forcefully controlled her beating, anxious heart. She said, "Since the expert chose to be in the Immortal Realm, we have to try our best to play along with it. From now on, you should just call me Miss."

Taoist Xinghe immediately nodded. "Understood, Seventh Princess."

The two of them stopped speaking. They slowly walked uphill. Soon, the antique four-part architecture appeared in sight.

The Seventh Princess clenched her fists and thought to herself, 'This is the expert's place? Can an ultimate expert like that truly exist in the world?'

That was Taoist Xinghe's second visit. He also felt scared. He adjusted himself and slowly stepped forward. He knocked on the door.

Creak...

The door swung open.

Xiao Bai answered the door again.

They knew how powerful Xiao Bai was so they immediately felt their hearts clench. He asked respectfully, "May I know if Mr. Li's home? Pardon our disturbance."

Xiao Bai moved aside. "Come on in."

The Seventh Princess was ready to walk in. She took a deep breath.

However, she turned green when she inhaled. She gagged and almost threw up. It caught her off guard.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Good.

If she had vomited, the expert would be displeased for sure. She would probably be a gonner.

It stank. The stench almost sucked out her soul.

She was the honorable Seventh Princess of the Heavenly Palace. She had never smelled such a unique stench before. It was disgraceful.

The Seventh Princess looked at Taoist Xinghe with a gaze as sharp as a blade. She asked quietly through her teeth, "You didn't tell me that the expert's yard is so smelly. Did the expert set up a poison gas shield?"

Taoist Xinghe looked confused, too. He held his breath and said in a troubled voice, "It did not smell like this previously."

The two of them held their breaths and slowly walked in.

The Seventh Princess took notice when they walked past the Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron. That was an Intermediate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!

Then, she saw the Firefinch Demons that were busy laying eggs.

It was indeed a yard full of Treasures. The Immortal Qi here surpassed the Above Immortal Realm. Even the air had Insights Charm.

However, the stench...

It was too out of the blue. It caught them off guard.

Li Nianfan looked slightly awkward when he saw the visitors. He softly coughed and said, "Taoist Xinghe, welcome."

Taoist Xinghe wanted to breathe but he quickly stopped himself. He said, "Mr. Li, this is my Miss, Ziye."

Li Nianfan was embarrassed. "So, you must be Goddess Ziye. I didn't expect you two to come today. Very sorry about that."

He made some snacks because he wanted to. It was Stinky Tofu.

Maybe it was because the ingredients were excellent, the taste of the tofu was excellent, too. It was nice to make it at home, but it was rude and impolite for others to be near the stench.

Ziye tried her best to say, "Greetings to Mr. Li."

She said four words and felt the surrounding stench sneak into her mouth. It filled up her mouth and made her dizzy. She almost fainted.

She tried her best to look calm but she was in agony. She almost lost it.

Life was too hard.

The Seventh Princess and Taoist Xinghe looked at the pot.

They saw it.

The pot was sizzling with oil. About seven pieces of squared, dark objects floated on the oil's surface. Li Nianfan flipped them over with his chopsticks.

That...

'Fried feces?'

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe simultaneously thought. Their limbs were cold as they felt a shiver go down their spines.

Ziye quickly looked away. She had never seen such filth. She had goosebumps all over.

Perhaps it was a way to test her mental capabilities?

It was scary, horrifying!

Suddenly, they heard Nanan ask, "Brother, this batch isn't ready yet?"

She excitedly looked into the pot with sparkly eyes. There was a black stain on the corner of her mouth.

"Almost done."

Li Nianfan smiled. Then, he said, "Don't you see that we have guests? We should let the guests try it first."

'Eat it?!'

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe felt their hearts race. Their hairs stood on end, they were extremely horrified.

Then, they looked at Daji and the others. They all had black stains on their mouths. It seemed like they were forced to eat a lot of it.

What a bunch of hardcore people!

"M—Mr. Li."

Taoist Xinghe almost lost it. He forced a smile and said in a trembling voice, "You don't have to actually, I... I'm good."

Li Nianfan saw their facial expressions and instantly burst out laughing. "Don't worry, you two. The Stinky Tofu smells awful but it tastes delicious. The smell is a bit embarrassing but you're in for a treat today."

Not long ago, Daji and the others wanted to throw the pot out, too. However, they were once again enslaved by deliciousness after a bite.

He suddenly realized he had a nasty sense of humor. He liked seeing people struggle just to be conquered in the end.

Especially Goddess Ziye. She was beautiful and looked like she had status. She looked cold and regal. He wondered if she would like it.

He thought it would be a good reaction since girls were foodies.

He smirked.

'Stinky Tofu for the rich Goddess is an exciting concept. I'm truly brilliant.'

"All done." Li Nianfan picked up a needle stick next to the pot. He pierced a piece of Stinky Tofu and placed it on a small plate. He passed it over to Ziye and said, "Goddess Ziye, please. You'll like it for sure."

'Like it?!'

Ziye almost trembled as she took the plate and held her breath. She was pale.

Then, she saw the needle.

That was the Ultimate Spiritual Treasure—Cloud Needles.

'This is an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure and you used it for this?'

However, Spiritual Treasures had a mind of their own. The Cloud Needles did not resist at all. It was as if they admitted defeat and succumbed to the almighty expert.

She pursed her lips and picked up the Cloud Needles. She struggled hard internally.

"Miss... Miss." Taoist Xinghe bit his tongue and was ready to sacrifice himself. "How about I taste it for you first?"

"No need."

Ziye had a trembling voice. She saw how Li Nianfan smirked. It was obvious, the expert was trying to prank them.

All experts had odd fetishes. They had lived endlessly so they usually did whatever they pleased.

Weird hobbies were tested in disguises!

He must have predicted their visit. Therefore, he set the test.

Ziye thought about how the expert wanted to recreate the eldritch eras. She went for it.

She finally had the chance to meet an expert like that, she could not miss out on it.

Sacrifices should be made. Time to eat!

Chapter 285

She held the Cloud Needles.

The tofu was black and covered with sauce. It was scary to look at.

Ziye went even paler. She panicked. Was she going to eat such a hideous thing?

She knew that Li Nianfan was looking at her.

Ziye looked away and opened her cherry lips.

"Miss..."

Taoist Xinghe's jaws were wide open. He disregarded the surrounding stench and stared dead at her. His eyes were red from tearing up.

'Miss, sorry for my incompetence. I can't help you!

'You're making such a huge sacrifice!'

Taoist Xinghe blamed himself. He watched as the Seventh Princess ate that thing.

'Huh?'

Ziye arched her eyebrow.

She was ready for the disgusting taste. She was ready to wash her mouth out with water.

However, once the tofu was in her mouth, the stench disappeared. Not only did it disappear, it also tasted quite nice. She jumped from excitement.

'This...

'Is there something wrong with my taste palette?'

She relaxed and chewed.

Crunch!

The outside part of the tofu was crispy!

She moved her mouth and her furrowed brows relaxed. The taste was in contrast with the stench.

The tofu was crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside. The white tofu slipped inside her mouth, fresh and delicious. The taste of the Stinky Tofu did not match up with its appearance.

Ziye observed the hideous thing again. She took another bite...

"Miss!" Taoist Xinghe was stumped. His mouth was 'O' shaped.

'Why is she devouring it? Does she like it?

'Perhaps the Seventh Princess has gone crazy from eating it?'

He wanted to stop her but it was too late.

Ziye's mouth was stuffed. She continued to chew as crunching could be heard while black sauce dripped out from the corner of her mouth. It was visually impactful for Taoist Xinghe.

'No!

'Seventh Princess, be reasonable!

'Do you have any idea what you're eating?' Taoist Xinghe screamed internally.

Ziye did not have time to acknowledge him. The deliciousness of the Stinky Tofu was intense because it was freshly fried. The outer layer was crispy and hot. The tofu itself was hotter. Hot, spicy, smooth, and tasty. The flavor exploded in her mouth.

Gulp.

She swallowed the delicacy.

She seemed unsatisfied. She slowly licked the sauce from the corner of her mouth.

Taoist Xinghe was mind blown. He could not believe his eyes. He was baffled and stiff like a statue.

Li Nianfan, on the other hand, smiled. He enjoyed what he watched. He asked, "Goddess Ziye, how was it? I didn't lie to you, right?"

Ziye was pleasantly surprised. She said truthfully, "It's delicious. Thanks for the treat, Mr. Li. I did like it very much."

She did not know how to describe what she felt.

It was too sudden.

'It smells so disgusting but it's delicious to the taste. This is a weird concept. How can a weird delicacy like this exist?

'It goes against the Laws of Nature!'

"Haha, good. Feel free to have some more." Li Nianfan gave Ziye another piece of tofu. Then, he gave one to Taoist Xinghe and said, "Taoist Xinghe, you should try one, too. I swear you'll like it." 𝓁𝒾𝘣𝑟𝑒𝘢𝘥.𝘤𝘰𝑚

Taoist Xinghe gave up. Since the Seventh Prince ate it, he should eat it, too.

He took a bite. Instantly, he widened his eyes in disbelief.

'How could this thing taste so delicious? The taste doesn't match the appearance at all!'

Then, he ate the entire piece and chewed it in his mouth. He started to squint his eyes from enjoyment.

'Of course. How could things be what they seem at the expert's?

'I'm too naïve. This is probably a mental test set by the expert.'

Ziye had to ask, "Mr. Li, how did you make this delicacy?"

"It's just tofu." Li Nianfan pointed at Xiao Bai. "Look over there, Xiao Bai's grinding the tofu."

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe looked over and jumped. They did not dare to look again.

Xiao Bai was grinding soybeans.

They knew how powerful Xiao Bai was. Also, the soybeans were Spiritual Beans!

A powerful Spiritual Robot bigshot grinding Spiritual Beans. They did not dare to imagine such an impactful combo.

"It's best to drink some milkshakes after eating Stinky Tofu."

Li Nianfan smiled and told Xiao Bai, "Xiaobai, stop grinding and bring us some Strawberry Milkshakes."

Xiao Bai immediately replied, "Yes, my noble Master."

Soon, Xiao Bai came over with a tray of milkshakes.

The pink milkshakes quietly rested in beautiful transparent glasses. It had a sheen under the sunlight. It looked perfectly desirable in color.

A long straw was placed in the milkshake. It was the perfect touch.

"Thank, thanks." Ziye carefully took the milkshake from Xiao Bai. It felt cool to the touch.

She sneakily looked at Li Nianfan and the others. Then, she followed what they were doing. She gracefully held the straw and sipped on it.

Then, she automatically sucked.

Slurp!

The milkshake went into her mouth. The liquid burst and splashed in every corner.

Suddenly, she had to close her eyes. Her whole body slightly trembled.

It was sweet and sour!

The two delicious flavors were perfect for each other. She never tasted anything like that before.

"Wow—" she moaned softly.

The leftover stink from the Stinky Tofu was immediately washed away by the milkshake.

Ziye was blushing. She slowly closed her eyes and enjoyed every second and every inch of the moment.

She had to admit. The Stinky Tofu and the milkshake were a perfect combination. One was hot and crispy, the other was cold and sweet. Her palette was teased and she was feeling eccentric from the sensation.

Ziye felt emotional. She suddenly teared up.

The milk from the Five-Color-Sacred Cow and the juice of the Spiritual Strawberries. Such luxurious delicacies reminded her of the previous Heavenly Palace.

She missed that era. An era of expensive food, ambrosia, flat peaches, and Spiritual Fruits. What a glorious era.

She was lucky enough to eat something more luxurious than the delicacies from the Heavenly Palace. She felt emotional. It was as if she was dreaming.

Dragon slipped on some fruit juice. She sat on a stone bench and said, "Brother, you haven't told us the story yet."

"Yeah," Nanan said, instantly realizing it. She said excitedly, "We can drink milkshakes while listening to Brother Nianfan's story."

The little fox could not use the straw. She licked the inside of the glass with her tongue while looking at Li Nianfan with excitement.

Li Nianfan was slightly surprised. Then, he frowned and asked, "Nonsense. Don't you see we have guests here?"

'Story?'

Ziye remembered that 'Journey to the West' was a story of an expert.

'Maybe the expert is talking about stories from the eldritch eras?'

She thought about that and was excited. She could not control herself.

She hurriedly relaxed and said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Li, it's alright. I love listening to stories."

Taoist Xinghe also said, "Yeah. Mr. Li, I read all your chapters of 'Journey to the West'."

Li Nianfan was slightly speechless.

'Journey to the West' was written by Wu Cheng'en.

'How does everyone know this story was recited by me? Damn, I have a gossiper around me!'

"Since you all want to hear it, I shall tell the story."

Li Nianfan groaned for a moment. Then, he said, "However, let me be clear. This is just a story. All the Gods, Immortals, Demons or whatever are all fictional."

Everyone hurriedly nodded. They were excited. "Yeah, we understand!"

Chapter 286

"Let me remind you all again, the story's purely fictional. Come on, you guys. It's entertaining to listen to stories but don't spread it. Don't tell anyone I said it," Li Nianfan reminded them again as a precaution. He was afraid something would go wrong.

Everyone sat up straight and quickly nodded. "Got it. We understand!"

Li Nianfan felt like it was not good enough. However, he slowly began, "In another universe, Immortals had job positions. Immortals with jobs were known as Gods! I'm going to tell a story about this universe."

Li Nianfan roughly told them the synopsis, "When did Immortals have jobs? How did they get jobs? Who hired them? The story I'm telling is called... 'Investiture of the Gods'!"

Investiture of the Gods?!

Everyone held their breaths. They felt like they were electrocuted and had goosebumps all over.

The three questions from Li Nianfan sucked everyone into the story's settings.

'Immortals with jobs were like human emperors, right?' 𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝙤𝙢

How glorious!

Everyone was excited just from the synopsis.

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe widened their eyes. Their eyes were teary and they were breathing fast.

'Immortals with jobs, Immortals as Gods. That's describing the Heavenly Palace, right?'

'Eldritch eras. It must be something from the eldritch eras!'

'No! It's something older than the Heavenly Palace.'

'The expert's going to talk about...something earlier than the Heavenly Palace?'

Yikes—

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe trembled. Their hairs stood on end. They held their breaths and quietly listened.

Li Nianfan was going to talk about the story because he realized that the Immortal Realm was unattended. There were no wind Gods, rain Gods, thunder Gods, or any sort of Gods. The Immortals had no contracts so they did not care about managing the realm. It felt slightly out of place, which was why he thought of the 'Investiture of the Gods'.

"Next up, the story begins."

Li Nianfan noticed that everyone was paying attention. He instantly felt happy. As expected, the Immortals loved stories. It was easy for a cultured individual to impress anyone.

He cleared his throat and recited.

He recited a poem that unveiled the beginning of the story.

It was not a long poem but every phrase was groundbreaking. Every word represented the changes of the realm.

There were endless Truths in between the phrases. However...it was way beyond Truth. A story like that was unacceptable by the realm!

Pangu, Suiren, Fuxi, Divine Farmer, and Xuanyuan...

Li Nianfan kept saying names. He said it casually, but in the ears of the others, they were thunderstruck as their skins crawled. They could not think.

They had a feeling that those names were some sort of taboo. They should not be mentioned!

'Who...were they?'

'There's no doubt about it. They must be bigshots amongst the bigshots! Bigshots that were so much more powerful than Wukong!'

They knew the names but they needed all their might and courage to say it!

Only the expert could say the names with ease.

Rumble!

Li Nianfan finished the opening poem. A huge wave of dark clouds rolled in and darkened the sky.

Everyone felt heavy and did not dare to breathe.

Taoist Xinghe's beard and hair were flying around in the wind. He was petrified and did not dare to move.

Li Nianfan looked up at the sky and slightly frowned. "Why the sudden change of weather? I'm afraid it's going to rain. Seems like the sky doesn't want me to tell the story."

Rumble...

Another rumble of thunder could be heard again. The thick layer of dark clouds slowly moved along with the roaring wind. It soon moved away from the four-part architecture. It was once again sunny.

Rumble...

The dark clouds moved further away...

"Woohoo. We're quite lucky it was just passing storm clouds," laughed Li Nianfan.

The others hurriedly stop looking stumped. They followed along and laughed, too. However, it was a fake laugh.

They knew why the storm was there. The clouds were chased away because the expert said a simple sentence. They had no words to describe the situation other than 'cool'.

'Is this the lifestyle of a bigshot?'

Li Nianfan thought it was just a small interlude. He continued.

Everyone paid attention. They did not want to miss a word.

The way King Zhou was introduced surprised everyone.

Everyone was increasingly shocked as the story unfolded. They were focused at the same time. It was as if a huge painting scroll was slowly unraveling in front of them.

Nuwa, a Goddess of the eldritch eras, mended the sky with Sky Stones. She saved hundreds of civilians from disaster.

'She can mend the sky. How powerful must she be?'

Moreover, they were familiar with the Sky Stone. They remembered that Wukong was a monkey that was born from a Sky Stone.

As expected, it was far older than the faraway eras!

'It must be something that the expert experienced, too. No wonder the expert's unimaginably powerful.'

'Scary, invincible!'

Everyone was exhilarated. They were mesmerized by the universe of the story.

Everyone jumped when they got to the part where King Zhou disrespected Goddess Nuwa.

They were in awe of the audacity of King Zhou. They were also shocked by the status of the Human Sovereign in the story. The status of King Zhou seemed to be much higher than the emperor of 'Journey to the West'.

He dared to anger Goddess Nuwa, yet, she did not dare to attack the Human Sovereign directly.

They all had questions but they did not dare to ask them. They continued to listen.

Li Nianfan suddenly realized that Daji's name came from this story. Therefore, he quickly corrected 'Daji' into 'Diao Chan' since they were both tragic beauties anyway.

'Can't be helped. I can do anything as I please since I'm the new author.'

Li Nianfan paused. Then, he laughed and slapped the table, "If you want to find out what happened next, stay tuned for the next session."

Everyone finally snapped out of it. They all looked like they were dissatisfied.

Dragon immediately said, "Brother, don't stop. I want to hear more! Please, continue."

"Alright, we're stopping here today." Li Nianfan waved and slowly stood up.

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe looked at each other for a long while. They could see the shock in each other's eyes.

The story was just a prelude but it showed everyone the settings of the story. It was the human realm but it was still glorious and majestic.

They wanted Li Nianfan to continue the story. They were willing to listen to it even if they did not sleep or rest. It was a shame the expert was not interested. They did not dare to tell him their wishes.

Ziye struggled for a long time before she finally found the courage to say, "Mr. Li, this story is too captivating. May I come over to listen to the rest of it next time?"

Her voice was trembling at the end of the sentence.

That story was related to the secrets of the eldritch eras. It was even related to how the Heavenly Palace was formed. When she was at the Heavenly Palace, she thought the Heavenly Palace just existed. She never thought of how the Heavenly Palace came into existence in the first place. The answer was right in front of her so she was utterly excited.

"Ha, of course. Our four-part architecture holds storytime sessions around this time. Goddess Ziye, you may come over if you're interested."

Li Nianfan smiled like it was nothing. It was fantastic that he could befriend a Goddess just because of a small story.

He suddenly had an idea. He pulled Nanan over and said, "Goddess Ziye, this is my little sister, Nanan. She recently became a cultivator. I'm just an ordinary man, I have no powers or Immortal Items so I can't help her much. If it's possible, please, teach her some life-saving moves."

'Sigh, it's worrying being an elder brother and looking out for my little sister.'

He felt shameless since he already begged an Immortal.

He knew a lot of friendly cultivators. However, Li Nianfan saw the tip of the iceberg when it came to the dark side of the Immortal Realm. He knew that the Immortal Realm was dangerous. He was going to die if he purely depended on luck.

He felt like he should kiss up to more bigshots. Dignity was not worth a lot anyway, right?

Ziye slightly twitched.

'You have a yard full of Spiritual Treasure and Spiritual Plants. You're the rich guy who used Ultimate Spiritual Treasures as barbeque sticks. And you say you don't have powers and items?

'In comparison to you, I'm just a poor chick. How can you complain with such confidence?'

Of course, she scolded him internally. In reality, she was thrilled.

She was troubled because she was thinking of ways to please the expert. She worried that the expert would not appreciate her items. However, the expert asked her to do something. It meant that she left a good impression!

It was an excellent sign.

She immediately flicked her wrist and out came two items.

The first item was a small light-blue sword that was a Superior Ultimate Spiritual Treasure—the Heavenly Water Sword. The other was a golden bronze mirror that was also a Superior Ultimate Spiritual Treasure—the Reflective Mirror.

She pulled out her two best items.

Ziye placed the items on the table and said, "Mr. Li, these two items are useful. One can initiate attacks and the other one can be used as a defense. They aren't luxurious but they should be enough for Nanan to use."

"Thank you so much." Li Nianfan immediately smiled. The two items must be Immortal Items since it was given by an Immortal. It must be quite helpful for Nanan.

"Nanan, hurry up and thank Sister Ziye."

Nanan immediately said in a sweet tone, "Thank you, Sister Ziye."

Li Nianfan reminded her at the same time, "Keep it safe. Don't take them out just to show off. Got it?"

Nanan obediently nodded.

Ziye stood up and saluted. She said, "Mr. Li, we should stop bothering you. Goodbye."

Li Nianfan also saluted, "Safe travels, Goddess Ziye."

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe walked out of the four-part architecture with complex facial expressions. They were incredibly grateful.

Ziye said excitedly, "Xinghe, you were right. He's an expert, an unimaginable expert!"

Taoist Xinghe said respectfully, "I didn't expect it, either. He's older than the Heavenly Palace and he knows all the terrifying secrets of the eldritch eras. He even randomly shared them through a story. It's unbelievable."

"As he should. Otherwise, who else would have the courage to go against Fate?"

Ziye looked joyful. Even her voice was trembling as she said, "Do you remember what the expert said before the story? He said that the Immortal Realm's Godless and it feels out of place. Do you know what this means? It means that he's going to rebuild the Heavenly Palace!"

That was the happiest moment of her life. Her deepest sorrow was relieved.

After everything, she saw hope.

"Indeed." Taoist Xinghe smiled. Then, he looked at the sky and said in a low voice, "The eldritch eras can only be rebuilt if we follow in the expert's footsteps! We're not worthy to go against Fate. Look at the tribulation clouds..."

"Quiet!" Ziye hurriedly interrupted him.

The clouds that appeared above the four-part architecture were extremely horrifying. If they faced that alone, they would be turned to dust by Fate.

Only the expert was daring enough to ignore Fate. He lived in his own way, even Fate had to avoid him.

'Such a bigshot in front of me, I have to cling on to him.'

Ziye inhaled hard then slowly exhaled. She looked like she was thinking. She said, "I think the expert knows I'm determined to rebuild the Heavenly Palace. Therefore, he purposely told 'Investiture of the Gods'. He wanted to tell me how the Heavenly Palace was formed. That's the equivalent of teaching me how to rebuild the Heavenly Palace, right?"

"Now that you say it, it's indeed so!"

Taoist Xinghe was in awe. "The expert's indeed deep!"

Ziye looked serious. She said, "The story's too important to me. We can't afford to lose any parts of it. I'm not going back to the Above Immortal Realm. Let's stay near the Fallen Immortal Mountain."

Chapter 287

So, two days had passed.

It was early in the morning.

Li Nianfan felt like he had not been to the Fallen Town in a long time. He was cooped up at home ever since his last trip. So, he invited everyone to go out with him.

The Fallen Town was the only major city nearby. It was like the mall in his past realm. He did not want to shop for anything, he just wanted to walk around and enjoy his time.

However, apart from Li Nianfan and Nanan, no one was interested.

The Fire Phoenix turned into a small red bird and landed on his shoulder. She was acting cold and being very quiet. Her mind was somewhere else.

The little fox leaped onto Daji. She curled up into a furry ball, hiding behind her tails. She peeked her little fox head out. She had droopy eyelids and would blink from time to time.

Dragon was holding hands with Nanan. She looked down and had teary eyes.

Even Daji was distracted.

The four people, a bird, and a fox went on their way.

There was nothing wrong with a dog guarding the house.

Li Nianfan had to ask, "What's going on with you all? Why aren't you all talking?"

Dragon replied without thinking, "I want to hear the story."

Li Nianfan laughed and said, "It's not time for a storytime session yet. Be patient, alright?"

Dragon hurriedly said, "Then, tell me, Brother. What happened to Ao Bing afterward? Did he conquer Nezha?"

"Conquer Nezha?" Li Nianfan shook his head. "No spoilers."

Dragon pouted and said, "The Dragons are so powerful and he's a God. How would he be defeated by a little kid? Also, Nezha's so naughty. She caused so much trouble without consideration and affected a lot of people's lives!"

"That's a fresh new angle," laughed Li Nianfan. Usually, the majority would side with Nezha. Dragon was the opposite.

However, it was understandable. Dragon's a Carp Demon. Carps' ultimate goal was to become Dragons, after all. Of course, she'd feel it was unjust that the Dragons were being bullied.'

He mumbled quietly, "There are no wrongs or rights. Just...different viewpoints."

People would naturally support people. The Dragon kind would naturally support the Dragons.

"Nian... Brother Nianfan."

The little fox peaked out and looked at Li Nianfan. She asked meekly, "The Nine-Tailed Fox seduced the realm and caused a lot of trouble. Is she really that much of a villain?"

"Little fox, don't think too much about it. It's also a matter of perspective. The Nine-Tailed Fox is a Demon, not a person. If each person differs from the other, foxes also differ from other foxes. In the end, they were all just a bunch of chosen chess pieces."

Li Nianfan noticed that the little fox still had that look. The little fox looked like she was convinced that she was a naughty baby. He groaned for a moment and smiled, "Do you all remember the prelude poem, King Zhou and Goddess Nuwa? Goddess Nuwa couldn't attack him directly but she wouldn't endure it either. The Nine-Tailed Fox was her spy. Her purpose was to destroy the Luck of King Zhou!"

Nanan was shocked. "Goddess Nuwa did that? But she was a Goddess."

"But she had a mind of her own!"

Li Nianfan waved. "Look at you guys. I've told you that it's just a story. Don't think it's real."

'The Immortal Realm lacks authors. They're so easily surprised because they haven't heard a lot of stories before.'

The little fox and Daji looked better.

Especially Daji. She was scared that her Master would despise her.

At the same time, everyone felt how terrifying it was during that era. They only had a glimpse of the story, but it was not hard to tell that everyone was competitive. The seemingly awesome characters turned out to be chess pieces. More importantly, they felt unworthy to be chess pieces.

The story was related to their ancestors.

If they lived in that era, they would not know how to survive.

Scary, it was too scary.

They arrived at the Fallen Town. The crowd was bustling as usual.

"Mr. Li, long time no see."

He heard a familiar voice as soon as he stepped in.

Li Nianfan looked at the incoming lady. He smiled and said, "Aunty Zhang, long time no see."

Aunty Zhang hurriedly asked, "Mr. Li, can you ask someone to check in on Nanan?"

"Mom, I'm right here." Nanan suddenly jumped out.

"Nanan?"

Aunty Zhang was stumped. She thought she was hallucinating. Then, she teared up from joy. She smiled while she scolded her, "You child, you left for months and didn't send me any messages!"

Nanan smiled and said, "I'm a cultivator now. What could happen to me? You don't need to worry."

Aunty Zhang said, "You've only cultivated for a few months."

"Look, Fire Spell!"

Nanan raised her arm. Five fireballs jumped from her fingers. It also circled Nanan. She smugly asked, "Awesome, right?"

Aunty Zhang was astounded. She was excited and proud.

"Immortal?"

That spell attracted a surrounding crowd. They all looked surprised.

"Nanan's back? Aunty Zhang, your daughter became an Immortal?"

"So awesome. She came back because she achieved skills and spells. Aunty Zhang's in luck."

"Sigh, I wonder how my kid's doing."

Nanan suddenly became the center of attention. She smiled and said, "Hello, uncles and aunties. Feel free to look for me if you're being bullied by Demons in the future. Killing Demons is my favorite thing to do."

"Such a good child!"

"Who knew we'd have an Immortal?"

Many little kids came running with excitement. They looked envious as they said, "Wow, Sister Nanan, are you an Immortal? Such a big fireball. Is cultivation difficult?"

Aunty Zhang slapped Nanan on the head. She scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about, child? You've only learned a little. How can you start slaying Demons? Sorry, everyone, don't take her word seriously. She's just a child."

There was a crowd around her. Li Nianfan had to laugh. "Nanan just came back like a fish in water. We should let her reunite properly with her relatives. Let's go."

Then, he quietly left with Daji and the others.

Business was booming as usual at the breakfast stall.

The stall owner was still friendly as he said, "Mr. Li, it's been a while since you came here."

"Yeah, it's a quick trip out here today," nodded Li Nianfan. He smiled and said, "As per the usual. One serving."

"Alright."

Everyone sat down. They heard the surrounding conversations.

"Do you guys know? The front lines won! The Xia Kingdom's army is the real deal."

"This happened long ago, it's already old news! According to reliable sources, the Xia Kingdom won because of a book. The book was given by an Immortal and it has magical mysterious powers. It blessed them to win many battles in a row."

"No! Rumors, purely rumors!"

Somebody shrugged it off, "My Seventh Aunt's Eighth son's classmate's friend's brother fought in the front lines. According to him, the day was dark and gloomy when the Demon leader appeared, killing anyone in sight. It was super horrifying! Thankfully, a bunch of Buddhist baldies arrived. They gathered together and shined bright like a small sun. They chased the darkness away! Do you guys know where the baldies came from?"

"Where?" 𝓁𝑖𝑏𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"They were from the Above Immortal Realm, sent by the Gods!"

Li Nianfan sat next to them. He quietly listened to their chit-chats.

'The Immortal Realm's indeed the Immortal Realm. The interesting conversations are so serious.'

However, Li Nianfan got a few important pieces of information from their conversations.

Firstly, the war strategy he gave Zhou Yunwu was effective.

Secondly, Zhou Yunwu was competent. He was winning the war.

Thirdly, Yuecha started Buddhism. She helped the war by preaching Buddhism.

The three incidents were the major points. He carefully thought about it and realized he was the cause of the three incidents.

'Is this the power of knowledge? How interesting.'

"Your information's nothing," said someone from another table. He acted cool.

"Oh, pray tell. Do you perhaps have better information?"

That person lowered his voice. He asked in a mysterious tone, "Do you guys know of the Princess of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, Luo Shiyu?"

"Naturally. Everyone in the Fallen Town knows who Goddess Luo is."

That person sneered and said slowly, "Ha. I heard that she entered the battlefield and encountered some sort of wicked spell. She was sent back but she's half-dead!"

Everyone gasped. "Really?"

"My aunt's son's younger cousin brother's older cousin brother works at the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty. He saw Princess Luo with his eyes. How could it be fake?" sneered the person. Then, he said, "This information's a secret. Don't tell anyone."

Li Nianfan was taken aback. He frowned.

'Something happened to Luo Shiyu?

'It has been a while since I last saw her. Did she fight in the war?'

Luo Shiyu was the first person to visit Li Nianfan since the System abandoned him. Therefore, Li Nianfan had a deep impression of her.

At that time, she was being forced into marriage. He helped her with some advice and strategy.

'The Immortal Realm so dangerous. Why did you go fight in the war as an elite woman when you can be the princess of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty?'

The Ganlong Immortal Dynasty was linked to the Fallen Town. Since he was here, he should check on her, regardless if the information was true or false.

Chapter 288

Like a boss of the Fallen Town, she was naturally well known. Her location was easily found.

However, it was difficult to enter the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty.

Ordinary people with no connections had to go through levels of applications.

It was also perfectly reasonable to be rejected at any point of the process.

Soon, Li Nianfan was at the door of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty. The vermillion door with gold borders was huge.

That was not the main attraction. The main attraction was the wide stairs that led to the door. There were 38 flights of white jade. It looked luxurious.

Cultivators were good at flying so they liked heights. He was considered lucky that it was not on top of the clouds.

Li Nianfan slowly walked up the stairs with Daji.

Two guards chatted at the door.

They instantly looked alive when they saw Li Nianfan. They saluted and asked, "May I ask what you're all here for?"

Li Nianfan also saluted and smiled. "Hi, my name's Li Nianfan. Please inform someone that I'm looking for the Holy Emperor."

"So you're Mr. Li Nianfan." The two guards looked at Li Nianfan and said, "The Holy Emperor has told us before that if Mr. Li ever came over, he'd be a guest. You can just go in."

It was an early order. Not only did the Holy Emperor give them the other, Luo Shiyu had also repeatedly reminded them of it. She also ordered them to be polite, too. The guards could not understand why but they remembered it.

Li Nianfan was pleasantly surprised. "Thanks."

'The Holy Emperor's so dependable.

'That's life. A random order from a bigshot can save a lot of trouble for people like us. He can also cause a lot of trouble for others too.'

The guard immediately said, "Mr. Li, please, follow me."

The other guard quickly left to inform someone of their arrival.

Li Nianfan nodded and walked in.

It was his first visit.

He walked in and took in the view.

There was a long path made from white jade. High columns were built on the sides of the road. The columns were sculpted with wonderful refined patterns.

The long path was wide enough to fit four people. There was a long river below it. He followed the river's path and saw a huge golden palace.

The long path was just a bridge that was connected to the huge palace at the center.

While they were walking, the guard glanced at Li Nianfan again. He asked, "Mr. Li, are you an ordinary man?"

Mr. Li smiled. "In the flesh."

The guard quickly added, "I don't mean to offend you, Mr. Li. It's just that the Holy Emperor rarely sees ordinary people as important. It seems like Mr. Li must be a talented genius."

"Haha, why is it offensive to be ordinary?" Li Nianfan shrugged it off. Then, he asked, "Are you a cultivator, bro?"

The guard smiled. He replied proudly, "Yeah. I got a feeling that I'll have a breakthrough soon. By then, I won't need to guard the door anymore."

"Congrats, bro." Li Nianfan smiled and saluted.

Nanan was a cultivator so he knew what the guard was talking about.

Li Nianfan paused and asked, "Oh, yeah. I heard that Princess Luo was injured on the battlefield and that she isn't doing too well. Is it true?"

The guard had a change in expression. "This is top-secret information. Where did you hear it from, sir?"

Li Nianfan was slightly awkward. He replied, "I overheard it on the streets."

"What? The streets know about this already?" the guard jumped and said in disbelief. "I only told my younger cousin's brother, and I told him not to tell anyone. Who dares spread it to everyone?"

Li Nianfan scratched his nose and did not say anything.

They chatted as they walked through the long hallway and entered a huge field.

The guard said quietly, "Mr. Li, Princess Luo's on the verge of death. We should stop talking."

Li Nianfan nodded.

Meanwhile, at another palace.

Luo Shiyu peacefully laid on a crystal bed.

The crystal bed was transparent and creepily icy. The temperature in the room cooled down because of it. Even powerful cultivators would shiver in the room.

There were a lot of people surrounding the crystal bed. The nearest one was a familiar acquaintance of Li Nianfan.

The Holy Emperor looked at his daughter with a complex gaze. He softly sighed and bowed at the lady next to him. He said, "Thank you, Goddess Ziye, for the Ice Cold Crystal Bed. You relieved Shiyu's symptoms."

"No need to thank me. I did this because we work for experts."

Ziye shrugged it off. She said, "Also, this is all I can help with. It's too hard to wake your daughter up."

Zhong Xiu had teary eyes. She sobbed, "Goddess Ziye. Can you tell me how we can save my daughter?"

Ziye groaned for a moment and sighed. "It would've been easy in the past. But now, there are only a few left, and they simply won't show up."

Gu Xirou was also in the room. She asked, "Can you elaborate on that, Goddess Ziye?"

They were invited by the Holy Emperor since they were all familiar with each other. They would also help out as much as they could because of the expert.

Ziye asked, "You guys know of the Underworld, right?"

Everyone was surprised. "The Underworld from 'Journey to the West'? The place for lost souls?"

"Of course. How could I forget about that?" Yao Mengji looked like he realized something. He said with a hint of shock, "The expert told us the story happened during the eldritch eras. That means the Underworld must exist!"

Gu Xirou said, "As cultivators, we know that people have three souls and seven consciousnesses. Lady Shiyu lost a soul and a consciousness from the Dementor. She lost consciousness on the way here. If we were in eldritch eras, we could go to the Underworld to get her lost souls back. However, the Door of Reincarnation is broken. The Underworld's long lost over time. The souls are nowhere to be found."

Gu Xirou furrowed her brows and said, "So, she lost her soul. No wonder we can't save her."

Taoist Xinghe said in a helpless voice, "Once the soul's damaged, it'll keep fading. Our Ice Cold Crystal Bed can temporarily hold the soul in place, delaying her death."

Zhong Xiu looked at Luo Shiyu and started tearing up again. Then, she suddenly said, "The expert, we can look for the expert! He can save her!"

"No!"

The Holy Emperor denied it without a second thought. "We can never disturb the expert!"

Zhong Xiu sobbed and yelled, "Why? I'm willing to die for her!"

"Stupid! You dumb lady! What use would the expert need your life for?!"

The Holy Emperor was flushed. He was livid. He scolded, "The peace of the expert comes first! We can only receive if he's willing to give. We can never ask for it! It's that simple."

Zhong Xiu sloped and sat on the bed. She cried and did not say anything else.

The room was suddenly quiet. No one defended her or said anything.

Because the Holy Emperor was right. The expert had his plans. They did not know what it was, but they had to go along with the expert. The expert came first and everybody agreed on that. Otherwise, who could endure the wrath of the expert?

"Report."

Somebody suddenly came in.

"Come in." The Holy Emperor was in a bad mood. He was very angry. He scolded, "What's so important that you have to report? Don't you know things are getting bad?!"

The guard flinched. He said coyly, "Holy Emperor, you said that if Mr. Li ever came over, we had to inform you no matter what."

"That's it? You..."

The Holy Emperor froze in place. He instantly had goosebumps as he widened his eyes. He growled, "What did you say?!"

The guard said bafflingly, "It's... Mr. Li Nianfan. He's on the way."

Gasp—

Everyone in the room gasped. Ziye also looked shocked. She stepped toward the door to look outside.

"You did great! Go on and collect your reward!" The Holy Emperor excitedly patted on his shoulder.

Then, he quickly paced around the room. He did not know where to put his hands. He was frantic and clueless.

"Mr. Li's here at my Ganlong Immortal Dynasty? I'm not ready at all."

"Maybe he came because of Shiyu? My daughter's saved!"

"Yeah, I have to hurry up and welcome him! I have to go!"

Then, he turned into a gush of wind and slipped out of the room.

The others wanted to go with him, too, but they refrained from doing so in the end.

Li Nianfan was walking with the guard. They turned right and went through a garden to a remote palace area.

The guard said quietly, "Mr. Li, we'll be arriving at Princess Luo's quarters soon."

Li Nianfan nodded and looked over. He saw a lot of people at the palace, mostly elders. They all looked cool and powerful. They were chatting with each other.

"Who knew the Holy Emperor's such a bigshot? He invited so many Immortals!"

"Yeah, but I wonder if the Immortals can heal Princess Luo."

"I'm afraid not. Otherwise, the Holy Emperor wouldn't have invited all the doctors."

"Princess Luo's powers were shattered. She couldn't even swallow her medicine. A classic veggie. Who can save her?"

"Well, we're here. We should check in on the Immortals, it'd be nice to look at them, too."

Suddenly, a white-robed elder noticed Li Nianfan.

He noticed that Li Nianfan was about to enter the room with the guard. He immediately blocked them.

"Blasphemy!"

He scolded, "Do you know who's inside? How dare you trespass? It's a huge offense to disturb the Immortals!"

He was slightly excited because that was a chance for him to impress the Immortals.

He instantly felt smug. He stood up straight, "You're just a guard. Don't you have eyes?! Can't you see us cultivators waiting outside? How can an unworthy ordinary man go in?"

"This..." The guard was slightly scared. He did not know what to say.

The elder shrugged it off. He said impatiently, "This what? Hurry up and screw off!"

"Screw you!"

A voice rang as loud as thunder.

The Holy Emperor was livid. His hair stood on end. He wanted to tear the elder apart right then and there.

The Saint should not be insulted!

'You pig! Do you know what you just did? You're trying to kill me!'

He tried his best to control his anger and landed in front of Li Nianfan. He smiled and asked, "Mr. Li, why didn't you say anything before your visit?"

Li Nianfan saluted and said, "Holy Emperor, I overheard that Lady Shiyu's injured so I came here to visit. Sorry for the lack of announcement."

"Haha, no worries. I know Mr. Li's great at healing. I naturally welcome you to visit." The Holy Emperor hurriedly saluted. Then, he said, "Mr. Li, there's a lot of familiar faces in the room. You should go in first. I'll say hi to these people."

"Okay," nodded Li Nianfan.

He had a déjà vu. That was a great example of a smug person embarrassing himself. He thought it was fun.

'Too bad I can't recreate a situation like that because I'm not good enough. I embarrassed the almighty transmigrate community.'

The Holy Emperor watched Li Nianfan walk away. Then, he looked at the elder. He asked menacingly, "Who are you?"

The elder felt that something was off. He replied, "I'm a..."

"Alright, enough," the Holy Emperor waved and interrupted him impatiently. "Get him out of here, bury him!"

Li Nianfan walked into the room. He was surprised at first, then he smiled. It was indeed a bunch of familiar faces.

He saluted and said, "You're all here. Greetings to Goddess Ziye, Taoist Xinghe, Goddess Gu, and Brother Yao."

Everyone hurriedly replied with politeness, "Greetings to Mr. Li and Lady Daji."

Then, Li Nianfan looked at Luo Shiyu and slowly walked over.

"Mr. Li." Zhong Xiu could not help but cry. Her face was full of tears. She opened her mouth but refrained from begging.

Li Nianfan asked, "Concubine Zhong, do you mind if I have a look?"

Zhong Xiu immediately stood up and moved away. "I don't mind, I don't mind. Please."

Li Nianfan looked at Luo Shiyu who peacefully laid on the bed. He felt emotional.

The Immortal Realm was truly dangerous. He would possibly have a good ending as an ordinary man with a simple life, but if he was a cultivator, he would most likely die in tragedy.

On some levels, life as a cultivator was more dangerous than life as an ordinary man.

Li Nianfan went through the whole medical checkup routine and found that Luo Shiyu did not have illness symptoms.

It was not odd because the Immortals were here. How would she be sick?

Then, he lifted her eyelids.

"Looks like a vegetative state." Li Nianfan groaned for a moment and mumbled, "It seems like she was traumatized. What happened? How was she scared into this state?"

Chapter 289

The Holy Emperor was back. He respectfully walked next to Li Nianfan and said in a troubled voice, "Mr. Li, my daughter's traumatized."

"Sigh. There must've been something terrifying on the battlefields."

Li Nianfan softly sighed. Then, he looked at Ziye, "Even Goddess Ziye can't do anything about this?"

Ziye hurriedly said, "If the body was injured, there'd be medicine to cure it. But Lady Shiyu lost her soul. I can't offer my help."

Li Nianfan frowned.

He groaned.

To be honest, he was surprised that the Immortals could not help her. He felt unconfident.

'Can I really cure her?' Li Nianfan self-doubt.

Zhong Xiu carefully observed Li Nianfan. She asked in a trembling voice, "Mr. Li, do...do you have any methods?"

"I have a method in mind. However..." hesitated Li Nianfan. He continued, "However, it's an ordinary method that isn't mainstream. I'm afraid it's not very hopeful."

'Another ordinary method of curing?

'Ordinary methods are nice!'

The Holy Emperor was flushed from excitement.

He knew about how Li Nianfan performed a C-section for childbirth. He also knew about how Li Nianfan reattached Lin Mufeng's arm. Li Nianfan always got The Answer from being ordinary.

'Which Immortal could ever compare to that?

'The expert can transform ordinary ways into Saintly effects. Shiyu'll be saved!'

The Holy Emperor concealed his excitement and said, "Please, try it, Mr. Li. It might have unexpected effects."

Li Nianfan nodded. "True. Trying Is better than nothing."

He said, "I'll need a bowl of rice, an incense stick, and a bowl of water. Oh, yeah. Bring me some empty bowls and a few metal spoons."

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm on it!" The Holy Emperor did not hesitate. He immediately ordered people to prepare it.

The items requested were very common. It was soon retrieved with ease.

Li Nianfan noticed that everyone was looking at him with high expectations. He smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

'Alright, can't back out now.'

He was using a superstitious method. In the past realm, it was known as Spiritualism, also known as Evocation.

It seemed to be effective but it also seemed to be ineffective. In conclusion, it was all too silly.

However, the System provided him with methods like that before. With a few tweaks from the past realm, it felt reliable somehow.

Li Nianfan thought of the System and knew where to draw the line.

Li Nianfan skipped the bell-shaking-stage-making-ritual-dancing process because he could not bear to do it himself. He was not that shameless.

'Let's begin.'

He brought his brush and paper. He placed it on the table and said, "Daji, help me grind the ink."

Daji replied, "Yes, sir."

Li Nianfan held the bowl of water and placed it underneath the door.

Then, he threw rice at the four corners of the room. He lit the incense and stuck it on the bed.

Li Nianfan looked weirded out. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something. Then, he said, "Holy Emperor, you should all hold the empty bowls and spoons. Later, when you hear me yell 'Evocation', knock the empty bowls with the spoons."

Li Nianfan felt awkward. It was hard to say it to a bunch of cultivators and Immortals.

Just the thought of it was funny.

"Okay, Mr. Li." The Holy Emperor nodded. He said to the others, "Please, everyone."

The others naturally went along with it. They said without hesitation, "Of course."

Li Nianfan walked to the table with a serious expression. He held his brush but did not do anything for a long while.

Phew—

He exhaled and looked at the white paper. Then...he painted!

Buzz!

As he painted, the realm seemed to change in an unknown way. Waves were appearing out of thin air along with his brush strokes.

His brushstrokes were complicated but he was not writing something. He seemed to be painting some sort of symbol. It was barely a painting but it was not writing for sure.

He did not stop with the brush strokes. It seemed like he was casually painting but it also seemed precise.

The white paper was long. Li Nianfan painted something long, too. It was all in a single stroke and he did not dare to pause. He started to sweat.

The wind started to blow!

The wind blew into the room. It blew on the bowl of water at the door, causing some ripples.

The wind was extremely creepy. It was not strong but it was bone-chilling. They would describe it as... Ghostly Wind!

Even the Immortals felt cold.

The others looked outside. It was dark out, not because of the clouds but because it was suddenly nighttime!

Gu Xirou kept observing Li Nianfan. Then, she widened her bloodshot eyes in horror as her mind went blank. She hurriedly closed her mouth with her hands. She did not dare to scream out loud.

The others quickly noticed it, too. They quietly gasped as their hair stood on ends. They felt their skin crawl.

Ziye and Taoist Xinghe forgot to breathe. They looked behind Li Nianfan, baffled as they trembled.

Everyone tried their best to control themselves. They did not dare to make a sound.

'That... That's...'

Behind Li Nianfan, a long, bloody river slowly appeared. It was just a figure but it was powerful. Moreover, the long river was menacing. Howls from ghosts could be heard. It was deafening and memorable!

Boom!

The river started to become clear. The river had strong waves and it seemed to be mad. 'That isn't a river, that's clearly an ocean... A blood ocean!'

They guessed it. That was probably where they would go when they died.

Ziye did not blink. She gradually breathed faster. There were tears in her eyes.

'The Styx. The Styx River of the Underworld!'

Countless skulls struggled in the Styx. Ghosts howled and roared. It was chaotic.

The door to the Underworld was long gone. The Road of Reincarnation had been broken for years. Did the expert reopen the door to the Underworld? Did the Underworld reappear?!

So scary! So horrifying!

It seemed like the expert was set on rebuilding the eldritch eras.

Li Nianfan finally paused on his last brush stroke. It was over!

He picked up the paper and lit it on fire!

"May the four Gods of Ghosts open the Ghost Door. Follow the sounds as guides, please, return her soul!"

Buzz!

The ocean of blood rose like a tsunami. Everything changed at that moment.

Nothing much changed on the appearance, but all the cultivators could feel the enormous changes of the realm. They could not identify what it was. It felt like some sort of wall was broken.

They snapped out of it when they heard Li Nianfan. They did not dare to delay. They quickly picked up their spoons and knocked on the empty bowls.

Cling clang!

The room echoed with the sounds.

Li Nianfan walked to the door with the paper. He placed the end of the paper that was still burning into the bowl of water.

The fire did not go out when it touched the water. Instead, the color of the flames turned blue. It was dim and flickering.

"Seems like it's working!"

Li Nianfan was feeling hopeful. He chanted, "Soul and consciousness within thousands of miles, return in a hurry! The Princess of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty, the daughter of the Holy Emperor and Zhong Xiu, Luo Shiyu. Evocation, return!"

Fume!

A gust of wind blew in but it made the paper burn faster. It quickly turned to ash and melted into the water.

Li Nianfan hurriedly looked over. He saw a shiny circle in the bowl of water.

That must be the sign of a successful Evocation.

Suddenly, the world returned to what it once was. The figure of the blood ocean had vanished. The realm was once again peaceful. They were still knocking on the bowls in the room.

Li Nianfan softly coughed, "Alright, don't need to knock anymore."

Everyone stopped and looked at Luo Shiyu lying on the bed.

The incense stick was still burning. The smoke slithered in front of Luo Shiyu.

Suddenly, Luo Shiyu's eyes moved slightly. Then, she slowly opened her eyes. She looked confused.

Zhong Xiu was instantly overjoyed. She quickly yelled, "Shiyu!"

"Mother," said Luo Shiyu softly. Her voice was weird because her soul had not fully remerged with her body yet.

"You're awake," smiled Li Nianfan. He sighed in relief. He did not expect Evocation to work.

'Of course. The Immortal Realm has cultivators, so superstitious practices would work, too.'

"Mr. Li." Luo Shiyu jolted. She was about to get up.

Li Nianfan did not want to take credit for saving her. He said, "Holy Emperor, Concubine Zhong, Lady Shiyu just woke up. It's not good for her to move around. She needs rest. We should go now."

The Holy Emperor hurriedly saluted and said from the bottom of his heart, "Thank you so much for today, Mr. Li. We can't repay you for your generosity. We'll visit next time to thank you."

He was telling the truth. He did not know how to repay the expert.

"You're too courteous. How could I stand by and watch her die? You don't need to thank me, just don't be a stranger," laughed Li Nianfan. Then, he said, "Alright, we should go."

"Okay, yeah, safe travels, Mr. Li. Let me see you off." The Holy Emperor was touched. He quickly wiped away his tears and kept nodding.

'What did we do to deserve this? The expert's too nice to us!'

Gu Xirou, Ziye, and the others all looked at Li Nianfan with complex emotions.

Bigshots saw life as an insignificant weed. They viewed people as insects. It was not an incorrect statement. No one would care about the lives of insects. However, the expert was different.

The other hidden experts would treat the realm like a game. In reality, they still saw other people as insects. However, the expert was different. He truly treated everyone equally. His state of mind was beyond all of it.

The state of mind of being ordinary.

That was a true bigshot!

The legendary Saint would be a loser in front of the expert!

"We're lucky enough to become the expert's chess pieces. We're lucky beyond lifetimes!'

The others naturally followed Li Nianfan. They said, "Holy Emperor, we should get going, too."

The Holy Emperor respectfully saw them off until they reached the door. "Thanks, everyone. Safe travels."

Chapter 290

Everyone except Li Nianfan frowned at the same time when they walked out of the Ganlong Immortal Dynasty.

Gu Xirou said, "There's a Demon in front of us!"

Taoist Xinghe said, "Seems to be in the Fallen Town. The Demon isn't weak."

It seemed to be very strong since Taoist Xinghe said it was not weak.

Li Nianfan hurriedly said, "There are a lot of civilians in the Fallen Town. Can I please trouble you all to check it out?"

He had a lot of sentiments for the Fallen Town. Most importantly, there were a lot of ordinary folks there. Nanan was there, too. He would naturally be worried.

Ziye hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Mr. Li. We've got this!"

They would be demented if they did not seize the opportunity to impress the expert.

Gu Xirou could not wait. She stepped on some clouds and started to fly. "Mr. Li, we'll head over first."

The others quickly followed. "Same."

Soon, they flew far away.

Li Nianfan was envious that they could teleport and fly anywhere. 'It's so convenient being a bigshot.

'It'll probably be alright since the Immortals are heading there.'

Then, he looked up at the horizon. He was shocked.

They were flickering like stars. Figures moved around like they were fighting.

He focused and saw the small figure. It seemed to be Nanan.

Li Nianfan quickly tugged on Daji and said, "Let's go, we have to hurry!"

Meanwhile, at the Fallen Town.

Nanan looked serious. She turned into a figure and levitated above the Fallen Town.

Most people were hiding in their houses. Some hid in remote alley corners, protecting their kids in their embrace.

"Nanan, be careful!"

Everyone was terrified. They all shouted at Nanan with worry. Aunty Zhang was very anxious.

Some kids were ignorant and fearless. They were amazed, "Wow, Sister Nanan's an Immortal. Awesome!"

Opposite Nana was a huge donkey. It did not look that different from an ordinary donkey. However, its hooves were stepping on fiery red clouds. It looked majestic.

The donkey looked surprised. It looked at Nanan with disbelief. "Little girl, who are you? Why do you have an Ultimate Spiritual Treasure with you?!"

Nanan said coldly, "I'm someone you shouldn't mess with. Hurry up and beat it, this town's under my protection!"

"Ha, you're just a cultivator from the Yuan Ying realm. How dare you speak to me like that? I could blow you to bits if it weren't for that Ultimate Spiritual Treasure!"

The Donkey Demon said coldly, "Give me the Ultimate Spiritual Treasure and a virgin boy and girl. Only then will I leave peacefully without killing anyone."

Nanan said with an innocent face, "Wouldn't it be nice for a good donkey to eat grass? I have two Five-Color-Sacred Cows in my backyard and they eat grass every day. They're beyond happy."

"Eat grass? Five-Color-Sacred Cows?" The Donkey Demon was taken aback. Then, it laughed and chuckled. "You're unexpectedly funny, little girl. It's natural for Demons to eat people, stop resisting!"

"Eat this!"

Nanan fired a huge fireball from her hand like it was a cannon.

"You bite off more than you can chew!" sneered the Donkey Demon. It simply opened its mouth and breathed fire. The fireball was instantly devoured. The fire from the donkey turned into a Fire Dragon, coming at Nanan.

Nanan held the Reflective Mirror above her head. The mirror shined brightly!

Suddenly, Nanan was surrounded by mirrors and the fire attack was reflected.

The two fire attacks clashed with each other and Nanan was surrounded by a sea of fire.

"Little girl, even if you have the Ultimate Spiritual Treasure as a defense, my powers are still miles ahead of yours. It's just a matter of time before I kill you. I'll eat you first!"

The Donkey Demon laughed maniacally. It stepped forward and spat fire like a merciless fire thrower.

Suddenly, a chilling shine appeared out of thin air. The air moved like water ripples. An invisible sharp sword attacked the Donkey Demon from the side! It appeared without a sign but it was powerful.

The Donkey Demon felt that slash and immediately dodged it. A strand of fur was chopped off its back.

It started to sweat. It yelled in a frantic and shocked voice, "You sneaky little girl, a silent attack from another Ultimate Spiritual Treasure. Truly scary!"

"Seems like I can't spare your life any longer!"

The Donkey Demon looked violent. It opened its mouth and fire surrounded the Heavenly Water Sword. It started to burn.

Sizzle!

The Heavenly Water Sword trembled. Its powers started to fade.

The Donkey Demon sneered. It kicked away the Heavenly Water Sword and said, "You're indeed a good treasure. Too bad your user's too weak! You shall be mine from now on!"

It stared at Nanan and smiled. It said excitedly, "Haha, God bless me! I didn't expect to run into such luck when I just descended to this realm. Two Ultimate Spiritual Treasures, I'm rich!"

"You donkey!"

Nanan knew she was not capable of fighting him. She started to use another strategy. She said calmly, "If I were you, I'd hurry up and run. I have two Ultimate Spiritual Treasures. That means I have bigshots that support me. You can't afford to mess with them! They're nearby. If they came over, you'd be straight-up dead!"

"Ha, bluffing again."

The Donkey Demon did not care. It said smugly, "This is my first battle since I got to this realm. I have to get a good start. I'll be having your items and I'll also be eating a young boy and a young girl! Nobody can stop me now!"

It was a mere small demon in the Above Immortal Realm. It usually did not dare to eat people in the cities. However, it was in the Immortal Realm now. It suddenly became an elite demon, so it could easily eat people. It did not need to hide and be sneaky.

It became reckless at the thought of it. It screamed and attacked Nanan with its fire breath.

Fireballs came out of the fire like meteors and comets. They were about to crash into the Fallen Town!

Nanan was anxious. She could not do anything to save it.

Suddenly, a huge green branch rose from the ground and stopped the fireballs.

"A Tree Demon? Is this a Sacred Land or something? Opportunity! This is an opportunity that belongs to me!" exclaimed the Donkey Demon. It felt like it ran into the biggest luck.

"That's right. It's your opportunity to become a food expert's food."

A voice could be heard. It sounded calm, slow, and steady. Then, Ziye and the others slowly appeared above the Fallen Town. They calmly looked at the Donkey Demon.

The donkey was surprised. It alarmingly looked at everyone, its eyes almost popping out of its skull. Its fur stood on end. It went from being lazy to being stiff and straight.

The donkey looked like it had become a giant porcupine. It was extremely petrifying.

"Immortals? Why are there Immortals?"

The Donkey Demon could not believe its eyes. It was disorientated. "One, two, three. Three Immortals in total?!"

Moreover, they seemed to be very powerful. Any one of them could kill it without a doubt.

It went cold as a shiver went down its spine. It turned around to run without hesitation, trying to flee as fast as it could.

'Two Ultimate Spiritual Treasures simply appeared, followed by three Immortals at once. What's going on? Did I land in a fake Immortal Realm?'

The Donkey Demon noticed the Immortals were chasing after it. It almost had a mental breakdown. It sobbed, "I'm just a small demon. All I wanted was to eat a few people. People eat demons and demons eat people, it's not against the law. Immortals, spare me!"

"It's your fault for picking the wrong place. Don't be sad though. It's quite suitable for you to be eaten by an expert."

Gu Xirou held a zither. "Let me do it. The expert likes meat and my zither can hit it without injuring its delicious meat."

Ziye nodded understandingly. "You're right."

"I... I..." The Donkey Demon did not know what to say. It said in despair, "Baa, I'm goners."

All was peaceful when Li Nianfan arrived at the Fallen Town.

The civilians looked at Ziye and the others from afar, worshiping them. The donkey laid next to Ziye with its eyes closed. It was very calm.

Li Nianfan asked in a surprised tone, "Donkey Demon?"

Nanan quickly nodded. She took the credit and said, "Yes, Brother. I protected a lot of people this time."

Li Nianfan immediately smiled and asked, "Nanan, you're so awesome. You're not hurt, right?"

Nanan shook her head.

Li Nianfan noticed the Locust Tree. He looked astounded.

He asked in shock, "The tree grew so much?"

The last time he saw it, the dried tree only had a few new branches. It did not take long for the wickers to grow.

Nanan replied, "Brother Nianfan, the tree's now a demon. It helped the town by shielding it from a lot of fireballs."

'The tree became a demon? I knew it. It's extraordinary.'

"Awesome! No wonder the branches looked charred." Li Nianfan patted the branch and said, "Tree pal, thanks a lot."

A gentle breeze blew, causing the leaves to move. It seemed to be responding to Li Nianfan.

"It isn't easy for trees and plants to become demons. Especially trees without deep roots. It's nearly impossible," said Ziye. She looked at the tree affectionately and said, "My true form's actually a Ziye Lily."

Li Nianfan was slightly surprised. He did not expect that Goddess Ziye was a flower.

Fascinating. Truly fascinating.

"Truly hard to come by," said Li Nianfan as he smiled. He took out the wine jar and said, "Since it's hard to come by, and our tree pal saved the town, we should drink that."

He poured everyone some beautiful wine. Then, they raised their glasses and drank.

"Ah! Beautiful wine!" Taoist Xinghe exclaimed in enjoyment. He was flushed.

There were so many benefits to hanging around the bigshot.

"Naturally!" laughed Li Nianfan. He poured some wine for the tree, too.

He said, "If the 'Investitures of the Gods' existed, our tree pal could be the guardian of this mountain, protecting the peace."

It would be interesting if the Immortal Realm had the God of Soil and Ground, the Kitchen God, Mountain Gods, and so forth.

He could simply summon the God of Soil and Ground and an old man would pop out from the ground. It would be fun and interesting.

Dragon remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh, yeah. Brother, you haven't told us about 'Investitures of the Gods'. What happened to Ao Bing?"

Li Nianfan smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, alright. Don't rush me. I'll tell you the rest once we get back. But don't be a crybaby then."

He looked at the donkey on the ground. "The donkey..."

Taoist Xinghe immediately said, "Mr. Li, this is yours, naturally. We have no use keeping it anyway."

"You guys know nothing about cooking. Let me tell you this, donkey meat is good stuff. One of the best delicacies!" Li Nianfan laughed. "I shall take it then. Too bad I didn't bring Blackie out or Blackie would have carried this for me."

"Let me do it!"

Yao Mengji leaped out and picked up the donkey. He carried the donkey on his shoulders and said, "Let me carry it! It's not heavy at all, it's really easy."

Li Nianfan was embarrassed. He said, "Sorry for the trouble, Brother Yao."

Then, everyone chatted and slowly headed towards the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

At the Above Immortal Realm. 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The Liuyun Palace.

The palace was gone.

They cleaned up the debris and did not rebuild the palace. They dug a few mountain holes in its place and it became a temporary place of residence. It was pitiful and tragic.

Ye Liuyun did not care about luxury anymore. He was in a retreat ever since he got back.

Suddenly, Immortal Qi converged above the Liuyun Palace. It was a huge swirl, as powerful as a gulp from a whale.

Then, the Immortal Qi spontaneously combusted and a long Fire Dragon was swirling in the air.

The disciples looked astounded. They stupidly looked at the sky and felt the power.

Then, the Fire Dragon roared and descended with endless Immortal Qi. It landed behind the mountain as if it was devouring it.

The special effects were dazzling and beautiful.

Kaboom!

The stone door moved!

Ye Liuyun stepped out with a smirk.

A Taiyi Golden Immortal!

Too many cultivators had dreamt of obtaining the Taiyi Golden Immortal status. It was something that bothered him for five thousand years!

He had a breakthrough because of some casual advice from the expert!

He would think it was a dream if he did not experience it himself. It was unreal.

The disciples were shocked and overjoyed. They immediately knelt to the ground and congratulated him, "Congratulations, Palace Master, for the breakthrough. What a success!"

'The Sect Master's truly the Sect Master. He must've worked hard since the last incident, that's why he succeeded!'

"Get up, everyone." Ye Liuyun chuckled. Then, he put his hands behind his back. He announced in a cool voice, "I know the Liuyun Palace went through a huge change. I was even nicknamed the Milk-Drinking Maniac. I became the laughing stock of the Above Immortal Realm, and I know you all doubted me at one point."

He paused. Then, he sounded devoted and excited, "However, so what of the Milk-Drinking Maniac title? They don't know that I gained such a huge opportunity because of this nickname! I'm proud of it! I'm completely content!"

Chapter 291

The disciples looked at their Palace Master and fell silent. They had perplexed looks on their faces.

They did not expect their Palace Master to have a breakthrough with the title Milk-Drinking Maniac.

Was there such a good thing in the world?

Ye Liuyun pretended to be well in front of his disciples to maintain his reputation. He was in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Right, how's the thing I asked you to investigate going?"

Two disciples stood up and said, "Replying to the Palace Master. Regarding the Xuan Water Bracelet, we only found that it appeared in the hands of a Yuan Water Real Immortal three thousand six hundred years ago. However, a thousand years ago, the Yuan Water Real Immortal suffered from Five Decays and failed the Natural Tribulation, resulting in ultimate death. Therefore, the possession of the Xuan Water Bracelet is still unknown."

"A bunch of nonsense!" Ye Liuyun shook his head. "In other words, you didn't find anything!"

The two disciples exchanged a look and did not speak.

Ye Liuyun scoffed coldly, "If he suffered from Five Decays, one would normally choose to find a secluded place to wait for the arrival of death. Do you know where the Yuan Water Real Immortal was last seen?"

One of the disciples said, "Seems to be in the West. There are some traces of him appearing in the West Mountain Range Sky."

"West Mountain Range?" Ye Liuyun's eyes were filled with deep thoughts. He frowned and said, "There are countless mountains and those who're afraid of death or awaiting death like to stay there. Therefore, it's like finding a needle in a haystack."

He was frustrated.

This was the first task the expert had given him. This was his chance to make up for his previous mistake. The expert did not hold a grudge against him and helped him to break through. If he did not complete this task, how could he not be ashamed?

Meanwhile, far away up in the sky, some clouds were moving. Swiftly after, a figure gradually appeared. It was a skinny elder dressed in gray.

The elder glanced around and saw how badly shaped the Liuyun Palace was. His eyes flashed with a burst of vague laughter. He made a gesture and smiled at Ye Liuyun. "Greetings to the Liuyun Palace Master."

Ye Liuyun remained calm. He asked, "Where are you from? What are you here for?"

The elder in gray said, "It's not convenient for me to mention the name of my master. However, he sent me here to pass on some words that the Liuyun Palace Master would be interested in."

"Speak!"

"My Master said that the world's changing. Many opportunities have been blocked and the future's vague. However, some opportunities might appear. The fact that your Liuyun Palace has turned to this shows that you've touched upon something."

The elder paused. He then continued, "There are signs of changes appearing. My Master's secretly inviting some Immortals who share the same view over to have a discussion. He wonders if the Liuyun Palace Master would be interested."

"Oh? What are you all planning to do?" Ye Liuyun's expression remained unchanged while he was scoffing coldly in his heart, 'A bunch of frogs under the well jumping around trying to mess things up! I can clearly see through it. If you want to mess with the peace of the expert, you have to go through me first!

'I'm the expert's most loyal spy!'

"You'll find out after the discussion." The elder smiled. "Is the Liuyun Palace Master saying yes?"

Ye Liuyun nodded, "Yes, I do!"

"Wonderful, I'll go and inform the others. The time isn't set yet, but the venue will be at the Tiandang Mountain. We'll let you know the exact time by then!" 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝓇ℯ𝘢𝒹.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The elder in gray smiled. "Don't mind me telling you this, but those attending this discussion are at least Golden Immortals. This is the so-called one in ten thousand years gathering, also known as the Top Immortal Cultivators Conference. You won't regret attending."

Ye Liuyun wore a look of surprise. "Really? Wonderful!"

...

At the Ordinary Realm.

Inside the four-part architecture.

The crowd followed Li Nianfan back to the front yard.

Dragon and Nana could not wait to bring over their stools. They sat with their eyes sparkling.

"Everyone, please, have a seat," Li Nianfan said. Then, he continued, "Xiao Bai, bring over some soda water and some fruits. Then, bring this donkey to the kitchen to cook."

"Yes, my beloved master," Xiao Bai happily accepted the order while Ziye and Taoist Xinghe watched with terror.

This was also a super mega bigshock! And yet the expert simply instructed Xiao Bai? If it was not for the expert, they would never dare to speak to this kind of existence, let alone having it serve them!

Ziye could not help saying, "Thank you so much, Xiao Bai."

Li Nianfan waved it off and said nonchalantly, "Xiao Bai's just an ordinary home robot. It's good at chores and has no other use. It's not a big deal."

Xiao Bai nodded. "Exactly, I'm just an ordinary home robot. Please, don't mind me."

Ziye and the rest forced a stiff smile. Their hearts were beating wildly and they did not dare to speak.

This was a conversation between bigshots. They could not step in.

Soon, soda water and fruits were served. Xiao Bai said, "Master, what flavor would you like the donkey to be cooked in?"

LI Nianfan smiled. "Slightly spicy."

"Alrighty!" Xiao Bai accepted the order and went away to work diligently.

Li Nianfan looked at his yard. He could not help smiling.

Looking around, this yard had turned into an educational teahouse, except his students were a bunch of Immortals and Demons. What a sight!

His bootlicking business was doing better and better!

He coughed gently and said, "Continuing where we left off.

"Nezha rushed ahead to catch up. He stood on Ao Bing's neck and lifted the Circle of Universe. He pointed it at the door to force out the essence of the Third Prince. It was a dragon, stretched out on the ground.

"Nezha said, 'The essence of this tiny dragon is out. Whatever, I can use its tendons to make some dragon band and armor...'"

This simple sentence made everyone react, their organs shaking vigorously with chills all over their bodies.

A dragon died just like that? Its tendons were being torn out for use?

That was a real dragon! The Third Prince of the Dragon King! He was always known to be arrogant and powerful!

This...was beyond imagination!

"Argh!" Dragon cried out in shock, her tiny face had gone pale. "How did the Third Dragon Prince die?"

Li Nianfan shook his head and said, "They didn't have a choice. The fate of the dragon family's quite tragic."

When a dragon was born, it might already be in a very powerful realm that was equivalent to many years of human cultivation. However, according to the myth, other than a few super-powerful dragons, the rest were not too impressive.

Dragon almost cried. She asked, "Why?"

"This would date back to an even earlier story." Li Nianfan paused for a moment before he continued, "The most renowned story was of the Battle of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Unicorn. The battle was fierce, and due to that, they committed a crime against Heaven and were abandoned by Heaven. Their luck dropped vigorously, and following that, they played the role of sacrificed characters. They have been going downhill since."

There was no solution to them being abandoned by Heaven.

One was the son of Luck, the other was abandoned by Heaven. Perhaps one went out and the son of Luck peed on him and was eventually drowned to death.

An even earlier story?

The Battle of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Unicorn?

The expert even knew who was abandoned by Heaven?

Everyone's scalp turned numb. It was as if their blood had stopped circulating. They had chills all over.

How could he simply speak such terrifying words?

What period was the expert from? Dated back to an earlier time? Was he as old as the world?

The longer they spent with the expert, the smaller they felt about themselves. How they wished to drill a hole and bury themselves in it to become a small ant.

The Fire Phoenix and Dragon who were directly related to this were shocked.

The Dragon, Phoenix, and Unicorn seemed to be enemies with too many internal conflicts. This was embedded in the deep ends of their brains, but somehow, they remembered nothing.

In this instance, they suddenly understood why the elderly Dragon King was hiding away beneath the pond. The outside world was too dangerous!

"Alright, alright. It's just a story, let's stop there. I'll continue." Li Nianfan waved it off and continued with the previous story.

The crowd nodded, not daring to ask nor speak.

Following that, the Dragon King was furious and he wanted to drown the town. Nazhe was forced to cut off the flesh of his father and mother as punishment. However, Tayi used lotus roots to rebuild the bodies...

The story was unfolding and the crowd listened as if they were intoxicated. Their inner selves were drunk from this majestic storyline.

As major figures started to appear one after another, the story started to unfold after all the setups. From a third person's perspective, one could clearly feel how dark the fights were.

Up until the point where Jiang Ziya used the flame to burn the Lute Demon, Li Nianfan stopped. He smiled and said, "Alright, we'll stop here for now. Stay tuned for the next session."

The crowd did not speak. They did not even pester him for more as they needed time to digest.

Many characters of the 'Investiture of Gods' had treasures in hand, refreshing their world views. Furthermore, whether it was humans, demons, gods, or even dragons, their own lives seemed almost worthless if they were in this story. They could die anytime.

They all felt chills all over.

The world of a bigshot was indeed very dangerous.

Meanwhile, a waft of fragrance appeared and everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

They looked in the direction of the fragrance and saw that rows of golden-burnt donkey meat were ready.

The meat was wrapped in flatbread. Due to being deep-fried, the outer layer was unequally burnt and golden-yellow. Some were darker than the others. However, this made the dish seem even more tempting.

The flatbread was not closed. There was an opening in the middle.

Inside, it was filled with red donkey meat which was sizzling from the heat, giving out smoke which was the source of the fragrance.

It smelled good, it smelled so good!

Gulp!

The crowd gulped in unison. All the impure thoughts in their minds had been tossed away. They only had one thought left, 'Eat it!'

Dragon and Nana had already run over. They could not help grabbing one each. They were warm to the touch.

They opened their mouths and bit on the middle part that had the most meat.

Munch!

The crispy outer layer made a crisp sound. It was the perfect texture. One could bask in the fragrance of the flatbread while enjoying its texture.

Swiftly after, the sensations of the donkey meat tickled the taste buds as if a volcano was exploding, filling up the entire mouth with some juiciness.

The donkey meat was different from other meat. It had one extra feature—it smelled good!

It smelled so good!

"Hmm...so yummy!" Dragon and Nanan's faces flushed red. They were munching loudly as if they had forgotten about everything. They were feeling unprecedented bliss.

Even Blackie who was sleepy earlier suddenly jumped up and started barking.

Woof, woof, woof!

Li Nianfan asked Xiao Bai to distribute the meat to each of them. "Come, everyone, enjoy."

The deep-fried flatbread was not soft and snow-white like the steamed buns. The dough gave off a nice fragrance once fried in oil.

This was the first time the crowd had seen something like this. They could not help feeling amazed.

Apart from the benefits of the food, the fragrance of it alone was able to make the Immortals fight for it.

Bigshot was indeed a bigshot. The food the expert ate was indeed different from the ordinary people.

Perhaps even the Immortals had no right to taste such good food.

Perhaps only those bigshots from long ago had the right to eat these.

Chapter 292

Time went by, day after day.

Li Nianfan was living comfortably. This donkey was big. There was enough meat to last them a few days.

Daji was serving him well, too. He would go to the backyard to take care of the plants from time to time. After using the growth serum to water the plants, the gourd's vines were starting to grow. Since he did not build a shelf, the vines grew along with the saplings not far away. They looked at peace.

The sapling was getting stronger, too. It was green like jade, glowing with green light.

"What a pity that there isn't much entertainment in this Immortal Realm. If not, life would be perfect now!" Li Nianfan could not help thinking. "Now that I have a thousand years of lifespan with prolonged youth, I can't get too bored. I need to kill some time. Let's see if I can come up with some entertaining activities."

...

At the Yandang Mountain.

It was located close to the West in the Immortal Land.

It was called a mountain, but it was not exactly a mountain. Perhaps it used to be a mountain in the past.

It was a massive flat land at the heart of the mountain with other mountains surrounding it. Rumor had it that this land used to be a gigantic tall mountain that was wiped away by force during one Natural Tribulation. Hence, it was now flat.

Therefore, this was named the Tiandang Mountain.

Today, the empty mountain range was livelier than usual. The traveling clouds in the sky came one after another.

If there was an Immortal in here, he would be so shocked. This was because the Immortals driving the clouds were all very powerful. All of them were exuding powerful Qi and they were all extraordinary.

Other than many of the old demons who never simply went out, many Sect Masters were attending in person. They were all glowing with power.

As they were flying, they would slow down their clouds to travel together if they saw someone they knew, conversing with smiles on their faces.

Meanwhile, two elders met.

They were different from the ordinary Immortals. These two elders' hair were fluffy, their skins wrinkled. Their eyes were not glowing. Instead, they looked rather dull.

If one looked at their appearance, they did not look like Immortals. Instead, they looked rather lowly maintained.

They did not fake this look. Although Immortals liked to pretend to look worn out, their skin would still appear soft like a baby's when they were attending a conference with other Immortals present.

Thus, these two Immortals were really old. Whenever this happened, it meant that the lifespan of the Immortals had basically come to an end.

"Brother Lin, I can't believe you're still alive!"

"Daoist Ma? Ha-ha-ha, you're still alive?"

The two of them exchange a look, their eyes filled with awe. "The last time we met was thirty thousand years ago. I remember back then I was still a small cultivator and you were a small Daoist! Ha-ha-ha!"

Daoist Ma nodded, "Yeah, back then we wanted to become Immortals. In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of years have passed."

"It's not easy for us to stay alive this long," Longevous Lin sighed. He then asked in a low voice, "What did you suffer from the Five Decays?"

Daoist Ma nodded bitterly, "In a hundred years, I'll have my third decay. I'll be a dead man by then."

Longevous Lin said joyfully, "I still have a hundred and fifty years! I'll live fifty years more than you, ha-ha-ha..."

Daoist Ma said unwillingly, "Do you remember the rumors of the Heavenly Temple back then? If only there's a Flat Peach in the world!"

"What era are we in now? That was just a rumor back then, it's almost impossible now." Longevous Lin shook his head bitterly. He said, "Back then, we fantasize about eating a flat peach to Immortalize. Now, we fantasize about eating flat peaches to prolong our lives. Ha-ha-ha, what a world!"

"I was going to wait for my death in peace. However, after hearing about the massive changes in the world with massive opportunities, I decided to come to try my luck. Isn't this why you're here, too?"

"Of course. Do you know what happened?"

Daoist Ma shook his head. "I haven't followed the news of the outside world for a long time, let alone the ordinary realm. However, judging by the situation, this isn't a small matter."

The two of them traveled together, talking about the past.

Actually, the two of them were not as close back then. They probably only spent a few days together. After meeting each other after thousands of years, they suddenly became close friends.

Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!

Meanwhile, a unicorn carriage galloped toward them. Three unicorns were galloping powerfully, each unicorn stepping on a cloud, exuding a powerful temperament.

Behind the unicorns, a grand carriage was being pulled, exuding glory all over. The lights were shining straight ahead as if the carriage lights were brightening up their surroundings.

The surrounding clouds were forced to make way. Wild wind was blowing.

The carriage's high-profile appearance was like a supercar racing down an ordinary road while making a loud noise. The surrounding Immortals frowned and wore looks of displeasure.

Daoist Ma and Longevous Lin's conversation abruptly stopped as well. Before they could react, the carriage had already shot past them like the wind.

Daoist Ma's face changed. "This is unacceptable! Everyone here's a well-reputable Immortal. Who doesn't have treasures? Is there a need to show off?"

As he spoke, he lifted his hand and pulled out a sword to secure it below his feet. The sword was glowing brightly. However, that was not it. He made another gesture and pulled out six treasures in one go. The three swords were placed below his feet and the other three swords around his body. There were six different glows around him, making him look very cool.

"Well said. Everyone has lived past countless ages, we should've seen it all. It's such a childish act to show off!" Longevous Lin nodded in agreement.

With that, he gently patted on the small sparrow perched on his shoulder. In the next moment, the sparrow stretched out its wings and transformed into a gigantic bird. The bird howled and allowed him to ride on it.

"Childish!"

Not far away, a woman shook her head and felt triggered by them. She brushed the jade on her neck and the jade was removed. It then turned into a gigantic jade, glowing brightly. Instantly, she turned into more of an Immortal than she already was.

The Tandang Mountain instantly became lively. There were all kinds of glows and special effects. Things were all over the place.

The mountain was very spacious. The crowd walked from all directions to the heart where they saw a majestically glowing main hall. The hall was glowing with bright lights, golden glass, and Immortal Clouds circulating it. It looked like the most ideal architecture in the most ideal land.

Above the main hall, there was a huge banner hanging that said, 'Immortal Land's Top Immortals Urgent Conference'.

Phew...

The three unicorns did not stop until they reached the front door of the main hall. The door of the carriage opened automatically. Ye Liuyun gradually exited the carriage. He looked authoritative and powerful

"I wondered who was being so high-profile. Turns out it was the Palace Master of the Liuyun Palace. Perhaps this was how he got away from being chased by the Five-Color-Sacred Cow?"

This was followed by gentle laughter. A beautifully and majestically dressed middle-aged Immortal stepping on seven-colored mushroom clouds walked over, glowing in lights. "Isn't it better to stay humble?"

Someone said, "Haven't seen you in so many years. Brother Liuyun's grandpa is indeed admirable. No wonder you got the title of the Milk-Drinking Maniac."

"So he's the Milk-Drinking Maniac! Good to finally meet him!"

Since everyone here was in the Golden Immortal realm, they could speak their minds freely.

"Ha-ha, indeed. I'm the Milk-Drinking Maniac. It's me!" Ye Liuyun did not seem to mind and admitted it easily. Not only that, he appeared rather proud of it.

To him, he was serving the expert by admitting it.

The expert was the one who liked drinking the milk of the Five-Color-Sacred Cow. Of course, he would never expose the expert. So what if he admitted to being the Milk-Drinking Maniac? What an honor!

The middle-aged Immortal sighed, "Brother Liuyun's skin is indeed thicker than ours."

"Ha-ha, what right do you have to call me your Brother?" Ye Liuyun smiled arrogantly. His Qi around him condensed, exuding an oppressive power. Instantly, the air became tense.

Everyone's heart jumped vigorously. The treasures around them had suddenly turned dull.

They all looked at Ye Liuyun in shock as their eyes filled with disbelief.

What was that?

Was he not chased after by the Five-Color-Sacred Cow not long ago? He had a breakthrough?

"Ha-ha-ha, congratulations to Palace Master Liuyun, congratulations!" A burst of laughter came from within the main hall. Following that, an elder in white robes walked out. He seemed friendly, peaceful, and very enthusiastic.

"With the lack of Immortal Qi in the Immortal Land, Palace Master Liuyun was able to break through despite the current situation. This is indeed admirable. This is indeed legendary!" The elder made a gesture at Ye Liuyun. "Please, allow me. Since we're all here, let's be friends."

They all walked into the main hall.

There was tea prepared for all of them, along with some Immortal Fruits on the table. The setting was very extraordinary.

If this was in the past, Ye Liuyun might still be impressed. Now, however, he looked down on all of these. The Immortal Fruits here were nowhere close to even one glass of water at the expert's. How was he not embarrassed to bring them out to entertain his guests? Ha-ha, poor dude!

The expert would entertain his guests with at least an orange!

The setting was simple. The Taiyi Golden Immortals sat around one table, while the Golden Immortals sat around another table.

"Palace Master Liuyun, please, take a seat," the elder in white robes said politely. He continued, "Including you, there are five Taiyi Golden Immortals visiting!"

"Five?" Ye Liuyun's brows furrowed. He looked shocked.

There were too few Taiyi Golden Immortals in the Immortal Land. Without an accident, he was the only one who managed to break through in 10,000 years. One could say that Taiyi Golden Immortals were indeed very ancient and rare. They were perhaps figures that survived since ancient times.

Normally, it would be impossible to meet even one of them.

In a low and mysterious voice, the elder in white said, "Two of them are Immortals of the Sacred Land!"

Ye Liuyun was even more shocked. He remained calm on the surface while his heart sank.

It seemed that it was quite hard to be a spy here. He had to be more cautious.

Gradually, more and more Immortals came. It was rare to come across a Golden Immortal. Yet, there were twelve gathered here today, and the number was going up.

However, Ye Liuyun noticed that many of these Golden Immortals had aged. They were entering the Five Decays so they were not to be concerned about.

Meanwhile, two figures appeared outside the door. They arrived one after another.

They were Xiao Chengfeng and Urchin.

They were shocked. They exchanged a look and pretended as if they did not know each other as they walked inside the main hall.

The two were delighted. It seemed that they were not spying alone. They were not alone!

After a moment, an elder in gray came.

Half his hair had turned white. He had a goatee beard and was exuding a rather weak temperament. He did not show any Immortal features. However, this man was a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

Swiftly after, two more figures came, riding on clouds. They were two women.

The two women exchanged a look. They nodded at one another and sat before the table.

By then, there were five Taiyi Golden Immortals and 14 Golden Immortals. They had all arrived.

With such a massive gathering, it was indeed something that had not happened in 10,000 years.

The elder in white who organized this gathering stood up and spoke.

"Everyone, I'm Qing Yunzi. Please, allow me to introduce our guests with formality."

Qing Yinzi said, "Immortal Ziye of the Sacred Land Ice Palace, Immortal Linzhu of the Sacred Land Biyun Temple, Immortal Ye Liuyun of the Liuyun Palace, and Immortal Xuanyuan."

Five Taiyi Golden Immortals, two of which were from the Sacred Land. This was a very rare occasion.

The Sacred Land had always been mysterious. They had existed for a very long time but remained inactive and out of sight. This must be a serious matter if they invited the Immortals of the Sacred Land over.

"Alright, cut the nonsense. Just tell us why you invited us over," Immortal Xuanyuan said, his voice hoarse.

"Alright, I'll go straight to the point." Qing Yunzi smiled. He said, "The Immortal Qi in the Immortal Land has been decreasing and cultivation has been getting harder. These are well-known facts. However, there are now drastic changes happening in the world. You all must've felt the Immortal Qi increasing. Do you know why?"

He paused. Then, he answered his own question, "If you aren't aware of this yet, let me tell you. A few big things have happened in the ordinary realm. The road between the Immortal Realm and Land has been reopened, a Human Sovereign was chosen, and not long after, I even felt the resurfacing of the underworld! There must be some shocking secrets being hidden from us!"

Ziye and Ye Liuyun listened without changing their expressions.

Immortal Linzhu said, "I'm aware of what you mentioned, but it's impossible to find the source of it."

"Exactly, it's being covered by Heaven, blurred out." Qing Yunzi smiled and said, "However, what I can be sure of is that this is all coming from the Ordinary Realm! After doing some research, I vaguely know the intention behind these changes."

A Golden Immortal could not help asking, "What does this have anything to do with us?"

"Whenever the world changes, there'll be unimaginable opportunities. Other than becoming Daluo Golden Immortals, nobody can escape the fate of death!" The elder in white looked at them and said, "Don't any of you want to become one?"

Instantly, many of the Golden Immortals' breathing became rapid.

Especially half of them who had entered the stages of Five Decays. Instantly, their eyes grew red.

Normally, a Tian Immortal would have a lifespan of 30,000 years, a Real Immortal would have 40,000 years, a Golden Immortal would have 50,000 years, while Taiyi Golden Immortals would have 60,000 years. Once they reached the end of their lifespans, they would suffer from the Five Decays.

The Five Decays happened once every 500 years. The first decay had an 80 percent chance of survival, the second decay had a 60 percent chance, and all the way to the fifth decay would be death!

Only a Daluo Golden Immortal could get out of this cycle, living in Heaven forever.

"We've been fighting to live longer against Heaven. It's not easy for us to come to this stage. We have to take a leap of faith now that an opportunity's right in front of us!" The words of the elder in white pricked the crowd like a needle.

He continued, "I don't mind telling you that the so-called Flat Peaches and Ginseng Fruits from ancient times do exist. Everyone can prolong their lives from the Five Decays for as much as a thousand years!

"I've asked someone to bring this 'Journey to the West' book from the ordinary realm. This is the treasure among treasures. I've even made some copies for each of you here. This book clearly recorded a great secret from ancient times. Everyone, please, have a read right away."

Chapter 293

"Sigh, although the Golden Immortals get a lifespan of fifty thousand years, when we're battling or tempering our weapons, we need to spit out blood which reduces our lifespan. It's very rare to live past forty thousand years."

Everyone sighed. They then went ahead to collect their books.

The book recommended by the Taiyi Golden Immortal must be extraordinary!

They looked serious. Each of them had a copy in hand. They all started reading.

Since they were all Immortals, their speed of reading was rapid. It did not take long before they finished reading the book. They all looked shocked. They had the same reaction.

Their lips parted like a statue.

Gradually, some Immortals started to snap out of shock. The look of disbelief was still on their faces.

"This book contains the Basics of Wisdom!"

"So shocking, so hard to believe, so terrifying!"

"Secrets of the ancient times, secrets of the ancient times! How terrifying!"

"This was definitely written by a bigshot from ancient times. So, Flat Peaches really do exist in the world? Where's the heavenly Temple? I want to work there!"

An aging elder could not help standing up. He said to Qing Yunzi, "Senior Qing Yunzi, is this book really from the ordinary realm? Perhaps the person who wrote the book resides in the ordinary realm?!"

"Indeed!" Qing Yunzi nodded. "Furthermore, the series of changes happening in the ordinary realm are the doings of this person!"

"This...this...this..."

Everyone widened their eyes. "A bigshot! A bigshot! What are his intentions?"

"This is the reason why I gathered you all here!" Qing Yunzi said with a solemn face. He said slowly, "According to what I see, based on all of the evidence, this person seems to be plotting to bring back the glory of the ancient times. However, I'm not sure how he's going to do it."

"Bring back the glory of the ancient times? Impossible!" Instantly, a Golden Immortal's face changed. He was shaking his head vigorously.

It was the same middle-aged Immortal who mocked Ye Liuyun earlier.

His reaction instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Ye Liuyun's eyes glared at him, sending electric currents. He scoffed, "Cao Songzi, why do you say so?!"

Ziye's eyes narrowed with a sparkle. She was excited. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The expert was clearly trying to bring back the glory of the ancient times. However, even she did not know much about it. Yet, the others claim to know something?

She could help the expert do more things now.

Cao Songzi's heart sank. He said hastily, "I just find it hard to believe."

Ye Liuyun's Qi had gathered around him. He scoffed, "Spill!"

"I only know a little," Cao Songzi sighed as he gave in. "By chance, I gained the inheritance of an ancient Immortal. This is why I got to where I am today. Back then, the ancient Immortal had reached the late-Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. He was one step away from becoming a Daluo. However, he was also entering the fifth decay, so death was expected."

Ziye pestered, her expression remaining unchanged, "Then?"

"This ancient Immortal knew that based on how the world was, there was no hope in becoming a Daluo Immortal. He died unwillingly!" Cao Songzi halted. Then, he continued, "Since ancient times, Immortal Qi has been decreasing, making it impossible for an ordinary man to become an Immortal. Meanwhile, it's also impossible for an Immortal to become a Daluo Immortal. Every Immortal would suffer from the Five Decays, resulting in ultimate death. Think about it. If this goes on, what will happen?"

Everyone frowned while their scalps were getting numb.

The road between the Immortal Realm and Land was broken, and the road of longevity for the Immortals was destroyed. Cultivation was also getting harder. They would enter the Age of Decadence!

They thought about the glory in 'Journey to the West'. Then, they thought about the current situation. They all felt hopeless chills all over them.

"Indeed, this is how the world works. The road of cultivation would only go downhill from here," a Taiyi Golden Immortal, Immortal Xuanyuan, said with his hoarse voice. "Thus, the attempt to rebuild the ancient glory goes against the world."

Qing Yunzi frowned. He was unsure as he said, "If so, why would this man do such a thing? Is he trying to go against Fate?"

"The likelihood of this is as low as zero!" Xuanyuan shook his head and straightened his face. He analyzed, "Think about it. If you've cultivated up to this stage and could live forever, would you suddenly go against Fate? Isn't it better to stay alive?"

Someone raised his hand and said, "What if this person genuinely cares for the world?"

"This likelihood is zero!" Xuanyuan said with a confident smile. "To this so-called bigshot, everyone's an ant. What does it have anything to do with him whether or not we could live forever?"

Everyone nodded. "You have a point!"

Even Ziye started to doubt deeply. 'Is the expert really trying to go against Fate? Unless... I got it wrong?'

Xuanyuan got everyone's attention. He smiled confidently as he analyzed, "Therefore, I think there are three possibilities!

"Firstly, this man's an expert. He wants to rebuild the ancient times and to go against Fate. It's a high risk with zero benefits. It's obviously impossible, so we'll pass on this.

"Secondly, the world's suddenly changing for no reason. Everything's done by Heaven, and everything we've speculated is nothing but coincidence. This likelihood is slightly higher, but not that high!

"Thirdly, this man's a chess piece of a bigshot! The actual expert's using him to set up the world. Of course, it isn't to rebuild the ancient times. The intention is quite big, and it's likely to change. This likelihood higher!

"Fourthly, this man's a Taiyi Golden Immortal who's unable to become a Daluo. Coincidently, he inherited some powerful ancient treasures. Facing the threat of Five Decays, he has no choice but to go against Fate to seek longevity! I think this is the most likely!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Qing Yunzi took the lead and started clapping his hands. With that, applause filled the air.

Wonderful! Wonderful!

So reasonable, he had his points!

Ziye and the others applauded him as well. If they did not know the expert in person, they would have believed him.

Immortal Xuanyuan was proud of himself. He stood up and halted the applause. "Anyway, it's either the third or the fourth possibility. No matter which, they contain huge opportunities, enough for one to live forever! Tempting?"

"Tempting, of course, it's tempting!" Qing Yunzi nodded vigorously. "I didn't expect Immortal Xuanyuan to have so much understanding. It's so embarrassing for me to be the one hosting this gathering. I'm so ashamed!"

"Ha-ha-ha, actually I've been keeping a close eye on this matter and I did my research. In fact, I even went ahead to investigate it." Immortal Xuanyuan laughed. "I came here today to see if everyone would be interested in joining forces to find out more about this. After all, this is related to longevity, so we have to plan it well."

"Of course, of course." Everyone nodded, especially those who were about to face their Five Decays. They would do anything to prolong their lives.

By the side, Ye Liuyun's eyes narrowed. He heard the keyword. He stared at Immortal Xuanyuan and asked with a serious tone, "How did you investigate?"

Immortal Xuanyuan halted for a second. "What does this have anything to do with you?"

"Tell us, how did you investigate?" Ye Liuyun's eyes narrowed. He was exuding Qi all over as he scoffed coldly, "Did you use the Xuan Water Bracelet?"

Immortal Xuanyuan frowned. "How did you know?"

Ye Liuyun's eyes sparkled. He slammed his fist on the table and pointed his finger at him. He growled, "Bastard! It's you!"

Immortal Xuanyuan's face changed as he said with a deep voice, "You're with that person?"

"Ha-ha-ha! Broken shoes are found everywhere, and I found you so effortlessly! I finally found you!" Ye Liuyun was very excited. He laughed as a red rounded cup appeared in his hand. "Bastard, check out this treasure!"

Instantly, flames rose in the air, rushing toward Immortal Xueyuan.

Immortal Xuanyuan smiled. He waved his hand. Instantly, wind circulated him, blocking the flames. He scoffed with a smile, "I should be the one saying so. Who would've expected that you'd have the courage to jump out at this time! Brothers, there's an accomplice here! Everyone, let's take him down to get more information!"

Seeing that everyone was about to get in action, Ziye hastily stood up. "Wait!"

She looked at Ye Liuyun. Her brows slightly furrowed as she tested, "Brother, orange?"

Ye Liuyun's eyes sparkled. "Milk! Ha-ha-ha! We're together!"

Ziye smiled. She prepared her Qi as she asked, "What is it? Does the expert want to attack this person?"

"Precisely. This man used the Xuan Water Bracelet to attack the expert. He even harmed a few innocent ones. We can't let him go!" Ye Liuyun nodded.

Xiao Chengfeng and Urchin could not stay seated any longer. Instantly, they stood up. "If so, count us in!"

Instantly, the four of them surrounded Immortal Xuanyuan.

This sudden change was shocking to many of them.

What happened? This suddenly changed? Were they exchanging secret words?

Even Immortal Xuanyuan was shocked. He then smiled from anger, "Well done. We don't have that many Immortals here, and yet, who would've thought that four spies got mixed in. The setup of this man's quite high!"

Qing Yunzi's face stiffened. He said, "Everyone, this is my territory. This isn't good."

Ye Liuyun scoffed, "This is our problem. It's best if you don't step in."

"Immortal Xuanyuan's my guest. I can't just watch him get bullied. Furthermore, I'm the host, it's my duty to get involved!" Qing Yunzi's face straightened. He then said in a low voice, "Also, you've got it wrong. We have more people than you!"

He said to Immortal Linzhu, "These people must know something, they have intentions! Immortal Lin Zhu, let's join forces and take them down!"

By the way, Immortal Linzhu was unable to react. She looked at Ziye doubtfully, "Sister Ziye, what's the matter?"

Ziye lifted her hand and took out a piece of donkey meat. She gave it to Zhulin unwillingly and said, "I don't have time to explain. Eat this and help us!"

Everyone looked at her. They could not believe their eyes.

Was that a...steamed bun?

Immortal Ziye actually brought a steamed bun out with her?

Immortal Linzhu held the donkey meat blankly. She said, dumbfounded, "You're using this to...bribe me?"

Chapter 294

"Ha-ha!"

Someone could not hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. In fact, many of them started laughing.

"Who'd have thought that Immortal Ziye of the Sacred Land could be so stingy! How's she not embarrassed to bring out a steamed bun like that?"

Immortal Xuanyuan instantly felt proud of himself. He said, "Immortal Lin Zhu, this isn't a small matter. It has big consequences. Joining forces with us is the best choice. In fact, I'm willing to reward you with a Deluxe Spiritual Treasure!"

"This isn't the place for you to speak! Shut up!" Xiao Chengfeng's robes flew in the air, exuding a sharp temperament. "Take my sword, come to me, sword!"

Dong!

A longsword suddenly shot out from his back, exuding a glow. The sword Qi gathered at one point, attacking Immortal Xuanyuan.

Smash!

The Sword Qi was like a rainbow, forming an endless wind. The wild wind blew in all directions, clearing the surroundings. The chairs and tables were turned into powder while the Immortal Fruits on the table were all smashed!

Twelve of the Golden Immortals were still rather perplexed. They could not help backing away. "What a waste! What a waste!"

Especially Qing Yunzi. He was in pain and his eyes were red. He scoffed loudly, "If you want to fight, go out and fight! Don't fight in here!"

He was a man of occasion. For this conference, he had made many preparations. He brought out all of his best treasures and redecorated the main hall with much effort. How could they destroy it?

"Alright! We can't fight in here, let's go out!" Xiao Chengfeng exuded an even more powerful Qi. His entire being was sharp like his sword. He pointed at the sky and shot up. "This main hall seems to be a piece of Spiritual Treasure. However, the roof is unable to stop me! Watch me break through it!"

Vroom!

The sword rushed up to the sky, instantly piercing through the main hall's roof!

The world was instantly illuminated.

Qin Yunzi was furious. His Spiritual Treasure was destroyed. His eyes had turned blood red. "Oh, mother! You...you idiot!"

Ye Liuyun flew up with flames circling his figure. He took out a crown from his chest and put it on his head. Instantly, his Immortal Qi increased powerfully. He scoffed, "Check out this treasure!"

As he waved, the flames turned into a flaming dragon. It rushed up into the sky, blocking the sky and light. It was rushing toward Immortal Xuanyuan.

Ye Liuyun was using the Law of Flame to become a Taiyi Golden Immortal. This flame was nothing like an ordinary flame. Its temperature was so shockingly high. Furthermore, since he was taught by the expert, this flame had a specialty. With the presence of both Yin and Yang, the flame could become stronger when touched by water!

There were countless Laws on the road of cultivation that combined and intertwined in many ways, whether it was the real flames of the Phoenix, the flames of the Golden Crow, or the Samadhi Real Fire. Although they were all flames, they had different Laws of Flame. Some flames even consisted of a few types of laws with boundless power.

To become a Taiyi Golden Immortal, one needed to master a few different Laws to improve.

Urchin did not want to lose out. "I'm coming, let's end this quickly for the sake of the expert!"

Instantly, the four of them joined forces with effects all over the place. The swords slashed rapidly, shaking up the surrounding space. It was very terrifying.

Immortal Xuanyuan's wrist flipped and an azure blue handkerchief flew out from his hand and slowly unfolded in front of him. It formed a Xuan Water Shield with shocking protection.

Meanwhile, his eyes flashed. He pointed a finger at Xiao Chengfeng who was trying to act cool.

One had to admit that Xiao Chengfeng was so good at making an enemy, his annoyance made it hard to resist killing him!

Meanwhile, Xiao Chengfeng was dancing with his longsword in the air. His Sword Qi was as powerful as the flowing river. He seemed unstoppable as he slashed down at Immortal Xuanyuan from above!

He was shouting triggering words, "My sword will cut you up! Are you ready to die?"

The flashing sword landed on the Xuan Water Shield. Instantly, ripples were made. A dent was made as water splashed everywhere.

"You were able to block my sword. This tortoise shell hard enough!"

Slash!

Suddenly, a bright light flashed like a golden long snake, darting a few times quicker than lightning. Within the blink of an eye, it appeared behind Xiao Chengfeng.

Quick! Too quick!

The golden light was extremely sharp and terrifying. It made Xiao Chengfeng's hair stand up all at once. He even had to swallow back the words he was shouting.

Just as the light was about to stab him, another light flashed like a long river across the sky, colliding into the golden light.

Ding!

The two lights touched and split away.

They were a golden pair of scissors and a blue hairpin.

The hairpin flew back to Ziye and automatically went back into her hair while the golden pair of scissors flew back to Immortal Xuanyuan and circled him.

"Good kid! You almost killed me!" Xiao Chengfeng snapped back to reality. Instantly he had cold sweat all over as his face sank. He attacked more vigorously and spat out more triggering words, "You didn't kill me, you just made me stronger! Come, face my wind!"

Facing the group attack was already challenging for Immortal Xuanyuan. When he was finally able to throw an attack, it was nothing. He growled furiously, "Qing Yunzi, what are you waiting for? Why aren't you helping me!?"

Qing Yunzi walked forward. He said with a solemn face, "Everyone, since Immortal Xuanyuan came to my place, he's my guest. If you are all attacking him, you're forcing me to get involved."

Meanwhile, he gathered the rest. "Everyone, I hope we can join forces. We'll have the upper hand!"

Among the twelve of them, eight of them were suffering from the Five Decays. They did not have much time left. They could fight with Laws but not directly in battle. However, there were also four strong, combative Golden Immortals. Their eyes sparkled.

Cao Songzi was the first to stand up. "I didn't like Ye Liuyun anyway. Everyone, let's get in!"

Instantly, the four of them flew up. They started fighting with Xiao Chengfeng and Urchin.

Everything happened within a very short time. Meanwhile, Immortal Linzhu was still sizing up the donkey meat. She leaned forward to sniff at it before putting it into her mouth.

"Wow!"

Her mouth did not match her image. Her mouth was not as big. With just one bite, one-third of the donkey meat was bitten off.

"De-li-cious!"

Her little cherry mouth was tainted with some oil, causing it to sparkle. Her mouth gulped as she chewed it, while her eyes were glowing brighter.

"So, so, so yummy!"

She looked quiet, cold, and elegant. However, she had transformed into a food-lover by then. Even her eyes almost turned into heart shapes.

It merely took her three bites to finish the donkey meat. She was half chewing and half gulping. It was indeed a shocking sight to watch.

"Sister Ziye, you know me best. Where did you get such good stuff?" She was clearly unsatisfied. She stuck out her tiny tongue to lick her red lips. She looked at Ziye with anticipation, "Do you have more? Do you? I want more!"

Damn, this was not right!

Qing Yunzi was about to get in action when suddenly, he halted as his scalp itched. This did not seem right!

Apart from the spies, they even managed to bribe another person?

"You help us first, then I'll tell you more!" Immortal Ziye had already flown up, the hairpin in her hair glowing as it flew out like lightning. It lit up in the air while stabbing Immortal Xuanyuan's Xuan Water Shield!

Stab!

Within two breaths, there was a slight ringing sound as the hairpin pierced through the shield!

Ye Liuyun's attack followed. The wild flames were rising and transforming into a gigantic flaming palm. It was slamming toward Immortal Xuanyuan.

"Qing Yunzi!"

Immortal Xuanyuan's face was flushing red, his organs almost breaking. He had never felt so powerless in life. "Are you going to stand there and continue watching the show?"

"Sorry! I'll stop now!" As if waking up from a dream, Qing Yunzi hastily closed his eyes and turned away.

"How dare you!" Immortal Xuanyuan spat out blood.

Spurt!

His blood flew in the air.

The azure blue handkerchief gave out an eye-burning glow. The Xuan Water Shield reappeared while the golden scissors circled him like a viper ready to attack any time. With that, he turned and ran away.

"Where're you running to? Check out my One Leaf Blindfold!" A jade-green leaf appeared in Linzhu's hands. It was glowing gloriously just like jade.

She lifted her hands. Instantly, the leaf vanished in thin air. When it resurfaced, it had transformed into a gigantic green leaf, enveloping the escaping Immortal Xuanyuan.

Ziye and Ye Liuyun instantly ran after him. They continued to attack him!

All kinds of glorious combating effects exploded in the air.

Cao Songzi saw that it was not going well. Instantly, he stopped and straightened his face. "Sorry to have offended you all."

The other three instantly halted as well. They felt guilty.

"Excuse me, I fought the wrong person by accident."

"Misunderstanding, it was a misunderstanding."

"Stop fighting, we surrender."

This put Immortal Xuanyuan in an even more difficult situation.

He started to doubt his life. He could only let out an unwilling moan as he said, "I did nothing to you all. Why did you all join forces to attack me?"

Life was hard!

He attended this gathering happily, to seek some attention, and yet now, the situation had changed so abruptly.

It has changed! They already had powerful allies and he was fighting them all by himself!

"Because you offended an expert!" Ye Liuyun smiled coldly. He lifted his hand and the flames rose. Instantly, they wrapped around Immortal Xuanyuan, burning him into ashes.

The azure blue handkerchief and the golden scissors were getting dull. Ziye picked them up nonchalantly. "These two are Heavenly Spiritual Treasures. We can use them to worship the expert as the price of victory."

Ye Liuyun could not help saying, "He has two pieces of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, this guy's pretty rich!"

The battle ended and the scene resumed its peace.

Qing Yunzi and the crowd remained transfixed in their spot. They did not dare to breathe as their brains were still buzzing. They did not know what to do.

This was a Taiyi Golden Immortal, the most powerful ranking Immortal in the Immortal Land, and he died just like that!

How unbelievable! Nobody would believe it even if they told them.

The Top Immortal Cultivators Conference was going well. How did it suddenly turn out like this?

They had not even started and this Immortal was killed already!

These spies were too aggressive.

Qing Yunzi coughed and said weakly, "Actually, I think we can just talk it out. Killing is so bad."

"I know you all have many questions," Ziye said elegantly as she gradually landed on the ground. "Don't worry, we won't simply kill you all. As for the expert, we'll give you sincere advice! The power of the expert's beyond your imagination. If you don't want to die, don't ever think of disturbing him, let alone checking him out. If not, you won't even know why you died!"

Ye Liuyun scoffed, "Exactly. Immortal Xuanyuan the best example! Besides checking him out, the expert...is not to be insulted!"

Everyone looked at one another.

Daoist Ma bit his tongue. He gradually walked forward and asked, "I'm the humble Daoist Ma, greetings to Immortal Ziye. May I know if there's any way I could serve the expert?"

Qing Yunzi followed swiftly, "Yeah, Immortal Ziye, could you please tell us what the intentions of the expert are? We'll do our best."

Ziye's eyes sparkled. After a moment of thought, she said, "Actually, you all guessed it. The expert's indeed going against Fate! Immortal Xuanyuan overruled this possibility right away."

Everyone was shocked. "He's planning to go against Fate? Why would he do so?"

"For the sake of all of us!" Ziye said with a look of admiration and respect. "Please, don't weigh the expert down with your narrow thinking. The expert has reached the stage where his realm's way beyond the world. He's beyond all of us. He could feel all the pain of humankind. Thus, he's going against Fate for everyone's sake!"

Daoist Ma's face flushed red instantly. He said hastily with excitement, "Immortal Ziye, if this is true, please, bring me along!"

The rest said hastily, "Please, bring me along as well!"

The Five Decays was something every Immortal had to go through. They would all die eventually. Now that someone with such power was taking the lead, of course, they would be willing to risk it all to fight against Fate!

"Alright, fighting against Fate requires planning. It'd be better to have more people working for the expert," Ziye nodded. She added, "I don't mind telling you all this. The legend about the existence of a Heavenly Temple during ancient times is true. I'm from the Heavenly Temple!"

Immortal Linzhu nodded by the side. "I can testify, I used to play in the Heavenly Temple."

Everyone gasped, their faces changing.

They knew more about the Sacred Land. It was indeed passed on from ancient times.

Ziye said, "The expert would mention the Heavenly Palace from time to time with a nostalgic look. It's apparent that he wants to rebuild the ancient times. Therefore, our first goal is to rebuild the Heavenly Temple for the expert to visit, to give him a surprise!"

"Going against Fate isn't an easy path," Qing Yunzi said with a concerned tone.

"If we don't go against Fate, we'll end up dying, too! I only have a hundred years left anyway. The opportunity's right in front of us. I'm unafraid of anything!"

Daoist Ma laughed. He then said with anticipation, "Immortal Ziye, if you used to work in the Heavenly Temple, I'll work for you! If we rebuild the Heavenly Temple, are the Flat Peaches real? Will I be able to get a role in this temple? I don't have to be high ranking. I won't even mind being a soldier who guards the gate."

Longevous Lin agreed, "Same here, just get me any role!"

"This depends on how the expert takes it. If you perform well, the expert won't mistreat you all," Ziye said calmly before taking out an orange. "Of course, there are Flat Peaches. This orange is just an ordinary fruit in the eyes of the expert. It is used to serve his guests. Each of you will get one wedge. Distribute them among yourselves."

The crowd watched the orange wedges being distributed.

They did not show any reaction until they put the wedge into their mouth. Instantly, their pupils dilated.

"This...this is really an orange?"

"Spiritual Root! This is the Spiritual Root!" 𝓁𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐ℴ𝘮

"I can't imagine having the chance to eat this before I die!"

"The expert treats this as a fruit? Then what are the Spiritual Fruits we collected? Trash?"

"Hmm? What are you doing? Who said you're allowed to hold onto the orange skin? Put it down right away!"

"Who sees it, gets it! This is a reward from the expert. To be fair, I must be the one distributing!"

Ziye had a smile on her face. She was excited. This gathering was originally hosted to plot against the expert, and yet, it went the other way around. Not only that, she even recruited everyone to help the expert set a small goal against Fate. The expert must be so satisfied.

Chapter 295

Sneeze!

Inside the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan sneezed and rubbed his nose.

What was that?

Was he catching a cold? The air in the Immortal Realm was so refreshing and of ideal temperature. The food was fresh and harmless. He had not caught a cold in a very long time.

Perhaps someone was thinking of him?

However, it should not be a bad thing. After all, he had made so many friends without offending anyone.

Furthermore, he was merely an ordinary man. What trouble could there be?

With that in mind, he smiled and lifted his carving knife to continue his carpentry.

There was a small twig in front of him that he was carefully carving on.

Unwanted sawdust was all over the floor, forming a curled shape with each shaving. They looked neat.

Daji seemed concerned. "Mr. Li, would you like to take a rest? Or teach me?"

"Ha-ha-ha, this isn't for ladies." Li Nianfan could not help smiling.

He could not help imagining how Daji would look carving on the twig. The sight would be so delightful and strange. He wanted to laugh.

Li Nianfan continued, "I'm just making some stools and tables. It's a small matter."

The four-part architecture was indeed quite big. Even with the addition of the Fire Phoenix, Dragon, and Nanan, it was not crowded at all. In fact, he felt that he lacked stools and tables, especially with how Li Nianfan was meeting more friends now. They were far from enough.

These people were bigshots. He could not let his guests stand.

Daji raised her hand. She cautiously helped Li Nianfan to wipe away his sweat. She asked, "Mr. Li's been working on this for half a day. Why don't you accompany Daji to play a round of chess?"

"No need, I'm making a new game. It'll be very interesting." Li Nianfan smiled. Then, he mocked, "So, little Daji's bored and wants me to accompany you?

"Alright, let's go out and have a stroll. Perhaps we can do some hunting!" Li Nianfan stated. He then said to Xiao Bai, "Xiao Bai, keep the sawdust, I need to use them."

Daji was already happily packing up. She was ready to go out.

The Fire Phoenix transformed into a small firefinch, sitting on Li Nianfan's shoulder, while Blackie followed behind him, wagging his tail.

Li Nianfan brought along his bow and arrow before walking out of the four-part architecture.

Somehow, he looked at the couplet in front of his door.

'I Came From the Mortal Realm, Seeking For Longevity.'

Suddenly, he felt that this was rather 'low'.

It was okay in the past. As his visitors were mostly cultivators, this couplet seemed alright. However, now that he had Immortals as his guests, this couplet seemed weak.

He had to replace it.

Scratch!

Li Nianfan simply tore this away. This was a small matter. He could write a new one soon.

The group entered the forest.

Compared to the past, the atmosphere in the forest was more tense than usual.

Li Nianfan could not help saying, "Daji, do keep an eye on Dragon, Nanan, and also the little fox. Don't play in the forest, I don't feel safe."

Li Nianfan already had this feeling after seeing the Donkey Demon in the Fallen Town.

A demon attacking the town so arrogantly. This had not happened in the past. It was fortunate that there was an Immortal nearby. If not, it would have ended badly.

However, he could tell that this Donkey Demon was high ranking. Since when did such powerful demons start to linger around?

He had to be careful anyhow.

Daji looked around and nodded diligently. "Okay, Mr. Li."

At the same time.

At the foot of the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

Meng Junliang and Zhou Yunwu arrived.

Zhou Yunwu asked, "Army Advisor, we didn't bring anything the last time. We won again because of Mr. Li. Is it okay for us to only bring these to him?"

Meng Junliang said, "Sincerity Is the most important key when visiting Mr. Li. Now that it's getting cold, clothes would make one feel warm. This is what Mr. Li needs, the rest are too much. It's an insult to him!"

Zhou Yunwu still felt guilty. He sighed and said, "My power's so limited. For a figure like Mr. Li, the clothes should be made of the best demon skins in this realm. I'm unable to provide such things for Mr. Li."

Meng Junliang said, "As long as you're sincere. What my King needs to do now is to calm this chaotic world down to help Mr. Li."

"Right, why are you visiting the expert?" Zhou Yunwu asked curiously.

Meng Junliang said honestly, "When I was preaching, I suddenly felt confused. I came here to seek help."

As they spoke, the two of them had arrived by the door of the four-part architecture.

However, a woman in robes had been standing outside the door with her palms pressed together. She was waiting patiently.

Zhou Yunwu pressed his palms together and greeted, "Greetings to Tara Yuecha."

"Amitabha, you're the current Human Sovereign," Tara Yuecha said with a calm face. She greeted, "Greetings to the Human Sovereign."

The expert was not home. The three of them had to stand before the door to wait. They showed no trace of impatience on their faces.

After a long while of silence, Tara Yuecha suddenly looked at Zhou Yun Wu and asked, "May I ask what does the Human Sovereign think of Buddhism?"

Zhou Yunwu smiled. "It's naturally excellent to subdue evil and the demons. It's good for the people."

Yuecha asked hastily, "Has the Human Sovereign thought of establishing Buddhism as the national religion, to preach Buddhism to everyone?"

Zhou Yunwu said, "Tara Yuecha, the expert, had once given me a piece of writing, 'Man Can Conquer Nature'. From then on, I declared that my Xia Kingdom will never worship the sky or ground. We'll be a Kingdom of people!"

Tara Yuecha continued, "Actually, I think the Human Sovereign's destined for Buddhism."

Meng Junliang's face straightened. His eyes were as sharp as knives as he stood and scoffed coldly, "Yuecha, you're overdoing it!"

Sha-sha-sha!

Meanwhile, footsteps were heard coming from the forest. Li Nianfan walked over with two rabbits in hand.

The three of them greeted each other politely, "Mr. Li, Miss Daji."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "It's you guys. Why are you standing outside? Please, come in and have a seat."

Click!

The door swung open. Li Nianfan instantly asked Xiao Bai to get some milk for his guests.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "I've heard the news of King Zhou's victory!"

Zhou Yunwu hastily stood up. He said sincerely, "It was all because of Mr. Li's pointers. I came here today to thank you."

With that said, he brought out the item and placed it on the table. He said uneasily, "Here's a little something. Please, don't look down on it."

"Wow, brocade clothes! You're so polite!" Li Nianfan let out a look of delight. It was almost the end of Autumn. He was about to go shopping in the Fallen Town. Little did he expect someone to give this to him.

He had only heard of brocade clothes from books back in his previous realm. Who would have thought that the entire set would be placed right in front of his eyes now? Furthermore, looking at the material, it was definitely top-grade skin!

It looked soft and glowing, comfortable and warm to the touch. It looked so luxurious!

It was delicately made. They must have put in a lot of effort.

"How thoughtful!"

"As long as you like it, as long as you like it," Zhou Yunwu answered, delighted. He let out a long sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai walked out with a tray of glasses with milk. Li Nianfan instantly said politely, "Let's speak later. First, let's have a cup of warm milk to warm up the body."

"Thank you." Yuecha and the other two politely reached out to receive the milk.

The glass was transparent, reflecting the sunlight delicately. The pure white milk laid inside quietly, giving off some heat.

The surface of the milk had a vague layer of foam on top.

With one gentle sip, the fragrance of the milk spread out in their mouths and its warmth soothed their throats. It made them feel as if they were bathing in the hot spring, making them shiver uncontrollably. It instantly took away their chills.

Meanwhile, a gust of energy was sent throughout their bodies.

The crowd was tasting the milk carefully, its fragrance lingering in their mouths. They were all enjoying the blissful feeling. They were extremely grateful.

What was bliss? It was the ability to get free meals or a drink from the expert from time to time. How blissful!

Li Nianfan smiled. "How's the texture?"

Zhou Yunwu said sincerely, "It's smooth and not too sticky. The texture was thick and yummy. It's the best of the best. The food you serve here is so memorable!"

Li Nianfan laughed. "Good taste! This is just the starting stage. There will be yogurt, strawberry yogurt, and more. Come over whenever you feel like eating."

"Thank you." The three of them were so touched. They would never be able to repay the expert.

"I don't have much here, I only have good food. You're welcome," Li Nianfan waved it off. He then looked at Tara Yuechha and smiled, "I heard about your preaching from the Fallen Town. How's the preaching going?"

"Thank you for asking. Buddhism is indeed full of insights and wisdom. It's beneficial for everyone," Yuecha said in awe. Then, she halted and frowned. "However, not everyone wants to believe in Buddhism. I'm still far from saving all beings."

"Saving all beings?" Li Nianfan's brows furrowed vigorously.

'Huh? You want to save all beings? Will you give up on those who don't believe in Buddhism?

'This woman seems to be overdoing it. I need to fix her.'

"This is wrong," Li Nianfan said right away. He asked, "If the beings are happy and living in peace, why would they need to be saved by Buddhism?"

Yuecha said, "Living in peace is merely an illusion. They can only achieve eternal happiness by turning to Buddhism."

"How absurd!" Li Nianfan did not mind refuting her. He asked, "What is Buddha?"

Yuecha was well-learned. She answered without hesitation, "Those who save others are Buddha. Those who are saved by the other are Buddha, too."

"Very wrong!" Li Nianfan shook his head.

"Which part of it is wrong?" Yuecha did not understand.

Li Nianfan looked at Yucca and said, "All beings are Buddha!"

Yuecha pressed her palms together. She was deep in thought and was still confused. "Please, explain."

"Buddha is within us! Just as Buddha teaches us to be kind, all beings have inbuilt kindness. Thus, we're all Buddha! However, this doesn't mean that one must turn to Buddhism to have kindness!"

Li Nianfan continued, "Buddhism should be preached to those who're willing to be preached to, by fate. If you're forcing it onto the beings, how's this different from spreading evil?"

Chapter 296

"Amitabha."

Yuecha's heart sank. She hastily shut her eyes, pressed her palms together, and chanted Buddha's name in silence.

Her back was covered in cold sweat by then. Her head felt as if it was hammered vigorously.

Buzz!"

She suddenly awakened in fear.

If it was not for Li Nianfan's reminder, she would have...overdone it.

She let out a long sigh. "I was too obsessed!"

"It's not too late to know now." Li Nianfan smiled. He fell silent for a moment before he continued, "Buddhists shouldn't forget their pure intention. Buddhism shouldn't be a place to hide sins and wrongdoings. Remember, Buddhism's all about cause and effect. Naturally, one shouldn't neglect others' cause and effect, nor should one force something on another being."

Religions could easily go astray. Preaching was right, but after development, private intentions would gradually grow, leading one astray.

Buddhism had one too many of those unpleasant people.

Some absolutely disgusting people in Buddhism liked to pretend to be good, when in fact they were merely being the busybody.

When they were done being disgusting, the offended party would want to take revenge, only to have these Buddhists stand up and tell them to put down the knife and to be like Buddha. They would persuade others to let go of their grudges.

How frustrating!

If one were to lose their pure heart and become obsessive, Buddhism would not be helpful anymore. In fact, he would end up preaching the wrong things!

Yeucha said sincerely, "Mr. Li, I understand now. I'll take note."

Li Nianfan nodded. This should be the way.

Suddenly, Meng Junliang stood up. He politely bowed to Li Nianfan and said, "Mr. Li, I was just about to start preaching to enlighten humankind. I want to spread Mr. Li's insights to every corner of the world to develop more potential people."

"This is a good thing!" Li Nianfa smiled. "However, don't call it my insights, I'm not that great!"

The expert was being so humble. Perhaps this was the true spirit of being an expert.

Meng Junliang continued, "I realized that there are too many insights in the world. I don't know where to start from."

"Ha-ha-ha, that's easy." Li Nianfan smiled instantly. His eyes sparkled as he said without thinking, "We could establish subjects such as language, math, and sciences!"

He did not expect to be able to bring this over to the Immortal Realm. He was slightly excited. The children here would be so grateful to him!

"Language, what? Math?" Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang looked at Li Nianfan with big question marks on their heads.

'Sigh, our understanding is too shallow. We don't understand even one word. This is too deep!.'

"It's actually quite simple." Li Nianfan coughed and recomposed his thoughts, changing his way of speaking. "We could distribute the insights into different categories. These would be language, medical sciences, sports, and more. Each person is gifted in his own way, so we'll put them in different classes accordingly. We could even have some examinations in both language and sports, as well as an examination every three years to pick out the most outstanding ones."

This was more simply put in this sense. It was merely setting up subjects.

Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang wore a look of realization! Their faces flushed red with excitement.

The expert was indeed the expert. He easily fixed this chaotic problem by categorizing them.

However, Li Nianfan continued, "After passing the language test, it would show that this student has the potential of becoming a political leader, and in turn, an officer. If the student passes the sports test, this shows that this student has the potential of leading an army. It's the same for the rest."

Li Nianfan stated it simply. It was just a brief idea.

However, the most important key was the idea. If not, one would not know which direction to head into.

Meng Junliang instantly stood up. He was very inspired. He said, "Mr. Li's indeed a genius. I've learned a lot."

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Zhou Yunwu was more excited than Meng Junliang. He bowed deeply, so excited that he had tears in his eyes. He called out with a trembling voice, "With that, my people will be enlightened in the upcoming generations! I'll never be able to express my gratitude to you. Please, allow me to kneel!"

This matter would directly affect future generations and the standards of humankind. It was a concept for sustainable growth. This was as valuable as the herb manual!

Li Nianfan simply waved it off, "It's just a small matter, there's no need."

Meng Junliang suggested, "Mr. Li mentioned language and medical sciences. Shall I name the place where knowledge is passed on...a 'classroom'?"

Li Nianfan smiled. "Good name!"

Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang were so excited. They looked very excited. They could not wait to go back and start forming the classrooms.

The Xia Kingdom's territory was not huge. Therefore, it would be easy to manage. The classrooms could be built easily. This would benefit the future of humankind!

"Mr. Li."

After staying silent for a very long time, Meng Junliang parted his lips. His eyes darkened as he took a deep breath to ask a question very close to his heart, "Please, allow me to ask, why preach to the world?"

Li Nianfan first halted.

He understood what Meng Junliang meant.

He did not ask 'why' as in 'how come'. He was asking from a more spiritual level.

It was similar to when someone would ask, 'why do you want to become a teacher?'. One could say that it was to make money or to develop more potential people.

This man was digging into things again. It seemed that he really liked to ponder on things from a more spiritual level.

Li Nianfan did not answer directly. He fell silent for a very long time. Suddenly, he had a thought. He said, "Daji, help me get a paper and brush."

"Sure, Mr. Li."

Soon, a paper and brush were placed in front of Li Nianfan. Daji was preparing the ink diligently.

Li Nianfan held the brush. He looked at the white paper in front of him. He smoothed the paper with one hand and then took a deep breath.

The brush landed!

The point of the brush landed on the white piece of paper, moving like clouds and water. He did not exert any force but each stroke was powerful.

His movement was fluent and carefree as one word after another jumped onto the paper.

Vroom!

Along with his movements, a strange Qi arrived as if halting the entire world. The hills, the moon, and everyone else had become his backdrop. He became the one and only man standing.

The wind stopped blowing, the leaves stopped shaking, and dust stopped floating. Everything in their surroundings froze by instinct, as if too afraid to disturb Li Nianfan in any way.

Everything was so still that one could even hear the sound of Li Nianfan's brushstrokes.

Yuecha pressed her palms tightly without moving while Meng Junliang stared blankly with blood veins in his eyes. He wished he could tear out his eyes. Zhou Yunwu held his breath, clenching his fists tightly.

Daji and the Fire Phoenix stared without blinking, too.

Suddenly, they felt as if they had become the brush in Li Nianfan's hand, following the brush as it danced across the paper.

They knew that they were witnessing the birth of the best art in the world!

When Li Nianfan stopped writing, they finally snapped back to reality and looked at the paper.

'Let the world be the heart of the livelihood of the people; for the sacred teaching and peace for all future generations.'

Vroom!

Everyone felt as if their scalps were exploding. Their minds went blank as they lost the ability to think. They were all brainwashed by the words.

They did not know if it was just in their heads, but they saw a faint glow coming out from the paper. It looked like the natural glow of the sky, with countless phantoms of aspiring people appearing on top of the paper. They were all worshiping and bowing!

Nobody dared to speak, they did not even dare to breathe. They were deeply pulled into this realm. They were even more terrified of disturbing this bunch of aspiring worshippers.

By merely looking at this sentence, they could feel their realms rapidly improving. Their entire being had been upgraded. They were now able to face any test without being tempted!

Was this the realm of the expert?

No way, this could only be one tiny corner of the expert's ice mountain.

However, even this tiny corner of the expert's ice mountain was enough for them to worship and benefit from forever!

Meng Junliang had tears in his eyes. How he wished he could kneel and worship the expert by knocking his head on the ground.

This was...the most profound saying!

The expert did not simply answer his question. He conquered it thoroughly from inside out!

Li Nianfan smiled. "How is it?"

"Mr. Li, I've learned so much!" Meng Junliang bowed deeply for as long as five seconds before standing up.

He looked at the words. There was an inconceivable fire in his eyes. He asked with a trembling voice, "Could you please give this to me?"

"Of course...not!" Li Nianfan quickly changed his answer.

He suddenly recalled that he tore away the couplet on his door. This sentence was good enough to act as a replacement. Even if he did not hang it on his door, he could put it in the yard as a good decoration.

Meng Junliang sighed, disappointed. "Sorry for asking."

Li Nianfan said, "Mr. Meng, you know the words. With your ability, why take it from others? You can clearly write one yourself!"

Meng Junliang's heart sank.

It was not that the expert did not want to give it to him, he was pointing it out to him!

Yes, why ask for it? One day, he would be able to grasp the truth of the words and put them into action. He would be able to write it himself!

'So, Mr. Li expects so much from me!'

Suddenly, he felt like crying. He said in a very solemn tone, "Mr. Li, I understand. I won't let you down!"

Li Nianfan was feeling awkward. He did not know what he understood, so he could only answer, "Ha-ha, good, then."

Zhou Yunwu made a gesture, "Thank you so much for pointing these out to us today. I've learned a lot and benefited greatly from your teaching. Goodbye, for now. If Mr. Li ever needs anything, please, just say the word. My entire Xia Kingdom's at your disposal!"

Li Nianfan made the gesture in return, "King Zhou's too polite. Have a good trip back."

Yuecha pressed her palms together. She bowed at Li Nianfan and said, "Goodbye, Mr. Li."

"Goodbye!"

Zhou Yunwu and the other two walked out from the four-part architecture. They still had the look of awe on their faces.

As if being edified, their spiritual levels had been upgraded.

Even Yuecha suddenly felt that the Buddhism she had been preaching was rather low. No wonder the expert could easily point out such things to her to make her less obsessive. His realm was so high that he was no longer able to be impressed by anything anymore.

He was the true bigshot!

Inside the four-part architecture, Li Nianfan watched them leave. He did not keep them for dinner.

When he went out hunting earlier, he was hunting for fun. Thus, he did not manage to hunt anything big. The two wild rabbits did not have much meat on them anyway, so it would not be nice to keep them for dinner.

"I'll keep the delicious rabbit meat for myself!"

Li Nianfan smiled as he sat on the chair. He started enjoying himself as he said, "Xiao Bai, go and prepare the rabbit meat, I'll have them roasted. Right, don't waste the rabbit head. Make it spicy, it'd be yummy to chew on."

...

As the sun set, the sunlight gradually retreated as the night approached.

At the Southern Mountain area.

The mountain was engulfed by darkness. Looking from afar, it looked like a sleeping demon, ready to hurt anyone.

However, within the mountain, all of the demons were transfixed in their spots, shivering in fear.

They all knelt on both knees, facing the same direction.

Looking along the direction they were facing, more and more demons gathered. In the heart of the mountain was a cave.

The surroundings of the cave were filled with demons like blooming flowers, kneeling at the cave.

Small and helpless.

Click! Click! Click!

As the heavy footsteps were heard, the demons could not help holding their breaths, their heads shrinking in. 𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝓶

It did not take long before a gigantic figure gradually walked out from the cave.

Under the moonlike, the shadow of this gigantic figure covered its surroundings.

It was a gigantic demon with a bull's head and a human's body!

Its horns were like two crescent moons, pointing upright while exuding a shocking chill.

"Rubbish! Real rubbish!" A sound came from the bull, full of contempt. "I never thought the demons in the ordinary realm could fall into this stage. Not only is the Demon King not the Demon King, you're all too afraid to even eat the humans! What, you've all become vegetarians?"

Beside the Bull Demon, there was a gigantic green wolf, its fur glowing vaguely under the moonlight like a stream of flowing water. It had good fur.

The Wolf Demon smiled and said, "Brother, isn't that well? Since the demons in the ordinary realm are doing bad, it's time for our performance! Becoming the Demon King will be as easy as flipping the hand!"

The Bull Demon nodded in agreement, "Exactly. We've made the right decision to come down to the ordinary realm. In the ordinary realm, we don't have any restrictions!"

Now that the road between the Immortal Realm and Land had reopened, many demons that were not doing well had the chance of going to the ordinary realm. They would instantly become the most powerful ones!

The Bull Demon growled, "This bunch of demons are so useless. I don't have other options, so I have no choice but to take them as my staff!"

"Brother, I heard from this bunch of demons about an interesting matter," the Green Wolf paused. It then continued, "There's actually an appearance of a Nine-Tailed Fox nearby."

"Nine-Tailed Fox?" The Bull Demon's eyes widened like bells, glowing from within. It said hastily, "The Nine-Tailed Fox is known as the ultimate wife. Only the Demon King's allowed to marry such a beautiful demon!"

The Green Wolf nodded, "Exactly! It's indeed the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Where is it? What are we waiting for? Let's go catch it and make it my wife!" The Bull Demon was getting impatient. It glared at its surrounding demons and growled, "Who knows about this? Stand up right away!"

Chapter 297

The small demons trembled even more vigorously. They all exchanged terrified looks.

The Bull Demon's face sank. "Hmm?"

Finally, a small Deer Demon stood up and said in fear, "My...King, it's not that we're unwilling to tell you more. It's just that the Nine-Tailed Fox is very unlucky. I feel like it's better to stay away from her."

The Bull Demon squinted its eyes. It scoffed, "What do you mean?"

"My King, the Nine-Tailed Fox was first seen in the Fallen Immortal Mountain. Ever since her appearance, a series of strange events have been happening!"

The Deer Demon's face was filled with deep awe. It trembled and said, "We really don't want to be vegetarians, but we have no choice. We live in the fear of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Bull Demon frowned. "What strange things?"

"The Nine-Tailed Fox is the symbol of all demons. Ever since her appearance, countless big demons have attempted to get her. However, no matter who it is, once someone has the intention of capturing her, he'll never live past the second day!" The Deer Demon took a deep breath and continued, "Back then, the Demon King of the Fallen Immortal Mountain was the Silver Moon Demon King, a powerful Mountain Eagle King. It led an army to capture the Nine-Tailed Fox but was somehow killed. So did the Boar Demon King of my Southern Mountain area. He only had the intention, but before he could get into action, a bunch of men came to destroy him. There are many more such cases. Anyway, it's very terrifying! So terrifying!"

Gradually, more and more demons stood up. Their faces were filled with terror as they spoke.

"Trying to capture humans is the same. Once we're exposed, we're dead. Therefore, we can only become vegetarians. No one dares to become the Demon King."

"I heard this is because there's a powerful figure in the Fallen Immortal Mountain. He loves wild meat and likes to turn demons into dishes."

"Yeah, according to reliable news, the recipe's known as 'Demons on the Tip of the Tongue'. So terrifying!"

Shiver!

...

"Is there such a thing?" The Bull Demon's mood became heavier as he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He said, "So, you're all living so poorly. How dare they bully the demons! However, you all don't have to worry. I came down from the Immortal Land to help you all!"

The Bull Demon was very excited. Suddenly it felt a sense of duty.

"Let's go, I'm leading an army to attack the Fallen Immortal Mountain. We're capturing the Nine-Tailed Wolf!"

"Immortal Bull Demon, please, calm down. Don't do that!" The demons were terrified. They tried to talk him out of it. "Isn't it good enough to stay alive?"

"What's there to calm down about? I came from the Immortal Land. Is there anything in the ordinary realm that can stop me?!" The Bull Demon was frustrated. Its voice struck like thunder as it growled arrogantly, "From now on, I'm your Demon King. I'm going to capture the Nine-Tailed Fox alive! Come and kill me! Come and turn me into your dish! Look, I'm so bullish! Nobody can do anything to me, ha-ha-ha!" The Bull Demon smiled coldly. "Cut the nonsense, my knife's been hungry for a long time. Just watch me attack!"

"My brother's so bullish!" The Green Wolf Demon growled from the back. "If the two of us join forces, the mere Nine-Tailed Fox would be so easily captured!"

The demons did not feel at ease, but they did not dare to speak more. They had no choice but to follow.

On the same day, the huge army of demons started to fly up into the sky with a limitless gust of demon spirit. They were arrogantly rushing toward the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

However, a few demons had quietly left the group on the way there.

...

At the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

The Wild Boar Demon, Black Bear Demon, and Green Python Demon gathered together. They had a look of shock on their faces and their eyes were heavy.

"Bull Demon and Wolf Demon? From the Immortal Land?" The Wild Boar Demon's tiny eyes glared out like a ball, its small heart beating rapidly.

"They must be so powerful!" The Black Boar Demon's face was serious. "Are we able to fight them?"

"Demon King has been following the experts around, giving us a lot of opportunities. No matter what, we must hold it!" the Green Python Demon said, wiggling its body. It paused and continued, "However, we need to find the Demon King, in case they disturb the expert's peace."

The Wild Boar Demon said, "Exactly. It'll be chaotic if they fight here. Let's go to the Southern Mountain area and fight there instead!"

"Small ones, let's go!"

Instantly, the demons flew up in the air, covering the sky as they rushed toward the Southern Mountain.

The night was getting darker.

The round moon hung low in the sky, witnessing the two parties approaching the other.

Finally, the two demon clouds met.

"Stop!"

The Bull Demon made a gesture. It scoffed, "Who are you, tell me your name!"

The Wild Boar Demon replied, "We're the demons from the Fallen Immortal Mountain. To the demons in front of us, if you all turn back now, you might be able to live. If not, don't blame me for your demise later!"

"Ha-ha-ha! Who'd have thought that the demons from the Fallen Immortal Mountain came uninvited! You came to the trap yourself! Well, well, well! How brave!" the Bull Demon laughed. Its Qi rushed up into the sky as the fur on its neck expanded. Its eyes were glowing fiercely. "A small boar, a small bear, and a small python. Three demons who aren't even in their Mahayala realms telling me to turn back? I can only say that the demons in the ordinary realm have never died before!"

"Come, knife!" The Bull Demon flipped its wrist. A long knife appeared in its hand. It jumped up with an unstoppable temperament, full of energy and power.

On the surface of the knife, the moonlight shone like a flowing stream, its light landing on the surface of the knife carefreely.

In the hands of the Wild Boar Demon, a huge mace appeared and danced in the air. The Wild Boar Demon jumped up. "Look at me!"

The Bull Demon looked at the mace and shock appeared in its eyes. "Deluxe Spiritual Treasure?"

Its eyes reddened after that, displaying a look filled with greed.

"No wonder you had the courage to be so arrogant. How does an ordinary boar demon in the ordinary realm deserve this Deluxe Spiritual Treasure? Let me snatch it from you!"

It scoffed through its bullnose. Instantly, water appeared, swirling and flowing like thick silk. It rushed toward the Wild Boar Demon. Instantly, the Wild Boar Demon's actions were halted.

"Die!"

The Bull Demon was so agitated. Its hands turned muscular as the long knife chopped from above!

Dong!

The Wild Boar Demon's body jolted vigorously. Like a ball, it fell from the sky and smashed on the ground loudly. Dust flew up everywhere.

It spread out in ripples. They were in bad shape.

However, it laid on the ground, patted its buttock, and instantly jumped back up. Its boar ears flapped up and down as if nothing had happened. It flew back up into the sky.

The Bull Demon wore a look of disbelief. "This board has thick skin!"

"Eat my old bear hammer!"

Meanwhile, the Black Bear Demon already stood up. It had a heavy hammer in its hand. It picked it up, smashing at the head of the Bull Demon.

"Another Deluxe Spiritual Treasure? Did you rob an Immortal's cave?" The Bull Demon's face sank. It raised its knife to meet the force.

Ding!

The Bull Demon's face changed. It was once again shocking. This bear's strength was so unusually big!

The Black Bear Demon scoffed fiercely, "Another hammer!"

With that, as if hammering on something, the sound of clashing was heard continuously!

The Green Wolf Demon hastily rushed forward. "Brother, I'm here!"

Its eyes sparkled with green light as its mouth opened wide. Instantly, an endless storm appeared, blowing the surrounding trees away. The wind was sharp like a knife, cutting at the Black Bear Demon!

The Green Python Demon's body was vigorously swimming. It was stunned on the ground. By its tail, some ripples were swirling like the swirling of a river. With that, a gigantic tsunami was formed, blocking out the wind knife.

"Small ones, attack!"

The Wild Boar Demon rushed into the battlefield with the mace in hand.

"Kill them!"

Behind it, countless demons shouted as they casted all kinds of spells. They rushed toward the Bull Demon and Green Wolf Demon like a tsunami!

"Ha-ha, how innocent. Do you think we don't have an army?" The Bull Demon smiled arrogantly as it scoffed, "Small ones, attack!"

However, it was replied with a long silence.

Not only did the bunch of demons behind them not attack, they even took some steps back.

They smiled at the Wild Boar Demons and the rest and said, "Everyone, please, don't take it wrongly. We have no choice but to come here and watch."

"Betrayers! You're all betrayers! Can't you all fight for your own sake?" the Bull Demon growled angrily, its face turning green from betrayal. 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇ℯ𝑎𝒹.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The Black Boar Demon and the others were only Mahayala demons, but they were well trained with good knowledge of Insights. Thus, the three of them were able to fight the other two. Along with the help of the demons behind them, they were almost winning.

The demons of the Southern Mountain watched with their scalps itching. They felt lucky to be alive. They could not help discussing amongst themselves.

"The demons of the Fallen Immortal Mountain are so terrifying, they're actually winning against the two huge demons from the Immortal Land!"

"As I said, the Fallen Immortal Mountain's extraordinary! I was about to go and live there."

"Who doesn't! I heard even the white cabbage in that mountain is a treasure. The leaves taste better!"

"Sigh, I wonder if they're still recruiting."

...

"Argh! I'm exploding!" The Bull Demon was so frustrated. It was trembling all over. It's already scarce hair stood up and its eyes almost lashed out in flames.

It took in a deep breath and swallowed its saliva. Its two nostrils expanded vigorously.

"Watch my Water Golden Mountain!"

Bam!

Countless ripples exploded rapidly, instantly turning the area into a sea.

The water was filled with the Bull Demon's spells. They were able to shield themselves while restricting their opponent's movements!

As the water rolled out, every wave was a powerful attack.

"Brother, I'm always the brother you can rely on during the key moments!" the Green Wolf Demon said with pride. It smiled coldly as its wolf fur flew with the wind. "We're brothers, we'll never part. Once we conquer the demons in the ordinary realm, we'll become legends!"

The Bull Demon nodded hastily. It was touching. "Good brother!"

"Watch my Wind and Sea!"

The Green Wolf Demon jolted and rushed forward. The wind blew unstoppably along with the waves. The endless wave combined with the wind, instantly forming a majestic tornado. A shocking, powerful and destructive sight!

The Green Wolf Demon had turned into wind, quick like lightning. Its claws were sharp like knives as it flashed and launched at the Wild Boar Demon!

"Your boar skin's thick? Let me scratch you!"

Meanwhile, a few figures gradually rushed over.

They were Nanan, Dragon, and the small fox.

Nanan's eyes sparkled instantly. "Wow, we came at the right time. The fight's so exciting!"

Dragon said, "I know how to control water and I'm good at it!"

The small fox wiggled its nine tails. It was bouncing forward gradually. Under the moonlight, its snow-white fur was as pure as snow, exuding a soft and gentle glow.

Chapter 298

"Demon King's here!"

The crowd of small demons became energetic as they looked at the little fox.

Moo!

The Bull Demon was exuding power. Since it was using too much strength, it was unable to speak and it could only make a mooing growl.

A-whoo!

The Green Wolf Demon was howling unstoppably, flying along with the wind.

Meanwhile, they were both shocked. The Demon King was here?

They looked ahead and their pupils dilated.

"Nine-Tailed Fox! There's really a Nine-Tailed Fox in the ordinary realm!" The Bull Demon was delighted. "My true wife has finally appeared!"

Instantly, it approached the Nine-Tailed Fox. It scoffed, "Brother, hurry, catch the Nine-Tailed Fox alive!"

The Green Wolf Demon hastily nodded. "Brother, don't worry, I'm your brother. I'll catch it for you right away!"

It turned into a gust of green wind. It launched at the little fox like a hungry tiger launching at its prey.

The little fox watched them approaching it blankly. Its small eyes widened in shock. Its originally hopping limps were no longer hopping. In fact, it was staggering backward.

Its eyes were turning red as if it had used up all of its courage in life. Its snowy white fur was no longer soft. It had signs of an explosion.

'What a vulgar Bull Demon and Wolf Demon, how terrifying!

'Waa... Sister forced me to fight without helping me. How am I supposed to fight them!'

The little fox was dumbfounded. It remained transfixed on a branch blankly, its tears ready to overflow anytime.

It bit its tongue and used up all of its power to gather its Qi. Its nine tails gently wiggled, making it blend with the moonlight.

Swiftly after, the surrounding night sky gradually receded like the water. The entire world had become a pink ocean with some warm bubbles rising occasionally.

The Bull Demon's eyes instantly turned into heart shapes, its saliva oozing out of its mouth.

Its original black bull face flushed red. It said lovingly, "The ultimate Demon Wife indeed. She's going to be my wife for sure!"

The Green Wolf Demon in front jolted as well. As if under a spell, it did not move.

There was a green light coming out from its eyes.

Abruptly, it turned its head and slapped the bull in its face!

Slap!

The Bull Demon was still looking excited and joyful, its teeth showing. However, it was dumbfounded by this slap. The grin on its face gradually faded.

The Bull Demon said in a low voice, "Brother, what do you mean?"

"Why don't you pee and look at your reflection. How is that face of yours ever good enough for this noble Nine-Tailed Fox?" the Green Wolf Demon said with a look of disgust. It scoffed, "Stay away from my goddess Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Seems like your wolf desire's aroused and you're dazzled by beauty." The Bull Demon squinted its eyes and scoffed, "Wake up! Have you forgotten what you said earlier? To be brothers forever?"

"Ew! I don't have a brother like you!" The Green Wolf Demon exuded wild wind with powerful Qi crashing down on the Bull Demon. It grinned and said, "Get out! The Nine-Tailed Fox is my goddess, I'll guard her!"

"I can't believe your wolf desire isn't only aroused, it also woke up the one-in-a-million bootlicking desire!" The Bull Demon was feeling down. It suddenly felt upset. Who would have thought that it's only brother would turn on him? Beauty was always the root of troubles.

However, it would not give away the Nine-Tailed Fox!

The Bull Demon's eyes were fierce and deadly. "Brother, if you want to fight over this with me, excuse me for not being kind to you!"

"My goddess, don't be afraid. I'll take this Bull Demon down for you!" The Green Wolf Demon did not forget to show how faithful he was in front of the little fox.

The little fox was still perplexed. "Oh...go on."

The goddess actually answered!

The Green Wolf Demon's eyes flashed with light. It was so exciting! As if being injected with a stimulant, its battling capability is maximized. "How dare you, Bull Demon, die!"

The Bull Demon went wild. "Mo...how're you not embarrassed! I should've known that you're a bad wolf. How dare you steal your brother's wife! I'll kill you today!"

Instantly, the two started fighting. No one was winning or losing. Their spells kept exploding in the air like fireworks, one after another, glowing in the night sky.

The others became their popcorn-eating audience. They watched in awe, enjoying this legendary duel.

Time had passed and the night was slowly diminishing. A ray of light gradually made it to the sky.

By the door of the four-part architecture.

Nanan and Dragon pulled two disproportionate bodies clumsily out from the forest. There was a gigantic black bull and a huge wolf. They both had shut their eyes peacefully by then.

Click!

The door was opened.

Li Nianfan looked up and frowned. He told them off gently, "The three of you went out in the morning to go hunting?"

Dragon grinned. "Ha-ha, brother, we've got something!"

"Don't do this again! You're all still so weak! How dangerous!" Li Nianfan said worriedly. He then looked at the bull and wolf. He said in shock, "What a gain! This bull's sp big, its meat is definitely of top grade! I wanted to eat bull meat the other day. I'll make you all authentic wild steak!

"And this wolf. Wow! The fur isn't bad at all, and it feels nice and warm like Spring. I happened to be making some stools, adding a layer of fur would be perfect!"

Although Li Nianfan was telling them off, he was delighted. It was like growing some characters in a game. They had finally grown up and went hunting for him! Good investment! 𝙡𝒊𝒃𝓻𝒆𝒂𝓭.𝙘𝓸𝓶

"Xiao Bai, hurry up, come here and help," Li Nianfan called out. Instantly, they gradually pulled the two bodies into the four-part architecture.

Click!

The door was closed.

Meanwhile,

In a secluded forest of the Immortal Realm, five figures landed from the sky along with a loud thunderstorm.

They were Ziye and the rest.

Immortal Linzhu's eyes were looking around. She was checking out the surroundings and said in shock, "I can't believe the road has actually reopened. How nostalgic! However, this is so different."

"If Heaven wants to end the Immortalizing era, it's inescapable," Ziye said. "The world's nothing like before."

"Right." Immortal Linzhu suddenly smiled and said, "However, as long as there's good food! Sister Ziye, did you really gain such delicious steamed buns from the ordinary realm?"

Ziye smiled and said, "Would I lie to you?"

"Sister Ziye knows me best. Back then, I used to sneak into the Heavenly Temple and Sister Ziye would prepare good food for me," Linzhu said with a nostalgic look. "The ambrosia back then was so yummy! I haven't had good food in too long. Who'd have thought Sister Ziye would bring me some! How delightful!"

"Although I haven't had ambrosia before, the wine at the expert's place is even more delicious than ambrosia!" Ye Liuyun said with a smile.

Immortal Linzhu's eyes sparkled. She even started drooling. "Really? The expert even has wine?"

Ziye said hastily, "When you get there, you better behave. Even if there's wine, it's a priceless treasure. It's not something we can simply drink."

Immortal Linzhu smiled. "I know, as long as he gives me food, I'll do anything!"

Ziye said, "All you think about is food."

Immortal Linzhu said, "Back then, my master said that I was an empty soul, born to feel empty. Only through good food would I feel satisfied."

Xiao Chengfeng could not help laughing. "Ha-ha-ha, how meaningful!"

"How dare you laugh at others?" Urchin could not help rolling his eyes. "You're the one with the most nonsense. I think you can behave slightly better. If not, I'd be the one helping you to get back your dead body one day!"

Ye Liuyun nodded in agreement. "Brother Urchin's right. Hearing the things you say, sometimes I even feel like killing you."

"What do you all know? This is called a realm! The showier I am, the higher my realm!" Xiao Chengfeng said with a straight face. "I look up to the expert. The three realms that were told by the expert in just a few sentences... Thinking back now, I can still feel my blood warm and scalp itching. However showy I get, I won't get to that stage. Thus, I'm working hard to look up to the experts!"

"How can you compare yourself to an expert? What the expert talked about was the truth of the world while what you said is nonsense!"

"Can't you see I'm working on it?"

The group chatted happily, traveling on clouds toward the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

One hour later, the clouds gradually landed by the foot of the mountain. They all went up by foot.

Ziye took a deep breath. She said, "Linzhu, do behave when you see the expert. Also, remember what I said to you!"

Immortal Linzhu nodded. "Sister Ziye, I know, I understand."

It did not take long before the five of them arrived before the four-part architecture.

Xiao Chengfeng gradually went ahead and politely knocked on the door three times.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Come in."

Li Nianfan's voice came from inside.

The five of them straightened themselves and carefully entered.

Li Nianfan still had the carving knife in hand. He was making a stool.

Chop! Chop! Chop!

Sawdust littered the ground while Daji accompanied him by the side, wiping off his sweat and feeding him fruits from time to time. What a life!

The five of them walked in and hastily greeted politely, "Greeting to Mr. Li, Miss Daji, and Goddess Fire Phoenix."

"It's you guys! Please, have a seat." Li Nianfan looked up and saw Ziye and Ye Liuyun. He said in shock, "Oh, you all know each other!"

It seemed the circle of Immortals was not that big after all.

"Ha-ha, yeah, what a coincidence!" Ziye and the group smiled. They looked at the sawdust all over the floor in terror. She could not help asking, "Mr. Li, you're..."

"I was bored, so I plan to make some stools to play around with." Li Nianfan put down the knife. He smiled and walked over, "Xiao Bai, go and prepare some tea right away."

Stools?

Makin stools with Spiritual Wood? Out of boredom?

The crowd pursed their lips. They looked at the pile of sawdust made from Spiritual Wood on the ground. Even though they had mentally prepared themselves, they still felt a twitch in their hearts. How...wasteful!

If they could use these Spiritual Wood shavings to make treasures, there would be no problem making ten or even twenty Deluxe Spiritual Treasures. They could even make a few good Heavenly Spiritual Treasures.

Now, they were used to make stools.

However, the Spiritual Wood being able to become the expert's stool was a blessing indeed. No loss.

Ziye looked at the yard and nonchalantly glanced around. She jolted vigorously.

"Hmm?"

She saw a paper hanging by the rockery in the middle of the yard. The words were clear. A vague glow was swirling around the paper.

There seemed to be some strange Insights circling the paper. So majestic and sacred, as if this was the most exquisite treasure in the world.

'Let the world be the heart for the livelihood of people; for the sacred teaching and peace for all future generations.'

This... This...

Her lips slightly parted. Her throat was dry while her mind blanked. She was dwelling in this artistic conception, unable to get out.

Two sentences contained such a limitless conception. It was as if the mountains and sea were crumbling and her entire being was engulfed by them, making it hard for her to breathe.

How majestic, how massive!

She felt that she was unable to take it anymore.

The others also saw this paper. Their pupils dilated in unison. Their pores opened up all over their skin and they had goosebumps all over.

They had a feeling that these two sentences were able to support this world!

Xiao Chengfeng suddenly had a sense of guilt. The expert was better at showing off, while he was still far behind!

Seeing that they were all captivated by the paper, Li Nianfan felt his goal of showing off was achieved. He was satisfied.

He could not help smiling and asked, "What do you all think about this writing?"

"Wonderful! So wonderfully written!"

The crowd praised in awe. They did not need to be fluent in language to sincerely express their feelings of being utterly stunned.

Ziye's cheeks even flushed red as her gentle body slightly trembled.

She could feel such majestic aspirations in this writing! This was a worldly aspiration!

Back then, after listening to Immortal Xuanyuan's nonsensical analysis, she had her doubts about the expert's intention of going against Fate.

Now, she was reassured.

The expert was indeed trying to bring back the glory of the ancient times. He was going against Fate for the sake of all beings!

One did not have to make further comments on the intentions of a man who could write such things! He was no longer measurable by their common understanding!

Being able to work for a figure like him would be the proudest thing one could do!

No matter what, even if they had to sacrifice themselves, they must help the expert!

After all, reproducing ancient times had always been their dream! And the expert...was their hope!

Li Nianfan looked at Immortal Lin Zhu. He asked curiously, "Right, this is..."

Immortal Linzhu stuck out her tongue and introduced herself, "Mr. Li, I'm Linzhu, a good friend of Ziye's. I love good food."

So, a food-loving Immortal!

Obviously, Ziye had been showing off in front of her best friend, thus attracting her over. How convenient.

"Oh, Immortal Linzhu, welcome." Li Nianfan smiled. He said, "You're all in luck today, I happened to have some wild meat. I was about to prepare a feast!"

Chapter 299

A feast?

Besides Immortal Linzhu, everyone's eyes sparkled in unison with so much anticipation.

If the expert called it a feast, it would be nothing less than a feast!

"Oh, Mr. Li," Immortal Linzhu hesitated for a moment. She took out a pair of scissors and a handkerchief and placed them on the table. "Here's a little something, hope you don't mind."

To be honest, Immortal Linzhu did not want to give away these two items.

They were both Heavenly Spiritual Treasures. Although they were not the most refined ones, any Heavenly Spiritual Treasure was considered top graded treasures. What did Heavenly Spiritual Treasures stand for? They were the most powerful treasures!

Most importantly, Heavenly Spiritual Treasures had Luck in them. They could block danger, while the Laws in them were so rich, they could even enlighten an individual.

Back in the ancient times, Heavenly Spiritual Treasures were very rare, let alone now.

Back then, Immortal Xuanyuan used this very handkerchief to block countless attacks, gaining him the reputation of being undefeatable!

If it was not for Ziye who had the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure Hairpin which was just as powerful, they would not have been able to defeat Immortal Xuanyuan!

Immortal Linzhu had one Heavenly Spiritual Treasure of her own. It was a single leaf that she was born with. Now, she had to give away two Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, how suffocating!

However, she remembered what Ziye said to her, so she remained calm.

Sigh, so difficult!

Of course, Li Nianfan had no idea how hard it was for Immortal Linzhu. He smiled and shook his head, "Look at you! Just come alone, why bother bringing a meeting gift? You're too kind!"

They came here for free food and also brought him gifts, how polite!

He looked at the two items.

The scissors were delicate, shorter than the length of a palm. It had a gold finish, reflecting light under the shining sun. The blades were sharp and long. It looked good and sharp.

Was it made from gold?

Perhaps giving gold as a gift was something normal for an Immortal.

Li Nianfan simply picked up a piece of wood from the ground and used the scissors to cut it. Effortlessly, the wood was cut into two smooth ends without any trouble.

"Good pair of scissors!" Li Nianfan's eyes sparkled. "I happen to need a pair of scissors, thank you!"

He then looked at the handkerchief. 𝘭𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝘮

It was as small as one's face and in an azure sky blue color. It was cool and gentle to the touch. It was also somewhat elastic and comfortable.

Good item!

This handkerchief would have been one of the finest luxury items back in his previous realm.

Without hesitation, Li Nianfan handed the handkerchief to Daji. "Daji, this handkerchief suits you best! Toss away the one you have, they're so different!"

Whenever he was carving, Daji would use her handkerchief to wipe off his sweat from time to time. The handkerchief she had was made of rough material. It was nowhere close to this!

Ever since he met the Immortals, his living conditions had been improving. His ordinary four-part architecture had become so luxurious. Ha-ha!

Linzhu felt as if she was going insane!

Scissors?

Handkerchief?

This...did he have any misconception of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures?

Did he have any idea what he was wrongly accusing?

"Thank you, Mr. Li."

However, Daji smiled sweetly as she accepted the handkerchief with delight. She rolled it around in her hands as she gently wiped off the remaining sweat on Li Infant's forehead.

"The material of this handkerchief so nice! It's cool to the touch and so absorbent. Not bad!" Li Nianfan praised. He smiled at Immortal Lin Zhu and said, "Immortal Lin Zhu's so considerate."

Immortal Linzhu had to bite her tongue to avoid crying out loud. She said in a low voice, "Glad you like it."

Her heart was dripping blood.

Considerate?!

So absorbent? How could a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure not be absorbent? It was not only absorbent, but it could also produce water!

'Waa...give it to me if you don't want it!'

She could not help looking at Ziye and the rest. However, all she saw was that they looked normal as if this was something ordinary and they were not affected in any way.

How could she not realize in the past that these people were such good actors? When did they get their training?

"The feast we're having today needs to have a sense of ritual. Everyone, please, sit for a while. I'll go and prepare." Li Nianfan was in a good mood. He smiled and said to Xiao Bai, "Xiao Bai, hurry up and prepare the steak. Remember, you must pick the meat from the spine and loin. Those are the most tender and delicious parts."

Xiao Bai answered right away, "Don't worry, Xiao Bai's a professional chef."

With that, Li Nianfan walked into the utility room. The familiar sounds of clashing and knocking came from the room.

Immortal Linzhu asked in a low voice, "Sister Ziye, the Heavenly Spiritual Treasures we gave away have become a pair of scissors and handkerchief. Are you not going to say anything?"

"What's there to say?" Ziye halted slightly. She said, "This is their honor. Didn't you see? The handkerchief had the opportunity to touch the expert's sweat. What an opportunity!"

"Ha-ha." Immortal Linzhu looked at Ziye as if this was the first time she met this woman. She felt her heart collapsing.

Xiao Chengfeng said in a low voice, "Immortal Lin Zhu, look there. Right, that wine jar. That's an Intermediate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure, the Xuanyuan Sea Spell Cauldron. It's being used to keep the wine. Can you see?"

Urchin smiled and added on, "I can only say that you haven't seen the world. Once you get to the backyard of the expert, you'll know what cloud nine means. Just get used to it."

Immortal Linzhu made it clear that she had no comment.

She mumbled to herself, "I don't even know if the feast is worth what I gave away."

By the way, Xiao Bai had picked up the knife professionally. It effortlessly cut out all of the meat from the bull. One had to admit that the meat of this bull was really good. It was definitely a fat bull that liked to work out.

Following that, Xiao Bai took out a metal rack and placed the meat on top of it to burn to prepare the steak.

Its movement was fluent and professional.

Li Nianfan walked out of the utility room. He had two boxes in his hands.

These two boxes looked worn out with dust all over. The outer layers were wrinkled. It was apparent that they had been stored at the bottom.

Everyone's heart sank. They all looked at these two boxes, feeling somehow threatened.

They were threatened in horror as if these two boxes contained something horrifying.

Daji asked, "Mr. Li, what are these?"

"Cutleries!" Li Nianfan smiled. "For this feast, we have to have a sense of ritual."

With that said, he used a knife to gently cut through the top of the box, creating an opening.

Following that, he gradually uncovered the box.

The crowd could not help staring with their eyes widened. They stared inside the box, holding their breaths.

As the box was opened, although there was no glow coming out, they all felt a chilling shock attacking their bodies. They had the urge to turn and run away.

It was as if what laid inside the box were the deadliest weapons.

Breathe...

They all took a deep breath at the same time, forcing themselves to calm down. They looked closer.

With one look, they all felt as if they were being struck by lightning. Their eyes rolled back and they almost fainted.

Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!

A box full of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!

These were not ordinary Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, these were Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!

What concept was that? The crowd felt their minds go blank. They were unable to process it.

Ding-ding!

Li Nianfan reached inside the box and took out a bunch of shiny forks and knives to put on the table.

He said, "They aren't that useful. I can only use them like this. Since we're having steak today, let's have a sense of ritual."

Not so useful?

The crowd stared at the forks and knives being tossed onto the table. In unison, they all held their chests as their breathing became rapid.

'No way, I might become the first Immortal in history to die from shock.'

Immortal Linzhu's mouth was gaping. Her jaw almost fell to the floor.

She was still heartbroken about Li Nianfan not taking her two Heavenly Spiritual Treasures seriously. In the blink of an eye, he took out a box of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures and merely intended to use them as the cutleries.

This feeling was so humiliating. She suddenly felt extremely insignificant.

This was similar to visiting someone and gifting them with the most expensive silver bracelet, only to realize that this person's house was filled with gold. Even the toilet paper was made of gold!

So shocking! So unbelievable!

They had never seen so many Heavenly Spiritual Treasures in their entire lives.

Scratch!

Li Nianfan did not mind them. He opened the other box.

Similarly, there was no glow coming out of the box. However, when sunlight shone inside, the reflecting light was so bright that they were unable to open their eyes.

Another box of Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!

The crowd had been so stimulated that they had gone numb. They even thought they were dreaming.

Inside this box were weirdly shaped glasses. Between the cup and the bottom, there was a long and slender glass holder.

"So...this is Mr. Li's so-called sense of ritual."

Ziye's face muscles had stiffened. When she spoke, she was even twitching.

The so-called sense of ritual meant by the expert was to dine with Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures.

So, the expert had already been keeping a low profile normally.

Even Ye Liuyun, the Immortal who was the best at showing off and seeking attention, felt so out of the league at that moment. He felt attacked. "I feel that the expert might have some misconception on the term 'sense of ritual'!"

Apart from the fact that these were all Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures, the key was that all of them looked exactly the same. How did he do that? Was he a supplier of Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures? How would Heaven allow such cool things to exist?

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai's voice was heard, "Master, the steak's cooked medium-well. They're ready."

"Good timing, let's hurry." Li Nianfan put the cutleries in place as he called out, "Everyone, don't just stand there. Hurry up and come over. Let's get ready."

"Co...coming!" Ziye's voice was slightly trembling.

The crowd gradually sat down with their trembling bodies. They were extremely rigid as they looked at the forks and knives along with the long-legged glass. They were almost too scared to reach out to touch them.

Just the knife alone. To be stated blankly, if Immortal Xuanyuan was still alive and even if he hid in the handkerchief, this knife would have killed him in one go.

Chapter 300

Who would believe them if they told anyone about dining with a pile of Ultimate Spiritual Treasures?

Even they were unable to believe it themselves.

The crowd exchanged looks. They swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty.

Sizz!

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai had already brought out portions of the steak and placed it quietly in front of the crowd. The oil was still jumping and sizzling around, making the steak vibrate slightly.

"Let me tell you, steak goes well with red wine." Li Nianfan smiled as he opened up the wooden jar by the side. "Although I don't have red wine now, grape wine works the same. Nice!"

The jar was filled with red liquid, looking stunning like a rose. A wave of fermented grape fragrance spread in the air. It was not strong but long-lasting.

Whoosh.

Xiao Bai was acting like a waiter, pouring the grape wine for the crowd.

The red grape wine flowed smoothly like a fountain, causing some ripples inside the glasses. It looked beautiful and stunning.

Indeed, beautiful and stunning.

If they did not see it with their own eyes, the crowd would not have believed that these terms could be used to describe wine.

"This...this is really wine?"

Immortal Linzhu could not help licking her lips. She looked blankly at the grape wine. She had not tasted it but she already felt drunk just by looking at it.

"Indeed," Li Nianfan nodded. He said, "We can drink the wine later. The steak won't taste as good once it's chilled. Right, the steak should be eaten like this. Watch me and learn." 𝘭𝒾𝒷𝓇𝘦𝑎𝑑.𝒸ℴ𝓂

With that said, Li Nianfan used his left hand to hold the fork and right hand to hold the knife. With a gentle cut, the steak was sliced. He then forked the meat into his mouth.

"The taste isn't bad." Li Nianfan nodded and chewed on the food in enjoyment. He commented, "Xiao Bai, don't be lazy next time. Remember to flip both sides of the beef so the meat can be more evenly cooked."

Xiao Bai instantly said, "My master found out! My master's so wise and observant with a good sense of smell. Xiao Bai's sorry."

"You're naughty." Li Nianfan smiled. He then looked at his guests and pestered, "Why aren't you eating yet? Hurry up and taste it. This is definitely delicious."

"Eat, we'll eat now."

The crowd's hearts sank. They bite their tongues as if going on a pilgrimage. They cautiously picked up the forks and knives.

Eating was not a problem, but this was their first time eating with Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures. How could they not get nervous? Who would believe this?

With difficulty, they held the knives and forks. Their hearts were beating rapidly.

They were finally able to touch Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures. So, this was how the Ultimate Heavenly Treasure felt like. They had to feel it better.

Li Nianfan's movements were not hard to imitate. Quickly, they all copied Li Nianfan's movements and picked up a piece of meat to put into their mouths.

At this moment, they wanted to cry.

Simply because eating with Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures was such a big deal!

What an honor!

"So...so delicious!"

Immortal Linzhu already snapped out from the shock. She focused on the delicious food, her eyes glowing.

The texture of the steak was top quality. It was soft and tender to bite. The meat was loose and relaxed but nice to chew on.

The muscles and fatty parts had been removed. The oil in the meat was equally spread out without any gamey taste. With every bite, juices were coming out, oozing with the purest fragrance and butter. The flavors were flirting with their taste buds without overpowering them with oil.

The texture was not too hard or soft, juicy but not greasy.

"So delicious!"

Immortal Linzhu could not find any other word to describe it. She always thought she had a high standard for food, and that anything other than the ambrosia from the Heavenly Temple could never be considered as delicious food.

Now, she realized how wrong she had been. So wrong!

Were those really ambrosia she ate back then? No, they were feces!

So, truly delicious food tasted like this. She finally had the privilege to taste them. Even if she had to give away all of her treasures, it would be extremely worthwhile, let alone the earlier two Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!

This was the attitude of a true food-lover!

Li Nianfan smiled at Immortal Lin Zhu. However, his smile stiffened.

He realized that this Immortal's eating posture was somewhat strange.

Usually, one would cut the steak into smaller pieces. However, this Immortal did not cut it into small pieces. The meat she was putting into her mouth was half the size of a palm. Her cheeks were so puffed up while she chewed loudly.

Even though the steak Li Nianfan served was not small, it was likely to be finished by her in seven or eight bites.

She was indeed a true food-lover among the Immortals!

Li Nianfan hastily picked up the long-legged glass. He said, "Don't just eat the steak, have some wine."

In unison, everyone put down their forks and knives and picked up the wine glasses with respect. "Mr. Li, cheers to you."

However, it was not until then when they realized that they did not know how to use this treasure. They did not even know how to hold it.

"Everyone, hold it this way. It's fancy." Li Nianfan demonstrated. He then said, "Before we drink, we have to gently swirl the wine in the glass. This is to wake the wine up."

Ziye said, "Thank...thank you for teaching."

Of course, the crowd did not want to disappoint the expert. They all followed his movements.

Less than a quarter of the wine glass was filled. As they swirled their glasses, a faint glow and scent vaguely wafted out under the sunlight, quiet like the water.

Gradually, they realized that somehow, the wine inside the glass had gone through some changes. The color seemed to have grown more stunning while becoming clearer.

The wine seemed to be alive, almost as if it was moving.

This was the so-called grape wine illuminating the glass.

"Okay," Li Nianfan said while lifting the glass to his lips. He took a gentle sip, his movements gentle and elegant.

Instantly, a gust of fragrance burst in their mouths. The sour and sweet liquid rolled around the tips of their tongues, followed by a thick wine scent tickling their taste buds.

This was different from the white wine. The grape wine was sour and sweet. It calmed one down, sedating one's troubles as the wine settled down, making one feel as calm as water.

One word—relaxing.

Once the gourds were ready, he would use one to keep white wine and another to keep grape wine. What a life!

The others naturally followed Li Nianfan's actions. They swallowed the wine as their cheeks flushed red. The wine did not intoxicate them. They intoxicated themselves.

In the next moment, their pupils dilated as they stared at the wine glass in their hands. They looked as if they were questioning their lives.

Apart from the taste of this grape wine, a shocking opportunity was inbuilt in the liquid as well. It was so shocking that the entire Immortal Land would be shocked!

"This... This is..."

Immortal Linzhu was dumbfounded. All of her power was moving. She could feel it, whether it was her power, her understanding, or her realm, they were all increasing rapidly!

They were growing so rapidly...so rapid that nobody could ever dream of growing so rapidly!

The others felt the same. They were so shocked that their brains almost exploded.

They knew that the expert had plenty of treasures all over. However, even the finest things would take some time to digest after ingesting.

According to the Insights contained in this alcohol, it would take at least one and a half years for them to digest it. However, their bodies were digesting it right away without a hint of impurities. It was as if they were gaining Insights through cultivation.

It was the effect of this wine glass!

It was indeed the Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure! So powerful!

It could even have a purifying effect, allowing huge opportunities to enter the body.

So, the process of 'waking the wine up' was the way to use this Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!

Scary! How unbelievable!

If they shared this information, this would have shocked everyone!

For example, if an ordinary man drank this wine, he would be drunk for 1,000 years. He would become a powerful cultivator only after he woke up 1,000 years later. However, after being purified by this wine glass, it cut short the 1,000-year process right away!

Terrifying!

If this wine glass was given away, it would attract a violent fight, shaking all of the three realms. The expert had a whole box of them here.

The crowd could not help secretly glancing at the box with their eyes. Inside the box, there were rows of wine glasses placed side by side. They all shrunk their necks in unison.

Other than powerful, the crowd could not think of any other word to describe the shock in them.

With extremely perplexed feelings, the crowd finally finished this extremely luxurious feast.

They did not want the meal to end at all. After all, one glass of wine was equivalent to 100 years worth of intense cultivation. This meal was able to be instantly digested with no side effects!

However, they knew they could not get greedy. Being able to get one free meal at the expert's was already the greatest opportunity one could ever receive.

Therefore, seeing that Li Nianfan had stopped eating, they all stopped without hesitation. They did not dare to take one extra bite.

Except for Immortal Lin Zhu

. Seeing that Ziye had one small piece of uneaten steak, she quickly and unnoticeably reached out and swallowed it down right away. A blissful smile appeared on her face following that.

Seeing that the crowd had stopped eating, he smiled and asked, "Are you all full? How's the meal?"

"So satisfied, so satisfying. To be honest with you, Mr. Li, this meal is the best meal I've eaten in...hmm...one, two, three, four...hundred thousand years! This is truly delicious!" Immortal Linzhu half-leaned back. She was patting her rounded tummy while she squinted in bliss.

Hundred...thousand years?

Li Nianfan's smile instantly stiffened.

Oh, mother!

What was that? She lived for so long? Was she showing off her age?

'Look at her, she's lived for a hundred thousand years. I was so happy being able to live for another thousand years after drinking the blood of the phoenix. The delicious food in hand's no longer delicious!

'So triggering!

'Wait, what an Immortal she is. She's lived for a hundred thousand years and yet, she's still so young and energetic.

'Women who have lived for three thousand years would already be at the top, let alone a woman who has lived a hundred thousand years.

'Also, if she hasn't been in a relationship for a hundred thousand years, then...'

Gasp...

'Even the thought of it is terrifying!

'Thinking on a deeper level, how exciting would that be!'