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

6. Chapter 501 - 600

Chapter 501

'It seems like it isn't enough.'

Crackle!

Lightning bolts appeared around the dog's face, lighting up the sky and raining down on them.

"How dare you?!

"You reckless dog!

"You'll die!"

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World widened their eyes. They looked menacing and enraged. They shared the same hatred and anger. The Yunhuang World was shaking from their emotions. A powerful aura was triggered like a beast.

It was horrifying.

The cultivators of the Yunhuang World were in disbelief. They were enraged, anxious, and shocked.

They stared at the levitating dog head. They yelled, "A dog? Have you guys heard anything about a Dog Beast in the Chaos?"

"No. The only explanation is that this dog's deranged!"

"Perhaps the dog's in the wrong world."

"How dare you challenge the almighty Yunhuang World?! Die!"

"I've never seen anyone this boastful before!"

"The world has gone mad. A dog dares to cause havoc in the Yunhuang World!"

…

There were millions of worlds in the Chaos. Some worlds were weak, like the Eldritch World. They tried hard to hide. They would be destroyed if they were unlucky. Some worlds were like the Yunhuang World. They did not need to hide their presence. Some cultivators were proud to be from the Yunhuang World. Not a lot of people dared mess with them!

The Yunhuang World was unflawed. There were tons of powerful cultivators. They had an unflawed Realm Cultivator with them, too!

Lord Pangu started the Absolute Era, but his world creation was a failure. He was barely considered a Realm Cultivator. He left a flawed world to its own devices.

The cultivators of the Yunhuang World did not expect someone to instigate them. 'Who does he think he is?'

At that moment, everyone in the Yunhuang World hated the dog. Every sect, every powerful cultivator, and even their enemies shared the same anger.

'The dog's clearly trying to start a fight!'

'How daring!'

However, they stayed calm and arrogant. They told their students, "Go find out what's going on. Take care of the issue!"

There were 22 Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and eight Saints in the Yunhuang World!

For some reason, some of them were not currently in the Yunhuang World.

15 Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals were currently in the Yunhuang World, along with eight Saints!

The Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and the Saints were in different corners of the Yunhuang World. Lotuses bloomed in the air. Halo lights shone in the Yunhuang World.

It made everyone feel calm. They were confident and respectful.

Lights beamed into the sky!

They were excellent students of various sects. Mostly Quasi-Saints!

Three of them had a Saintly halo. The cultivators were buzzing as if they saw the power of the realm. They could not breathe.

There were three… Saints!

Three Saints arrived along with the students of various sects!

It was a majestic sight. They came together to defend against an outsider!

"Incredible! Do you see that? This is the Yunhuang World!"

"The dog's probably pissing itself by now. Haha—"

"I'm proud to be a cultivator from the Yunhuang World!"

"It's only a dog. Do we even need the Saints?"

Everyone from the Yunhuang World was excited. Some weaker cultivators also beamed to the sky to join the glorious moment!

The bald cultivator was also excited. He had tears in his eyes. 'I'm back. Save me!'

The dog's head barked.

"Go away!"𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Boom!

Endless wind slashed through the Yunhuang World. The Yunhuang World shook from the rumble of thunder. The strong bark sliced through the sky!

The cultivators in the air were shocked by the force of Blackie's power. They all crashed and fell to the ground like they were heavy cannons.

The cultivators were like leaves against the strong wind. They were cleared out in the blink of an eye.

Everyone was baffled. Their smiles gradually faded as their faith collapsed.

They thought they were dreaming.

So many powerful cultivators, along with the three Saints, were tossed away like babies from that bark.

'How… How's this possible?!'

Badump. Badump.

No one dared to speak. Uneasy heartbeats echoed throughout the Yunhuang World.

"Don't you understand? I said, get the most powerful cultivator! Trash…begone!" the dog said slowly.

Sigh.

A sigh could be heard. Then, a figure of an elder appeared in the realm. He slowly stepped out. Then, the figure instantly vanished.

Figures stepped out and instantly vanished again.

15 Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and eight Saints appeared in the sky. They stared at Blackie like he was the enemy.

Blackie was more powerful than a Saint. A Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal could not defeat him.

"Save me, save me!"

The bald cultivator cried. He looked at Blackie with horror in his eyes. Then, he scrambled toward the Yunhuang cultivators.

Blackie did not look at him. It was troublesome to pinch a tiny ant.

An elder with white clothes looked at Blackie. He said, "Cultivator. Why did you come to the Yunhuang World?"

Blackie lifted his chin. He said coldly, "Yunhuang cultivators ruined my birthday. I, Blackie, am here to fight!

"You'll pay for my losses and for the effort I used to come here. You will pay!"

The elder with white clothes had a menacing glint in his eyes. He squinted and asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"

"To make you pay!"

Blackie smiled. He reached out with his paws. "Twenty Ultimate Treasures and Spiritual Herbs!"

The elder with white clothes laughed. The powerful cultivators behind him also laughed. They were laughing from anger and mockery.

'The birthday of a dog?'

'To make us pay?'

'He wants our Spiritual Treasures?'

"Is this dog joking?"

"Yo, it seems like someone underestimated the Yunhuang World!"

"Can't you see that you're surrounded by us?"

Their Immortal Items shined. A powerful aura twisted the realm.

Blackie was slightly intrigued. "Yes. I want ultimate treasures like that. Hurry up and give it to me."

"Ha. Alright!"

The elder sneered. He had a transparent crystal ball in his hand.

He cast a spell and swiped on the crystal ball. The crystal ball instantly shined with a holographic light. The Power of Law in the realm was through the roof.

He tossed the crystal ball toward Blackie. He mocked, "Take it then. Let's see if you're able to catch it!"

Blackie stood still and waited for the crystal ball.

Then, the crystal ball shined and vanished.

Layers of ripples appeared underneath Blackie. It instantly formed into a jet-black round orb. Blackie was trapped inside!

The orb had lands, mountains, rivers, seas, ponds, and lakes. It also had the Sun, the moon, and the stars. It was a smaller Yunhuang World!

It was kind of like a globe.

The treasure was similar to The Land of Mountains and Rivers Painting. They were both ultimate treasures that could trap cultivators inside another world!

The crystal ball was born with the realm, so it had the limitless power of the Yunhuang Realm.

"Silly dog, you're trapped inside the Fate Trap. Don't expect to ever come out!" said the elder with white clothes. He reached out. The ball started to shrink quickly. It wanted to return to the elders.

The crystal ball shrunk to its smallest size. Then, it suddenly expanded!

A terrifying power was awakened like a giant Dragon in slumber.

Bam!

A deafening noise could be heard from within the crystal ball.

"Hmph! Isn't it too late to struggle now?"

The elder in white clothes frowned. He scoffed. He was seemingly calm. He activated his powers and controlled the ball.

However, it was useless.

Boom!

Crack!

There was a crack on the crystal ball. Then…the crack started to spread at high speed!

"This… This is impossible!"

Everyone was mind blown, including the elder in white clothes. They felt like it was remarkable.

A black dog paw poked through the crystal ball. Then, it attacked everyone with a slap!

#

Chapter 502

What kind of dog paw was that?

A seemingly ordinary paw. It was not threatening at all.

However… They could tell it was not ordinary.

The elder in white clothes looked stern. "Watch out!"

He stared at the Fate Trap. His pupils dilated with shock.

'This is the Fate Trap, man. It carries the force of the Yunhuang World with some Deluxe Merit. How did this dog breakthrough?

'Also, I'm one of the best cultivators in the Yunhuang World. How did the dog escape my trap? This is impossible!

'How…powerful is this dog?'

Crack!

The Fate Trap suddenly shattered. Blackie walked out from within. His fur swayed with the wind. He looked pissed.

His body was still the same size, but his right front paw had expanded. It looked odd.

The proportion of his body was off. His paw looked like a giant hammer.

A paw-shaped hammer.

The giant dog paw was horrifying.

Everyone from the Yunhuang World activated their powers and Immortal Items. They used their defense weapons against the dog paw.

Boom!

However, the treasures were as fragile as paper when it came to the dog paw. They were ripped apart. The powerful aura overwhelmed everyone. They jolted and backed away like crazy.

At that moment, they were petrified.

'Such a powerful dog. Such a scary dog paw!'

Sigh.

Blackie sighed and said, "I just want to be a simple and quiet dog. Is that too much to ask? Can't we all be civilized here? Why do you have to force me to attack? Why?!

"Do you want to dance?"

Blackie lifted his dog paw. He slapped it downward like how people would swat mosquitoes. The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World were under attack!

Whoosh—

The Chaos quaked. The wind from the paw shattered the nearby stars!

The elder in white clothes was horrified. His hair stood on end as he yelled, "Everyone, work together! Don't hold back. Use all your Immortal Items!"

Everyone could tell that their lives were in danger. They did not need him to remind them. They were horrified and troubled.

'This is the biggest disaster of the Yunhuang World. Why is this dog so illogically powerful?'

They activated their defense items to the max. They connected their powers. A turtle-shell-like light shield was formed on top of them.

Boom!

The dog paw smacked down on them. It quaked.

Then, the dog paw continued to smack them!

"I'm asking you, are you going to pay?!

"Are you going to pay?!

"Are you going to pay?!"

Blackie smacked them with his paw every time he asked a question. The ordinary-sized dog stood above the Chaos with a gigantic paw. Every smack was like a hammer against a nail.

It was visually impactful.

The elders and the others were flushed. They endured it as best as they could.

With every hit, they slowly went down.

At the Yunhuang World.

The cultivators stayed on their turfs. They looked up to the sky and discussed.

The cultivation sects, the sacred lands, and the cultivation students all cared about the battle. They were uneasy with wild thoughts.

"What's going on? Is the battle not over yet?"

"This shouldn't be a battle! I heard that all the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals of the Yunhuang World went to fight!"

"There's no need for that. Right? The enemy's just a dog. This is unnecessary."

"It's the dog's fault. He's too crazy. He wants to meet the best cultivator. I bet he's crying right now."

"But, the dog's quite powerful, too. He knocked away the Saints with just a bark."

"He's still doomed to be defeated by the Yunhuang World! The dog messed with someone he shouldn't have messed with!"

Suddenly, they heard a loud commotion.

"Here they come. Someone's returning from the outside world!"

"It's the cultivators of the Yunhuang World! Here they come! Get ready to worship them, everyone."

"Wait. Something seems off…"

Everyone was excited. However, they soon froze up like statues. They widened their eyes and looked at the sky with disbelief.

The…

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World tried hard to survive under a gigantic dog paw…

Bam. Bam. Bam.

They were being hammered to the ground.

"One, two, three, four… Yikes—Fifteen Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and eight Saints being attacked by one dog!"

"This isn't real! It's fake, it must be fake!"

"This must be a hallucination. Or something's wrong with my eyes!"

Everyone in the Yunhuang World started with wide mouths. Their jaws were hanging loose as if they were in a wide-mouth compilation.

Their hearts trembled like crazy. They were on the verge of a breakdown.

The best cultivators of the Yunhuang World were like Gods to them. They could not defeat a dog together?!

At that moment, the powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World crashed into the ground. Their bodies were already halfway in the ground. They watched as the dog paw hammered them further into the ground.

The elder in white clothes finally spoke.

Blood came out from his mouth. He did not try to wipe it away. He said hoarsely, "We'll pay! We'll pay! We'll give you anything you want!"

The dog paw stopped mid-air. Then, it slowly retreated.

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World sighed in relief. They used their powers to suppress their injuries. They struggled to stand up.

They looked at each other with horror.

The black dog walked over like a graceful cat.

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World jolted. It was so freaking scary.

Blackie slowly landed. He smirked and said, "I'm a reasonable dog. I don't like to use violence. Since you're willing to pay, it means you're reasonable, too. Let's settle this peacefully. It's a win-win situation for both of us."

The elder in white clothes wiped away the blood from his mouth. He nodded like a chicken eating rice, "Yes, yes, so true, Lord Dog."

A chubby cultivator with a long beard said, "Twenty ultimate treasures and Spiritual Herbs. Right? We'll prepare it right away."

"No!"

Blackie frowned. He reached out with his paw and said, "You made me attack you. My paw hurts. So, you have to pay me twice the amount. Fifty ultimate treasures and Spiritual Herbs."

Spurt!

Everyone spat out blood.

'Seriously? We're the ones who are bleeding!

'Why are we always the ones getting hurt?'

The chubby cultivator immediately said, "Wait a minute! Twice the amount should be forty. Right?"

"How dare you question my math skills? Make it seventy!" said Blackie.

The chubby cultivator was short-tempered. He was flushed as he said, "Are you freaking kidding me? Why seventy? Are you insulting our intelligence?! I'm going to fight you!"

Blackie looked calm. He ignored him and said calmly, "Are you going to fight me? I want one hundred, now!"

"Wah! I'm so angry!"

The chubby cultivator felt tested. He was even more bloated from being enraged. It was like he was about to burst.

The elder in white clothes hurriedly stopped him. He kicked him aside. He smiled apologetically and said, "One hundred. Whatever you say, Lord Dog!"

'Why are you angry? If you shut up, it wouldn't have raised to one hundred treasures. My poor treasures… This lousy teammate!

'Shut up, idiot!'

"I like the way you talk."

Blackie nodded with satisfaction. He said, "There are penalties and punishment for making mistakes. Got it?"

"Got it. Got it. You're wise, Lord Dog. So true."

"Since you are so friendly, I won't be courteous. Hurry up and show me the treasures. I have to pick and choose! Also, bring me to check out your Spiritual Herb."

Blackie started to stroll around in the Yunhuang World.

Everyone from the Yunhuang World blew up.

"What? You want my ultimate treasure? Don't you think this is too unfair?"

"We have no choice. We can't mess with that dog. This is the only way. Give it to us. Contribute to the Yunhuang World."𝓁𝑖𝘣𝘳ℯ𝘢𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝑚

"I can't believe the Yunhuang World has to pay a dog with ultimate treasures. Why?!"

"No! Are we going to give in and let a dog bully us?" 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝓶

"This is an insult! The biggest insult of the Yunhuang World!"

Every cultivator of the Yunhuang World felt thunderstruck. Their worldview collapsed.

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World could not defeat the enemy. They had to ease his anger with expensive compensation.

Some of them silently cried.

'The Yunhuang World…has fallen!'

Blackie did not care at all. He window-shopped around the Yunhuang World excitedly.

"Hey? The Master doesn't have this Spiritual Herb in his backyard. I must have it!

"And this. Another Fruit Tree. Haha, the Master will be pleased. I'll have them all!"

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World followed Blackie with a pained expression. They had tears in their eyes. They wanted to stop Blackie, but they could not do anything about it. They had to refrain from doing so.

They could only watch.

They were pitiful, weak, small, and helpless.

Heavenly Spiritual Plants decreased…

Ultimate Treasures decreased…

Meanwhile,

At the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan was chatting and drinking with Goddess Nuwa and the others.

The two Luo Fish became two delicate dishes on the table.

One braised fish and one soup.

The braised fish was brownish-red in color. The fresh fish stock was reduced into a sauce. It glazed over the fish. It was sticky yet reflective. The dish was beautiful to look at.

An appropriate amount of spring onions was sprinkled on it. It had greens that looked like emeralds. The red chilies were added and they looked like rubies. The two decorative vegetables were perfect.

The delicious smell teased their noses. They were mesmerized by the smell and it made them salivate.

The big bowl of fish soup attracted their attention, too. It was milky white and it had a hint of milk in its scent. It was appetizing and it was as attractive as the beautiful wine.

The Luo Fish feast was made to treat foreigners. Li Nianfan ensured Yun Shu had new experiences with delicious food.

Some fresh fish meat and a sip of fish soup. Sometimes, they would follow the instructions of Li Nianfan. They cheered and took a sip of the wine. Life…was instantly satisfying.

Yun Shu teared up while she ate.

'How long has it been?'

Countless years had passed since she left her world.

It was frightening in the Chaos. She was like a bird that was afraid of the arrow and she had no place to go. She did not know where to go. She already forgot what happiness felt like.

In the four-part architecture, she finally felt peaceful. She found the meaning of life again.

'This is what it's like to be alive!'

However, she hurriedly concealed her feelings. She started to process what she learned from the meal.

'How can I enjoy life right now? I have to cast my happiness, or whatever, aside. I have to be more powerful!

'For my world!'

She took a deep breath. Chaos Spiritual Qi moved inside her with the power of the realm. She gained Wisdom.

At some point, her powers grew inside her. She heard a slight 'pop'. She had a breakthrough!

At that moment, she saw a whole new world. It was mesmerizing.

'Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

'I am finally a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!'

Yun Shu was intensely shocked and surprised. She was also in disbelief.

Saints were merely a title for guarding the realm. They were indeed powerful, but…they could not compare to a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal.

First of all, Saints were no match for a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal.

Second of all, Saints needed to rely on their realm and Deluxe Merit. Their powers would weaken in the Chaos.

Technically, Saints were not as powerful as they are themselves. It was more like they were supported by Deluxe Merit and the power of the realm.

"Oh yeah. Have some fruits after the meal."

Yun Shu snapped out of it when she heard Li Nianfan.

She looked at the fruit platter and was once again thrilled. She was numb from excitement. Her eyes were red from the tears.

'The expert noticed that I had a breakthrough. He purposely blessed me with Chaos Spiritual Fruits to help me level up!

'This blessing is too much. I…don't deserve it!

'Boohoo. I owe the expert too much. I can't ever repay him…'

#

Chapter 503

Yun Shu carefully ate the fruits. She was trying her best to look calm on the surface, but she also looked very cautious.

She sucked on the fruits with every bite. She ensured no droplets of fruit juice went to waste.

That was Chaos Spiritual Fruit, a treasure of her dreams. How could she waste any of it?

She had to glance at Li Nianfan. Li Nianfan had juice all over his mouth. She instantly twitched and felt pained.

'That wasteful guy!

'The rich guy doesn't know how precious this is!'

Li Nianfan asked with curiosity, "Lady Yun Shu, you should know a lot about the Chaos. Right?"

Yun Shu hurriedly straightened up when the expert asked her a question. She nodded and replied, "I wandered in the Chaos for a while. I'm quite knowledgeable."

Li Nianfan was immediately excited. He asked, "Can you tell me any stories about the Chaos?"

He was naturally curious. It was far more interesting than fictional stories.

"Of course."

Yun Shu would not let go of this opportunity. She thought about how to start. Then, she told him stories of the Chaos.

Li Nianfan listened attentively, too. He thought it was incredible. He truly felt how scary the Chaos was.

There were a lot of powerful beings in the Chaos. Danger was everywhere. One could easily get lost if one were not capable. There were also spiraling black holes in the Chaos. Some spirals could even absorb Quasi-Saints and kill them.

Moreover, there were millions of worlds in the Chaos. The Chaos was like a big stage. There were geniuses everywhere and a huge variety of experts. Changes in the Chaos occurred all the time. Battles were constant for cultivation improvement. It was extremely cruel.

There were also a lot of ferocious beasts in the Chaos. Some of them were naturally born from the Chaos while others came from different worlds that traveled to the Chaos. Cultivators were considered unlucky if they ran into them.

In other words, it was highly dangerous. Cultivators faced danger at every given moment.

"So scary! So shocking!"

Li Nianfan was mesmerized by the stories. He had to exclaim, "The Chaos is vast. I truly am a small boat in the sea!"

Yun Shu pursed her lips.

'Bigshot, please, stop exclaiming. You're the bigshot amongst bigshots in the Chaos. A small boat in the sea is not how people would describe you, that's for sure…'

"So, a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal is better than a Quasi-Saint. Above the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal's known as a Realm Cultivator."

Li Nianfan felt like he learned something new. He was interested in powerful cultivators. He continued to ask, "Do you have to create a world to become a Realm Cultivator?"

"Not really."

Yun Shu shook her head. She groaned for a moment and said, "A Realm Cultivator's super powerful. They are creators of worlds. No one knows what you'd have to do to become a Realm Cultivator. It's the cause of why there are so many flawed worlds. It's an act of desperation."

Li Nianfan was surprised. "How so?"

Yun Shu replied, "There are costs for creating a world. Creating a world could easily hurt the creator. Some powerful cultivators would take the risk. They thought they could become a Realm Cultivator by doing so."

'Risk?'

Li Nianfan thought of Lord Pangu.

Lord Pangu was the strongest of them all. In the end, he fell from creating realms. His body was turned into a world. He sacrificed himself to create a world. Li Nianfan asked himself if he could be that noble, too. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Of course, Lord Pangu had lived for countless ages. Life and death meant nothing to him. He was willing to create a world.

However, according to Yun Shu, there was another possibility.

He wanted to achieve a higher state of cultivation.

Li Nianfan did not need to ask anything. Yun Shu continued on her own, "A lot of the worlds were born naturally by the Chaos.

"A lot of powerful cultivators struggled to improve their cultivation. Countless years ago, a powerful cultivator accidentally saw an image of the world from the Chaos. He was suddenly inspired to copy the Chaos. He had an idea of creating another world. In the end, he successfully became a Realm Cultivator.

"This is the only known way to become a Realm Cultivator! But… Nobody knows for sure because very few cultivators succeed in becoming Realm Cultivators. Most powerful cultivators died from exhaustion halfway during creating a world."

The Eldritch World was quite lucky. Some worlds did not have Immortals at all…

Li Nianfan nodded.

In other words, creating a world was like gambling with your life. If one won, one would become a Realm Cultivator. If one loses, one would die. There was no third option. The risk of death was high.

He had to shake his head. He said with jealousy, "These guys are Immortals. They're already powerful. Why would they gamble with their lives to achieve a higher level? It's so unexpected."

'I am so envious. They are playing with their life. What were they thinking?

'Did they live too long and get bored of living?

'Or… Did they want to die?'

Li Nianfan could not understand them. He wanted to live as long as possible.

Suddenly, he thought of Lin Feng.

Lin Feng told him that he wanted to become a powerful cultivator. So that he could revive a longsword named Luoyun Sword. He thought of a famous quote in his past life.

'I want to create a world with you in it.'

"He worked hard for his faith. It was understandable."

Goddess Nuwa and the others heard Li Nianfan. They smiled bitterly in their minds.

'You won't have faith when you lose everything else in the world. Endless years will only be torturous!

'You cannot improve. You lose your goals in life. Life becomes boring and meaningless. At that point… You'd rather risk your life or do something even crazier to see a brand new world.'

"The Chaos…is too scary!"

Li Nianfan shuddered. He felt cold all over. "The bigshots that lived for countless years all have weird personalities. They're ticking time bombs. They can do anything just because they feel like it."

'So scary.'

Yun Shu and Goddess Nuwa sweat as they watch how horrified Li Nianfan looked.

'Bigshot, are you talking about yourself?

'You're clearly powerful, but you need to act like an ordinary man. You treat powerful treasures like ordinary items. You also want others to go along with your act.

'You…are weird!

'How bored do you have to be to do something like that?!'

However, they knew that it was not a bad thing that they ran into someone like Li Nianfan. Compared to other powerful beings, running into Li Nianfan was a huge blessing!

They chatted for a while. Li Nianfan walked with them to the door.

Yun Shu and Goddess Nuwa walked out of the four-part architecture. They bowed at the four-part architecture with respect. Then, they left.

Yun Shu looked serious. She suddenly bowed at Goddess Nuwa. She exclaimed, "Thanks, Cultivator Nuwa. I'm deeply grateful. If you need anything in the future, I won't say no!"

She would have never met the expert if it was not for Goddess Nuwa. Goddess Nuwa was willing to tell her about the expert. She was to be credited for the huge blessing.

"You're welcome, Cultivator Yun Shu. You earned what you gained from the expert. It has nothing to do with me."

Goddess Nuwa did not dare take credit. She shook her head, smiled, and asked, "So, you had a breakthrough?"

Yun Shu sighed in relief. She exclaimed, "Yeah. I only visited the expert once. I…am now a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!"

She breathed and had a meal. That was all it took to have a breakthrough. It was an impossible dream. Nobody would believe her.

'Think about it. Others would fight for a tiny amount of Chaos Spiritual Qi and Chaos Spiritual Water. But I… I used Chaos Spiritual Water to wash my hands in the four-part architecture…

'I can't believe I lived so lavishly. They would go nuts if they knew.'

"Cultivator Nuwa, what about you?"

"I naturally had a breakthrough. I've been here more than once."

Goddess Nuwa batted her eyelashes and smiled at Yun Shu. Then, she said, "The dog of the expert went to the Yunhuang World. He hasn't returned yet. We have to go take a look."

"Right. So true, Cultivator Nuwa!"

Yun Shu instantly realized how serious it was. She flew to the sky and exclaimed. "This can't be delayed. We can't allow anything to happen to the expert's dog. Come on, let's go!"

They were not as powerful as Blackie. However…they would do anything to help. It was for the expert.

Moreover, Lord Dog saved their lives. They had to risk everything to help Lord Dog!

Goddess Nuwa smiled and said, "Cultivator Yun Shu, I was right about you. Let's go. To the Yunhuang World! Let's cause some trouble!"

#

Chapter 504

At the four-part architecture.

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu left. Li Nianfan looked at Daji and Fire Phoenix. He smiled and asked, "You two really decided to stay?"

They were both cultivators. Yet, they were willing to stay in one place to live a peaceful life.

Daji nodded and said, "We're not leaving. We pretty much dealt with everything in the Eldritch World. Little Fox is the Demon King now."

She was not ambitious. She only wanted to provide a peaceful and cozy environment for her Master. She had achieved that, so she was more than happy to stay by her Master's side.

Fire Phoenix said, "I don't want to worry about the world. A simple life is quite nice."

"The little fox is the Demon King?"

Li Nianfan pictured the little fox ordering and ruling the Demons. It was hilarious. 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

'The Demons are doomed. It's too obvious that she relied on her sister.'

"It's naturally the best since you want to stay."

Li Nianfan laughed. He could not wish for more. It was his dream to be accompanied by beautiful women. He groaned for a moment and said, "Let's go to the Wuzhuang Temple."

He was about to go to the Wu Zhuang Temple before Goddess Nuwa showed up. He finished cooking so… He had to check out the Ginseng Fruit!

Daji blinked. She said obediently, "Yeah, whatever you say."

Li Nianfan immediately clapped, "Xiao Bai, wash the dishes. We're going out."

Everyone flew straight toward the Wuzhuang Temple.

Meanwhile, at the Wuzhuang Temple.

The Jade Emperor and the Empress stared at the Ginseng Fruit Tree. They frowned.

The two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals had been buried for a while. However, the Ginseng Fruit Tree was still wilted. It did not work at all.

The Jade Emperor frowned. He said, "No way. Ginseng Fruit Tree, you're a Spiritual Plant. You can't be completely dried out. Right?"

The Empress also frowned and said, "These are two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. They're more powerful than you when you were alive. This can't save you either?"

"Come on, Ginseng Fruit Tree!"

Yang Jing held his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade. His third eye was opened as he said, "You're lucky enough to be remembered by the expert. The glory of the entire Yunhuang World relies on you! Please, bloom!"

Juling Shen had wide eyes. He growled, "If you don't bloom, I'll chop you in half!"

Everyone was intense. Most of them knelt in front of the fruit tree, praying for it to blossom and bloom.

The expert liked the Eldritch World and blessed the Eldritch World. However, they could not satisfy a small request for Ginseng Fruit. How could they face the expert?

'If the expert becomes angry…'

Yikes—

That was unimaginable.

It was too scary! They would not allow it!

The Jade Emperor exclaimed, "Ginseng Fruit Tree! I'm the Jade Emperor of the Eldritch World! We're depending on you, please, work hard!"

They knew that even though they buried two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals, the Ginseng Fruit Tree required thousands of years to absorb the nutrients.

'Thousands of years…

'Everything will be over by then!

'How can we let the expert wait?

"Report—"

Suddenly, a guard flew down on a cloud.

"Emperor, I saw a golden cloud. The… The expert's here!"

"What?!"

Everyone jolted. Their hearts were beating like crazy.

The Empress did not look happy at all. She said, "The expert's here but the Ginseng Fruit Trees still wilted. The expert will be disappointed."

Sigh!

Everyone sighed worriedly.

The Jade Emperor said, "It can't be helped. Get ready, everyone. Follow me to welcome the expert!"

The Immortals did not dare to delay. They flew out of the Wuzhang Temple to welcome the expert.

Soon, a golden cloud appeared. They immediately looked serious. They smiled with friendliness.

Li Nianfan saw the row of Heavenly Guards. He was slightly startled. He smiled and said, "Yo, what a coincidence. Emperor, Empress, Erlang Shen. I can't believe you're here, too!"

The Jade Emperor and the Empress hurriedly walked over. "Greetings to the Lord Saint. Thanks for the Deluxe Merit, Lord Saint."

"Haha. I see. It's what you deserved."

Li Nianfan smiled and waved it off. Then, he asked excitedly, "You all gathered here. Perhaps the Ginseng Fruit Tree was revived?"

"Um…"

The Jade Emperor felt heavy. He smiled awkwardly and said, "We're trying, but the Ginseng Fruit Tree hasn't bloomed yet."

"I see."

Li Nianfan looked like he expected it. Then, he said, "Fine. Since I'm here, let me check out the Ginseng Fruit Tree."

"After you, Lord Saint."

The Jade Emperor and the Empress immediately showed Li Nianfan the way.

The Wuzhuang Temple looked like old architecture. It did not change much.

They walked through the hallway. Li Nianfan's nose twitched slightly. He looked weirded out.

'Floral aroma?'

There was a subtle yet wonderful floral aroma. It was unforgettable.

The Jade Emperor and the others were shocked, too. They naturally smelled it. They also looked weirded out.

'No way. No way…'

They turned a corner and passed through an arched stone door to the center of the yard.

The grass was green and the flowers were blooming. An intense floral aroma was emitted as the flowers bloomed. The entire yard looked like a painting.

Of course, that was not the point.

The center of attention…

It was at the center of the yard. A huge tree with thick leaves and strong branches glistened under the sunlight. The leaves sparkled like green stars.

The fruits were shaped like children. They hung on the tree with adorable smiles on their faces. Li Nianfan melted from it.

He almost drooled.

"This…this…"

The Jade Emperor and the others widened their eyes. They looked at the Ginseng Fruit Tree with complex emotions. It was showing off for Li Nianfan. They twitched as they cursed the tree in their minds.

'Why are you freaking glistening?!

'You were dead just now, but now you're glistening.

'I think you could've revived but you just didn't want to revive for us. You purposely waited until the expert arrived…

'Screw you!

'This is discrimination. Alright? You big bootlicker!'

"Emperor. I see what's going on here!"

Li Nianfan smiled at the Jade Emperor. "You purposely pranked me to give me a surprise. Right? Haha…"

"Haha…"

The Jade Emperor went along with Li Nianfan. He did not know how to feel.

In the end, the corner of his mouth twitched as he said, "You realized, Lord Saint. This is the surprise we prepared for you."

"Good one. Thanks, thank you, guys."

Li Nianfan was truly happy. It was the Ginseng Fruit. He could live for another 60,000 years if he ate one.

How exciting.

He had to look at Daji. His plan was about to work.

He drank the Phoenix Blood to live for another 1,000 years. However, it was nothing compared to Immortals. He wanted to live long with Daji. His lifespan would match up with her lifespan if he ate a Ginseng Fruit.

They could finally move forward in their relationship.

The Empress hinted at the Immortals. She rushed them, "Hurry up. What are you waiting for? Get a Ginseng Fruit for the Lord Saint!"

"Yes."

Everyone snapped out of it. They immediately went to pick the fruit.𝘭𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝘮

…

At the Yunhuang World.

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu walked in from the Chaos.

They looked awful and they felt terrible.

They did not see signs of Blackie on the way. What if something…happened to Blackie?

'No! We won't allow it!'

They hurried into the Yunhuang World. They needed an explanation no matter what!

They were both Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and they did not try to hide their auras. They were soon the center of attention.

A lady in a white dress immediately walked over. She looked serious. She said in a low voice, "Cultivators, why did you come to our Yunhuang World?"

Usually, she would not ask questions. She would beat them up before anything.

However, things were different in the Yunhuang World. Things were tragic. They could not keep struggling.

Goddess Nuwa asked with a cold voice, "We're here to bring a dog back. What have you done to the dog?"

The lady in the white dress was instantly intrigued. She asked excitedly, "Is it a big black dog?"

"Yes!"

"Heroes, heroes!"

The white-dress lady instantly teared up. She was utterly friendly as she said, "You guys are finally here. Please, we beg you, take that big black dog away!"

She said, "Here, follow me, heroes. I'll bring you to Lord Dog right away."

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu looked at each other. They cautiously followed the white-dress lady.

Soon, they arrived at a palace.

Blackie carried a huge snake-skin sack. He threw some ultimate treasures into the sack.

He also had several Spiritual Tree Sprouts tied up with ropes. He was going to take them away, too.

Blackie had fun being busy.

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu watched.

'Did Blackie rob the Yunhuang World?'

They indeed worried too much. How would the Lord Dog be bullied?

Goddess Nuwa said quietly, "Lord… Lord Dog."

Blackie turned around. He casually said, "What are you doing here? Just in time. Come and help me pick some items for the Master. He'll like some of these toys."

'Toys?'

Goddess Nuwa gulped.

Lord Dog was different from the others. They gave the expert gifts each time they visited. Blackie gave the expert an entire sack of gifts. He was very generous.

The white-dress lady reminded, "Lord Dog, there are a hundred treasures in the sack. The two cultivators are here to fetch you."

"I got it."

Blackie was annoyed. Then, he said, "I got the compensation. But I still need a piece of land!"

'A piece of land?'

Everyone from the Yunhuang World frowned. 'What does it mean?

'Is he going to slice our world?

'You want our Yunhuang World? Impossible.'

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World had glistening eyes.

They felt like Blackie was only saying that to mess with them. 'How will you slice a piece of land? Are you going to move into the Yunhuang World?'

The elder with white clothes smiled and said, "I wonder which land you prefer, Lord Dog? We'll give it to you."

"Nice. I like people like you!"

Blackie carried the snake-skin sack and leaped away. "We'll leave when we have the land!"

He looked at the Yunhuang World from above. Blackie seemed to be choosing a land. Then, he took out a golden brush from the sack.

It was an ultimate treasure from the Yunhuang World.

He licked the brush tip and reminisced.

"How did the Master paint again? Yikes, so hard. Let's just try it. I think he did it like this…"

#

Chapter 505

One dog.

Stood above the sky with a brush.

It looked serious on the surface, but the posture of holding the brush was ungraceful and messy. It looked kind of funny, too.

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu levitated beside Blackie. They watched Blackie with the brush. They looked like they were trying to figure out what Blackie wanted to do.

The cultivators of the Yunhuang World also levitated behind them. They had a bad feeling.

'Is he going to slice the Yunhuang World with a brush?

'Is this a joke? 𝓵𝓲𝓫𝙧𝓮𝙖𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝙢

'The Yunhuang World is unflawed. You can't slice the land unless you're greater than the force of the Yunhuang World. How will you slice it?'

The force of the world was left by the father of the Yunhuang World—the one who created the Yuan Huang World. No one could break the force unless they were a Realm Cultivator, too.

'Is this dog a Realm Cultivator?'

Just when everyone was making theories, Blackie moved his brush. He painted in the air, leaving a trail of gold paint!

There was no paper, but the paint did not fade into the air. They could feel trails of power in the clear golden pattern. The powerful aura made the realm stand still!

A single line emitted a horrifyingly powerful aura. Their hairs stood on ends as their scalps itched. They did not dare to move an inch!

They could not move at all. It was as if they were stuck under some sort of spell. They could not resist the overwhelming power. It was kind of like an ordinary person standing amidst a world of blades. They would be cut if they moved.

"Move, Universe!"

Blackie looked gradually serious. Wind blew on his fur. It swayed like crazy. The painting strokes were extremely slow. He dragged trails in the air. The powerful aura emitted subtle light above the realm.

"So hard. It's so difficult for a dog to paint." Blackie tightened his grip on the brush. "If the Master did this, he would be done in just a few strokes. It looks so easy…"

Boom!

Rumbles of thunder could be heard in the Yunhuang World. It was as if the sky had fallen. It was dim. Then, lights beamed into the sky. Golden lotuses were blooming on the ground. There were all sorts of odd phenomena. It was clear that the realm was fighting hard against it.

In the end, the phenomenon formed into a huge power figure. It was like a beast. It looked like a Dragon but it was not. It looked like a Phoenix but it was not. It was as big as the Yunhuang World. It was endless. They could only see parts of its moving body.

It stood above the thick clouds and opened its mountain-sized eye. It stared at Blackie. At that moment, it attacked Blackie with a force that could easily crush a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

"This…this is…the figure of the realm!"

The powerful cultivators of the Yunhuang World widened their eyes. Their hearts were thumping. That was the force of the realm. The father of their world left them the force when he created the Yuan Huang World!

The force made the Yunhuang World unflawed. It was why the cultivators could become Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals.

It was unlike the eldritch world. The cultivators were weaker because they lacked the force of the realm.

However—

No one from the Yunhuang World looked happy. Their jaws were hanging from extreme horror.

They saw Blackie paint ropes to tie down the force of the realm. Then, parts of the beast were separated from its body. It merged into Blackie's painting.

"Don't move, you'll be responsible if I paint it incorrectly! Be a good boy."

Blackie pressed down on the struggling beast with his gigantic dog paw!

'He… He can do that?!'

Everyone gasped at the same time. They rolled their eyes from shock. They had goosebumps all over!

'Too… Too scary!'

Not even the force of the realm could stop Blackie. Blackie was bullying it.

Blackie continued to paint. In his painting, there was a rough outline. Somebody recognized it.

"This is the Taixu Mountains to the Yunhu Sea Borders of the Yunhuang World!"

It was a large area. A lot of secret borders were hidden within the area. Blackie connected them into a circle!

Boom!

The area instantly lost its powers. The Power of Law faded. Any cultivator in that area could feel the loss of their cultivation. They fled like crazy!

The area became a no-cultivation zone. All powers were rejected from that area!

The powers rippled onto the painting! They kept forming into paint.

Finally, the rough outline of the painting was filled in. It looked exactly like the sliced land, except much smaller!

'He's actually slicing the land!'

Then, the painting compressed into a small crystal rock that shined. It occasionally emitted Power of Law. It was very eye-catching.

"Done. Finish!"

Blackie flicked his dog paw that held the brush. He used a lot of effort for the painting.

Gulp!

Everyone looked at the crystal rock and gulped. Especially the cultivators of the Yunhuang World. They did not dare to breathe and they did not dare to speak.

'A Realm Cultivator… Dog!

'This is the state of despair.'

Blackie placed the brush and the crystal rock into the snake-skin sack. He carried it on his shoulder and said, "Alright. I'm leaving. Bye."

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu did not dare to delay. They hurriedly followed with cautiousness.

They looked at the big sack carried by Lord Dog. They were as shocked as the cultivators of the Yunhuang World.

They did not expect that Lord Dog was a Realm Cultivator!

Every improvement for Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals was huge. Cultivators of the same level could be ended at any given moment of the battle because they could not delay time with their techniques. They were battling purely out of power!

Powerful cultivators were powerful cultivators!

The Lord Dog was powerful. However, he was too horrifyingly powerful. A Realm Cultivator was on a whole other level.

Most importantly, they knew that Lord Dog had a Master!

Lord Dog said he was merely a dog owned by an expert…

Scary, terrifying!

The expert was unimaginably powerful.

The cultivators of the Yunhuang World watched as Lord Dog left. No one said a word.

After a long while, the elder in white clothes made sure Lord Dog was gone. He exclaimed with a trembling voice, "I have to inform Father God about the situation!"

"We have a Realm Cultivator in the Yunhuang World, too. How dare they insult Father God like that?!

"We have to fight back!"

Saints could not be insulted. They were proud of their dignity because they were powerful cultivators in the vast Chaos.

Every cultivator had times where they lost some powers. It was incredibly difficult to get them back. It would require a lot of time. After all… The cultivators were too powerful. How could they simply revive their powers?

Some cultivators would even destroy and absorb an entire world just to heal!

Therefore, all cultivators would try not to hurt each other too harshly.

'However… The Master of that dog was too much of a bully! Who let the dog out?!'

They did not want to disturb their Father God. However, they knew that the dog was unreasonable. They would be doomed if they threatened Blackie. They let Blackie do whatever he wanted so that they could take revenge later!

The elder in white clothes thought of something. He said, "Oh yeah, bring the bald cultivator, too!"

…

At the Eldritch World.

A big black dog was carrying a super-sized sack while biting a tree sprout. He excitedly walked toward the four-part architecture.

'Oh la la, so many treasures. The Master will be happy. I'm going to be complimented by the Master.'

The items emitted a huge amount of Spiritual Qi in the Eldritch World. A power from a different realm nourished the Eldritch World. It caused an earthquake.

Naturally, it attracted a lot of attention.

The Princesses counted the stars in the sky. They curiously flew over. They immediately jumped when they noticed it was Blackie.

One of the Princesses forced herself to be courageous. She bit her lip and stepped forward. "Greetings to the Lord Dog. May I ask if you want to see the expert, Lord Dog?"

Blackie looked at her and nodded. "That's right."

The Princess immediately said, "The expert's in the Heavenly Palace right now. He isn't in the Immortal Realm."

"I see. Thank you for saving my time."

Blackie was cold. He immediately turned to head towards the Heavenly Palace. He said from afar, "Reward!"

Then, a light figure flew in front of the Princess. It was an orange!

The Princess was overjoyed. She kept thanking, "Thank you, Lord Dog. Thank you, Lord Dog!"

The other Princesses regretted their actions. That was a Chaos Spiritual Fruit!

She gained such a huge reward for giving directions. 'How could we miss out on that?'

The Lord Dog was indeed the pet of the expert. He was so generous!

'A missed opportunity! A missed opportunity…'

#

Chapter 506

At the Heavenly Palace.

At the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint.

The Jade Emperor, the Empress, and the other Immortals were having a small gathering with Li Nianfan.

After all, Li Nianfan was grateful to them. He could increase his lifespan by 60,000 years because of the Ginseng Fruit. It was a very nice gesture from the Heavenly Palace Immortals.

'I gained a lot today.'

The name of the small gathering was known as the Ginseng Fruit Feast.

Of course, it was all in Li Nianfan's head. Everyone knew that the Ginseng Fruit was the cheapest thing in the feast. The expert brought out the wine and the fruit platters. Everyone felt awkward.

Most importantly, they did not retrieve the Ginseng Fruit because they worked hard. The Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals were killed by Lord Dog. Also, the Ginseng Fruit blossomed because of the expert…

'Sigh. We don't deserve this free reward!

'The expert's too nice to us.'

At the same time, they realized the changes in the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. The changes came from the Water Purifier and the Air Purifier.

The expert was not in the palace for a while. Nobody entered the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. However, it still improved.

It was because of the Air Purifier and Water Purifier. The Air Purifier turned the air into Chaos Spiritual Qi. The Water Purifier also turned the water into Chaos Spiritual Water!

No wonder the Heavenly Palace would kiss up to the expert. They smartly gave the expert the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. Then, they enjoyed the benefits from that!

As expected, those who kissed up to the expert would have everything in the end.

Everyone was having a good time. Blackie arrived while everyone was cheering with their glasses. He stumbled over, carrying a huge sack. He happily stuck his tongue out at Li Nianfan.

Li Nianfan immediately frowned. He scolded, "Blackie, you're being so impolite. Can't you see that we're having a feast?"

'Everyone here's an Immortal. You can't run in with so many sacks and a twig in your mouth. So embarrassing!'

Blackie wagged his tail and said, "Master. I brought you something good."

"What is it?"

Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow. He curiously walked over.

As for the Jade Emperor and the others, they were already stunned. They could feel the limitless Spiritual Qi coming out from that huge sack. They were speechlessly shocked.

They remembered where Blackie went. So, they instantly had a horrible thought—

'Did the Lord Dog…rob the Yunhuang World?'

Li Nianfan noticed the 'twigs'. There were three tree sprouts in total. His eyes instantly lit up upon closer look.

"Lychee, Longan, and Cherries! These are indeed something good."

Li Nianfan had to pat Blackie on the head. He complimented, "These will go well in my backyard."

He was truly happy. Apart from having more diverse fruit trees, he was most happy about the fact that there was Lychee!

Lychee was his favorite fruit.

Unfortunately, the System would only reward him with apples, pears, and oranges. Those were common and basic fruits. He could not find Lychee in the Eldritch World either.

He had lost hope. Unexpectedly, Blackie came in with a small Lychee tree sprout in his mouth.

'Nice one, Blackie!

'Blackie finally matured. I didn't raise him for nothing. He knows how to show his gratitude.'

As the saying went, 'The concubine smiled when the knight returned, no one knew that it's because he brought back Lychee.' Li Nianfan knew he was in for a treat. Life was wonderful.

Then, Li Nianfan saw the huge sack.

"What's in here?" He started to dig inside.

Cling clang—

Li Nianfan took out the items one by one. He was gradually speechless.

"Where did you get all this junk from? Compass? Brush? Is this…a Globe? And it's a broken one."

"What is this?" Li Nianfan took out a shiny golden cup with two handles on it. "A trophy? Blackie, are you collecting garbage now?"

Li Nianfan simply tossed them on the floor. Soon, it was a mountain of items.

It looked like a mountain of garbage.

Li Nianfan noticed that the Jade Emperor and the others looked baffled. He instantly coughed and rubbed his nose out from awkwardness. "Excuse me, my Dog doesn't know any better. He brings back anything he sees. Sorry for the embarrassment."

'Embarrassment?

'We're the embarrassment here.

'This is a mountain of Heavenly Spiritual Treasures. You tossed them like garbage. How should we feel about that?!

'The Lord Dog's too awesome!

'I want a dog that doesn't know any better, too. But the problem is I can't!

'Boohoo. We aren't worthy enough to be garbage collectors…'

Li Nianfan felt like Blackie had strolled around the three realms and threw any odd items he found into the snake-skin sack. 'Blackie treats them like treasures. Sigh. This dumb Dog!'

However, at least the items were interesting. He also had three new tree sprouts. That was nice.

'Nice one, Blackie.'

Li Nianfan took out the last item. It was a shiny rock and it looked like a crystal. It was around the size of a quail egg. It reflected under the sunlight.

The realm went still when he took out the item. The Jade Emperor and the others almost started their eyes out. They breathed heavily and their faces were flushed.

'This…this is…

'Such an intense Power of Law. This is pure Realm Qi!

'Is this…the Qi of the Yunhuang World?'

They could feel the Eldritch World quake. It expressed its desires toward the item.

It was an instinctual desire. Any living creature desired it from the bottom of their hearts.

After all, the Eldritch World was flawed. They could use that to fill up their flaws.

"Diamond?"

Li Nianfan was surprised.

He could not believe that he saw a diamond. The diamond was huge, too. It must be at least three carats.

The diamond work was refined and polished. It was truly a diamond from the cultivation world. The natural diamond was so refined.

'Nice. One after another.'

He planned to increase his lifespan by eating the Ginseng Fruit. Then, he was planning to marry Daji. Here came…the diamond.

Diamonds were probably not that important in the Immortal Realm. However, Li Nianfan coincidentally had one. He felt like he should follow traditions. He should make a Diamond Ring and marry!

'I'm now a man of status and connections. This wedding must be grand. I need the three realms to witness this wedding.

'The Demons, the Heavenly Palace, the Underworld, and the Immortal Realm… They were all successful cultivators that would be there.'

He had a plan in mind. He once again patted Blackie on the head. He complimented, "Good boy, Blackie. I'll give you an extra ham when we get back!"

Blackie wagged his tail and barked. "Thanks, Master."

Li Nianfan turned around and chatted with the Jade Emperor and the others. He smiled and said, "Come on, everyone. Don't stop. Feel free to eat and drink."

Everyone raised their glasses with smiles on their faces. Truthfully, the delicious food was instantly less delicious.

'The expert's too good at knocking us down. Why can't we be friends without showing off our riches…?'

Soon, the Ginseng Fruit Feast ended. Everyone stood and said their farewells.

The Jade Emperor and the Empress walked out from the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. They went to the Lingxiao Palace and ran into Goddess Nuwa and Yunshu. They had been waiting there.

They immediately straightened up. They bowed and said, "Greetings to Empress Goddess Nuwa and Empress Yun Shu."

"No need for courtesy," nodded Goddess Nuwa.

The Jade Emperor was full of shock. "Empress Nuwa, do you know that Lord Dog…"

Goddess Nuwa smiled and said, "I know what you're trying to say. Yun Shu and I went to pick up Lord Dog at the Yunhuang World. He indeed robbed the Yunhuang World. He brought back a hundred ultimate treasures and Spiritual Trees."

They already guessed it, but they were still shocked. Somehow, they were kind of proud.

The Yunhuang World was far stronger than the Eldritch World. However, they were robbed. That was so satisfying to them. 'Nice, haha…'

The Jade Emperor took a deep breath. He continued, "The realm crystal…'

"Lord Dog forcefully took it out from the Yunhuang World." Goddess Nuwa paused. Then, she reminded them, "Don't even think about the crystal unless the expert wants to give it to you."

The Jade Emperor smiled awkwardly and shook his head. He said with respect, "I was only curious. How did the Lord Dog get the crystal?"

Goddess Nuwa looked astounded. She said, "Lord Dog's a Realm Cultivator! You won't believe this. He painted an area with a brush and extracted the Realm Crystal!"

'Painted with a brush?'

"Yikes—"

Everyone gasped. It was beyond their understanding and expertise. They could not imagine it.

'Is this how powerful he is?'

"Enough. Aren't you all used to it by now?"

Goddess Nuwa waved it off. Then, she sighed and said, "Actually… We felt more stressed. Yun Shu and I were going to help out. In the end, we didn't need to help at all. It's truly embarrassing."

The Jade Emperor and the others all looked at each other. They sighed at the same time. They could relate to that. They felt useless.

Yang Jing suddenly thought of something. He said, "Oh yeah. Empress, the expert wants a television."

Goddess Nuwa hurriedly said, "Oh? Tell me."

Yang Jing and the others immediately told her everything in great detail.

Meanwhile.𝙡𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝙖𝙙.𝓬𝒐𝙢

At the depths of the Chaos. It was covered by endless darkness.

The area had no stars. It was known as the Sea of Chaos. It birthed a small world!

The worlds in the area had no nights or days. They had no seasons. The environment was brutal. The hurricanes could crush a Quasi-Saint!

The worlds were not created by Realm Cultivators. Instead, they were naturally birthed by the Chaos. Amidst the endless darkness, there was a huge danger. It was also a huge opportunity at the same time!

Meanwhile, in a small world covered in black dirt and surrounded by black mountains, two elders in black robes walked in the black hurricane. They walked slowly. Their black robes seemed to be unaffected by the wind. Their robes slowly swayed.

Suddenly, one of the elders shuddered and slowly shut his eyes.

Then, he opened his eyes all of a sudden. A cold glare shot out like a blade. The light slashed through a black mountain that was a hundred miles away!

Power was pouring out from his body. It stopped the hurricane!

The other black-robed elder was slightly confused. He asked curiously, "What's going on?"

The elder squinted. He had a chilling hoarse voice as he said, "Somebody caused havoc in the Yunhuang World I created. He extracted the power of the realm that I left there!"

The other cultivator was intrigued. "Oh, really? So rude. I see that he's also a Realm Cultivator?"

"Ha. There's more."

The elder smirked cruelly. "The attacker's a dog!"

The cultivator was expectedly interested. "Oh? Are you sure?"

"Why would I lie to you? It seems to be an ordinary black dog!"

"So interesting. Is it a Magical Beast from another dimension? That's so rare! We have to inform the Ministry, let's capture it!" 𝓵𝓲𝙗𝓻𝓮𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝒎

#

Chapter 507

One day.

At the Heavenly Palace.

At the Food God Mansion.

Li Nianfan sneakily came over with Fire Phoenix and Nanan.

Nanan peeked her little head out and looked around. She carefully asked, "Brother, why are we sneaking around? What are we doing exactly?"

Li Nianfan gestured to her to be quiet. "Shh—Don't let your Sister Daji hear us."

He remembered that the Food God Mansion had a huge stove. It was suitable for forging iron. He was about to borrow it.

He wanted to make a ring!

A diamond wedding ring!

Since it was a surprise, he could not let Daji find out.

"Go. Let's go."

Li Nianfan beckoned them to go inside. He went into the mansion first.

However, the yard was directly in front of the main hall. Li Nianfan and the others were perplexed. They bewilderingly looked inside the main hall.

There were a lot of people there.

The Jade Emperor, the Empress, Erlang Shen, Goddess Nuwa, and Yun Shu were all in there.

They sat in front of a long table with various dishes. It looked good. The food was steaming. The Food God had a round belly and a pencil mustache. He had a little red hat on with a big 'FOOD' word embroidered on it. He held two dishes in his hands. The Food God suddenly widened his small eyes as he looked at Li Nianfan.

It was kind of comedic.

The others also saw Li Nianfan. Time froze. The chopsticks that they held fell onto the table.

'What are they doing?

'Are they having a small party without me?'

Li Nianfan coughed softly. He said, "Uh… Excuse me. I didn't know that you were all here. Sorry to intrude."

The others reacted like thieves that were caught red-handed. They hurriedly threw away their chopsticks. They bowed and said, "Greetings to the Lord Saint."

"Um… It's fine. It's fine. Sorry we didn't invite you for the meal, Lord Saint."

The Food God hurriedly said, "We didn't do it on purpose, Lord Saint. It's just that my cooking is too… Especially when compared to your cooking, Lord Saint. Please, forgive us."

Li Nianfan looked like he understood.

He also felt like it was funny.

He made a guess.

He guessed that the Jade Emperor and the others enjoyed his delicious food, but they were too embarrassed to ask for free meals. Therefore, they asked Food God to recreate the meals for them.

He could not believe how cute the Immortals were.

In reality, his theory was not far off at all.

"I didn't know that you were coming, Lord Saint. Sorry for the lousy welcome. Please, forgive me."

The Food God was utterly respectful towards Li Nianfan. He was also excited as he said, "This is my hard work on the table. Please, take a look, Lord Saint."

Ever since he helped Li Nianfan with cooking the Kunpeng soup, the Food God felt deeply inspired. Especially when he got some cooking advice from Li Nianfan. He had a better understanding of 'food' and became less of a 'noob'.

Cooking with the Lord Saint for the Kunpeng Feast was also his usual show-off topic. He was honored and proud. The Food God had the respect of countless Immortals.

Li Nianfan carefully looked at the food. Then, he complimented the Food God with a smile and said, "Nicely done. I can tell that you improved on the techniques and fire control."

The Food God instantly blushed. He exclaimed, "It's all thanks to your teachings, Lord Saint."𝓁𝑖𝑏𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Li Nianfan said, "But the seasoning can be better. I'll compile a seasoning recipe for you next time. You should study it. You'll make delicious food in no time."

The Food God instantly felt thunderstruck. He was emotional and overjoyed. His mind went blank.

The Jade Emperor and the others looked envious.

The Seasoning Recipe sounded like a bible of food to them. It was a huge opportunity for sure.

'The Food God got lucky. He probably feels like he's in heaven. So envious!'

The chubby Food God trembled. He thanked Li Nianfan, "Thank you, Lord Saint! I'll study hard. I won't let you down, Lord Saint!"

"It's just food. No need to thank me."

Li Nianfan smiled awkwardly and shook his head. 'Truly the Food God. His passion for cooking and food is deep in his bones.'

The Food God asked politely, "Oh yeah, Lord Saint, did you come here to order me to do something?"

"It's not an order. But I do have a request." Li Nianfan paused. Then, he said, "I want to borrow your stove."

The Food God was intrigued. "Do you want to use it to cook, Lord Saint?"

Li Nianfan shook his head. "Not for cooking. I want to use it to forge something."

He felt slightly embarrassed. After all, using a stove to forge was…kind of inappropriate.

"Oh. Sure, of course!"

The Food God did not mind at all. He would agree to whatever reason he had!

"Feel free to use it, Lord Saint. Follow me."

He led the way for Li Nianfan. The others also followed. They were curious about how they could help the expert.

Soon, they arrived in front of the stove. The Food God instantly removed the pot from the stove without hesitation. It was an empty stove.

It was perfect for making fire at the bottom and forging on the top! 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The Jade Emperor and the others looked at Li Nianfan, including Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu. They all stared at him with wide eyes and did not dare to breathe.

They were all curious about what the expert was planning to make.

The creation of the expert was no doubt extraordinary.

Suddenly, Li Nianfan said, "Fire Phoenix, fire!"

Fume—

Phoenix Fire rose and lit up the entire kitchen. Flames swayed in the air. Red light reflected on Li Nianfan.

He started to work.

He placed the items in an organized way.

The diamond, the trophy, and a short silver stick. They were also 'junk' picked up by Blackie. Li Nianfan thought the short silver stick was an ear pick…

Diamond, gold, and silver.

Ingredients, done.

Li Nianfan smiled. He took out the final item, a hammer.

Everyone felt their chest tightened as they watched. 'Is he going to forge those items?

'But… Those are ultimate treasures. How can you forge them?'

Then, Li Nianfan showed them the answer.

He placed the trophy into the fire. Then, he raised his hammer and smashed the trophy!

Clang—

The bowl-shaped trophy was bent into a different shape.

"Yikes—"

Everyone gasped at the same time. They were bewildered by his actions.

It was too sudden. They were not prepared for that. He treated an ultimate treasure like it was garbage. The trophy was smashed to pieces. It could not even resist.

'That's an ultimate treasure, man. It's something people treat as their precious baby. It's probably the best Immortal Item they have. How can it be so easily destroyed?

'How can we take this?'

The Food God felt like his eyes almost popped out from his skull. He teared up as his face twitched.

He had not touched an ultimate treasure before. He could not handle the impactful sight and he felt awful.

Even Fire Phoenix who controlled the fire felt her heart thump. The flames trembled.

Cling clang—

Li Nianfan neglected everyone. He focused on using the hammer at full speed. However, he did it rhythmically. It was violent yet graceful.

The beautiful beat echoed in their ears. Each hit made their hearts beat. Their mouths were O-shaped the entire time. They were perplexed at everything.

'So, this is what a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure sounds like when it's being hit by a hammer…'

The trophy was hammered into a thin gold metal piece in a matter of seconds. It was extremely compressed.

Li Nianfan removed the gold piece and repeated the steps on the small silver stick. He simply smashed it flat.

He took out his mold. He placed the gold piece and the silver piece into it.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Fire Phoenix, more fire."

"Yeah," nodded the Fire Phoenix.

In reality, she secretly rolled her eyes at him.

'What do you mean more fire? Do you think I'm able to hurt a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure at all?

'Even if I use up all my fire powers, I can't melt a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.

'It changes because of you, not because of me. Right?'

As time went by, the gold and silver metal pieces started to melt into liquid form. Li Nianfan mixed them together. Then, the gold and silver were transformed into a ring for ladies.

However, it was only the outline. The next step was the most important. He needed to mend it.

Li Nianfan gradually looked serious. He carefully molded the size of the ring.

The ring size naturally had to be according to Daji's right finger. The ring setting must be made according to the diamond size. The two of them needed to be perfect. Otherwise, it would be all for nothing.

Thankfully, Li Nianfan was a professional. Everything was under control.

"Alright, done!"

Li Nianfan happily merged the diamond with the ring. Goddess Nuwa and the others felt blinded by the ring. The overwhelming aura was like a huge beast that washed over them—majestic and holy!

Powerful!

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu did not dare to look at it. They felt petrified.

There was no doubt that the ring would make the world bow down if it was not for the expert. The Chaos shook!

'Is this…?

The Realm Crystal contained the legendary Power of Realm. He melted the two ultimate treasures after compressing them into ingredients, then merged them together. It was also made by an expert!

'Is this an Ultimate Chaos Treasure?!'

#

Chapter 508

Everyone looked at the diamond ring.

It looked like it had a halo. Everyone felt like their Primordial Spirits were being sucked in.

Stars seemed to be moving inside the diamond. It was like there was an entire universe inside. It signified an infinite world with trees, mountains, rivers, the sunrise, and the moon. It was mesmerizing.

Any light that was reflected on it was bone-chilling. It made them anxious.

Aside from the diamond at the center, the ring setting itself shined lively. An aura was subtly emitted. It could defeat a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure anytime!

'It's a weapon! A legendary weapon!

'This weapon must be unimaginably powerful because the expert actually put effort into it.'

Li Nianfan inspected it for a while. He smiled and said, "How is it? Pretty, right?"

Everyone bafflingly replied, "Pretty… Pretty."

'Is pretty the word to describe this thing? This is straight-up incredible.'

They could not believe that they witnessed the birth of an ultimate weapon. Moreover, it was artificially made.

That was incredible!

According to their knowledge, Chaos Treasure must be born in the Chaos. Artificially-created treasures would be inferior to a Deluxe Spiritual Treasure.

That was the rule.

However, the expert was exempted from the rules of nature. He was beyond that.

'Rules are indeed made for ordinary people like you and me. The expert…is the one who makes the rules.'

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "It's not a treasure, but it looks so good. I put a lot of effort into it. Daji will like it for sure."

Girls naturally loved shiny objects. The girls in his past realm loved diamonds. Daji must be the same, too. After all, the super bigshots Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu looked like they loved it, too.

Everyone almost fell over. Their faces started to twitch. They held their breaths and endured it. They almost coughed up blood.

'Bigshot, please, stop showing off.'

'Not a treasure?'

'This is a super treasure to us. Alright?'

'Are you trying to insult us?'

They walked out of the Food God Mansion. Nanan got close to Li Nianfan and whispered in his ear, "Brother, is this ring for Sister Daji only?"

Li Nianfan rolled his eyes, "Duh. There's only one ring. Why? Do you want one? Too bad, no rings for you!"

Nanan shook her head. Then, she said, "No, you only give it to Sister Daji. What about Sister Fire Phoenix?"

Li Nianfan smiled troublingly and asked, "What do you think this is? I'm trying to propose. This isn't a gift. How can I simply give away a diamond ring?"

Nanan continued, "You're proposing to Sister Daji. What about Sister Fire Phoenix?"

"What do you mean?" Li Nianfan felt his heart sink slightly. He had to sneakily glance at Fire Phoenix.

Her eyelids were droopy. She looked distracted. Her brows were furrowed like she was sad. She was also kind of sighing under her breath. She pretended to be strong, like it did not affect her, exactly like how girls would react to heartbreak! 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

'No way…'

Nanan said, "Sister Fire Phoenix will be jealous."

Li Nianfan asked the most important question, "Jealous of who?"

He could not believe that Fire Phoenix had a crush on him.

She was a Phoenix. Li Nianfan had the utmost respect for her. 'How can a legendary Phoenix Goddess like me?'

He was close with Fire Phoenix. They had been living together under the same roof. However… He could not imagine that something would happen between them.

After all, Phoenixes were a symbol of regality and pride. They were utterly holy.

It would be kind of awesome if a Phoenix had a crush on him. He was considered a legend amongst people who transmigrated.

Fire Phoenix and Daji were close, too close. Perhaps they were the true couple?

'If it's as Nanan said, what will happen between me and Fire Phoenix? What will our children look like?

'Will it be a bird or a person?'

Li Nianfan started to think about nonsense.

Nanan said, "I often hear Sister Fire Phoenix talking to Sister Daji. If you only marry Sister Daji and not Sister Fire Phoenix, Sister Fire Phoenix will feel very sad."

Li Nianfan frowned and confirmed, "Are you sure?"

Nanan suggested, "Brother, you're going to marry anyway. Just marry them together. Saves the effort, too."

'Is this a matter of saving effort?'

Li Nianfan rolled his eyes, but he was internally struggling.

First of all, he was a normal man. He was not a priest with no desires in front of a beautiful woman. If a man could marry two beautiful women, he believed that no one would say no.

Most importantly, it was up to Daji and the Fire Phoenix.

He should prepare something beforehand just in case.

He thought about it and said, "Goddess Fire Phoenix, I have to run an errand with Nanan. Maybe you should go back first?"

"Yeah. I'll leave then." Fire Phoenix was upset. She depressingly left on her own.

Nanan blinked. "Look, brother. I told you."

Li Nianfan glared at her. Then, he sighed, "Perhaps this is the curse of being too irresistible. Let's go back to the Food God Mansion."

He once again borrowed the stove of the Food God.

He melted the ingredients again to create all sorts of gold or silver jewelry.

The Food God exclaimed, "Lord Saint, there are a lot of metal pieces on the floor."

Li Nianfan turned to look. He said with an apologetic tone, "These are all leftover junk. I have no use for them. Please, help me clean them up, Food God."

The Food God said, "No trouble at all, no trouble at all. Safe travels, Lord Saint. Farewell, Lord Saint."

They waited until Li Nianfan and Nanan left. Everyone in the Food God Mansion looked at the 'leftover junk'. Their gazes were passionate.

Those were ingredients for ultimate treasures. Moreover, it was touched by the expert. Even if they were leftover ingredients, they were still ultimate treasures. They were not Ultimate Chaos Treasures, but they were better than Heavenly Spiritual Treasures!

They contained a hint of ultimate power!

The expert naturally did not want them. However, the trash of the expert was a come-up for everyone. Those were ultimate treasures to them!

As expected, garbage from the expert would make anyone powerful!

"Nobody moves!" Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu said at the same time. "It's a waste to give you these treasures. We should keep them safe."

…

It was nighttime.

The stars were shining.

At the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. At the observatory.

Li Nianfan sat across from Daji. They had a rectangular table between them with candles at the center. The red wine in the wine glasses swayed in the candlelight and glimmered.

The sheen of the red wine reflected onto Daji. Her beautiful face was even more stunning. It made the stars and the moon seem dim.

The Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint was surrounded by millions of stars. A Star River passed through with stars in it. However, it looked cold.

From afar.

The candlelight was the only warm light amongst the cold lights.

The candlelight dinner was romantic. There was no doubt that people could easily fall in love there.

It was like a drug to Daji. She was breathing fast, her heartbeat quickened, and she could not stay calm. She also could not look at Li Nianfan.

She moved her long hair back and stood up. She picked up her wine glass and said, "I'll pour more wine for you, Master."

Li Nianfan stopped her. He calmly said, "Sit down. Don't move."

Daji obeyed. She could feel Li Nianfan looking at her. She clenched her fists because she was nervous.

Li Nianfan asked, "Daji, do you have any plans for the future?"

"I only want to stay beside you and serve you. As long as you're happy, I'll be happy too," Daji answered without hesitation. Then, she jolted and bit her lip. She looked at Li Nianfan and asked, "Are you going to chase me away?"

She looked at Li Nianfan with teary eyes.

"Please, don't chase me away. I'll do anything."

"Of course, I won't chase you out."

Li Nianfan felt speechless. Daji was too sensitive. He hurriedly said, "I was just curious. You've been beside me every day and night. Don't you think it's a simple but boring life?"

"No." Daji kept shaking her head. "I'm willing to stay beside you, even if I don't speak."

"Silly girl."

Li Nianfan laughed. He could tell that Daji was still the girl she saved from the woods. She became a powerful cultivator, but she was still the same.

It had been almost two years since then.

Li Nianfan sighed with sentimentality. "Won't you get bored of me after a hundred years, a thousand years, or a million years?"

"How will I get bored of you? If…" Daji stopped. She sneakily looked at Li Nianfan and buried her head down. She stopped speaking.

Li Nianfan asked curiously, "If what?"

"If… We have a baby, life won't be boring. It'll be interesting." Daji was blushing. She mumbled and got quieter.

She accidentally told him her deepest fantasy.

Li Nianfan heard that. He was surprised at first. Then, he burst out laughing.

He said, "Daji, give me your hand."

Daji had her head down. She silently outstretched her pretty hand.

Li Nianfan held her palm. Then, he slowly put the diamond ring on her finger.

Daji felt something. She slowly looked up and stared with wide eyes. Her red lips were slightly ajar. She looked cute.

Li Nianfan continued, "Daji, let's get married."

It was a simple phrase and a peaceful setting.

He did not invite the Immortals to hype him up, and he did not ask anyone to manipulate the stars into a heart figure.

It was too much.

The marriage proposal should be just between the two of them.𝑙𝒾𝘣𝘳𝑒𝒶𝒹.𝑐𝘰𝓂

Boom!

Daji instantly went blank. She felt stunned by the huge surprise. She was dizzy and her face was fiery red.

'Marry the expert?'

That was something from her dreams.

She always felt like as long as she could stay beside the expert, serving the expert as a lowly servant was the happiest thing she could do.

If she did marry the expert, she felt like she would faint from happiness.

Li Nianfan noticed that she was in a daze. He had to laugh. He asked, "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, I do. I do!"

Daji repeatedly nodded. She looked at her ring, still in a daze. She suddenly had pitter-patter tears. She sobbed, "Am I dreaming?"

She was emotional and excited. She could not control her tears of joy. She was shaking from happiness.

At that moment, she felt like her life was complete. She could die with no regrets.

Perhaps it was part of the experience with the Master.

Marriage was a life experience for every person. It was the best memory in life. 'Since the Master's pretending to be an ordinary man, how can he not marry?

'But… I'm lucky enough to be Master's wife. This is a blessing. I'm so happy!

'I don't care if it's real or not. I'm so happy!'

She did not care about everlasting love. She only cared about being loved.

Suddenly, Daji thought of something. She asked meekly, "How do you feel about Sister Fire Phoenix?"

Li Nianfan felt his heart sink, "Why?"

"Actually… Um…"

Daji asked carefully, "I want you to marry Sister Fire Phoenix, too. Will you marry her?"

'Marry… Fire Phoenix, too?'

Li Nianfan had already planned to do that. He was moved. He still asked, "Daji, does the Fire Phoenix even want to marry me?"

Daji smiled, "Sister Fire Phoenix would love to."

Li Nianfan nodded, "Alright. I've prepared something for Fire Phoenix, too. Help me pass it to her then."

Li Nianfan took out the jewelry.

Daji looked at the jewelry, then she looked at Li Nianfan. Her gaze instantly became odd.

Li Nianfan coughed and said awkwardly, "I pre-prepared it for a reason."

Daji smiled and said, "No need to explain, Master. I'll go look for Sister Fire Phoenix now. She'll be very happy."

Then, she quickly went downstairs with the jewelry.

Li Nianfan awkwardly smiled and shook his head. He started to let his mind wander. He thought about the wedding.

As his mind wandered, he suddenly thought of something terrifying.

Daji was an Immortal. Fire Phoenix was a Phoenix. He was an ordinary human.

They were…so different.

'I have a strong body, but I can't compare to the two of them.'

Moreover…

Daji had ice-type powers. Fire Phoenix had fire powers.

'Fire and Ice?

'Can I handle that as an ordinary man?'

Li Nianfan subconsciously touched his waist. He felt flustered.

'What should I do?

'Help me!'

#

Chapter 509

At the Heavenly Palace.

The clouds were everywhere in the sky. The sunlight and the Star River were endless.

Holy light poured out along with Immortal Music. The background music was a beautiful touch to the gracious scenery.

As the Immortal Realm went back on track, the Heavenly Palace was running smoothly, too. They also had more staff.

The guards and the Princesses flew around from time to time.

Li Nianfan stood in the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. He stood on the observatory and enjoyed the majestic view of the Heavenly Palace. A row of Chang'e's had floaty dresses. They held trays and floated toward him like the wind.

They immediately stopped when they saw Li Nianfan at the observatory. They bowed with respect and said, "Greetings to the Lord Saint. We're here to tailor custom wedding dresses for Goddess Daji and Goddess Fire Phoenix."

Li Nianfan also saluted. He smiled and said, "Thanks for the trouble, pretty Goddesses. What are the materials for the dresses?"

'Pretty Goddesses?'

Everyone pursed their lips and chuckled at that.

They replied, "Lord Saint, this is made from Rainbow-tainted clouds."

"No wonder the color's so dreamy." Li Nianfan nodded and waved it off. He said, "Go ahead."

"Yes."

Every Chang'e bowed. Then, they floated into the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint.

Nanan treated them as guests. She poured them some beverages and served fruit platters.

They were stunned. They realized why everyone said it was a huge blessing to visit the expert. The beverages and fruits were unimaginable.

Lord Saint rewarded them with blessings, but he also treated people with kindness.

They were grateful and they were more respectful.

Li Nianfan stood on the observatory. He looked at the busy Heavenly Palace and smirked.

The red ribbons hung high. Every palace was decorated with lights and lanterns.

The news was out. Their Lord Saint was getting married. It naturally shocked the three realms.

The entire Heavenly Palace got to work without the orders of the Jade Emperor and the Empress. Juling Shen and the others ran around to decorate the four Heavenly Gates with Hibiscus flowers. He also called Goddess Flower to help decorate the area with thousands of flowers.

The Underworld, the Immortal Realm, and the Demons were also busy. They put aside everything else to work for the expert!

Meng Po of the Underworld decided to stop collecting lost souls. She delayed the dead by a day. It was a public holiday for the Underworld.

The wedding of the Lord Saint shall be celebrated by everyone!

The three realms were also stricter with the order. The Heavenly Guards, the Underworld Onis, the Demons, and the Human Sovereign were ordered to avoid conflict. Any grudges should be put off until later. Any conflicts were huge offenses punishable by death!

No one dared to disobey in the Eldritch World. They all played nice, including the arrogant Demons. They chose to stay low.

The world was instantly peaceful.

Meanwhile,

In the Chaos.

Two figures flew across dimensions, emitting huge Power of Law. They were swift.

They were Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu.

They never rested. They did not stop crossing dimensions in the Chaos for a day and a night.

It was not their first journey, but Goddess Nuwa had to complain, "The Chaos…is too big."

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu were both Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. They were fast. They could cross millions of miles in a day. However, they felt small in the Chaos. The Chaos was endless.

Moreover, it was easy to get lost without a guide. Perhaps they would wander for 10,000 years before finding their footing again.

"Let's not talk about the Chaos. I heard that some worlds birthed by the Chaos are huge. It'll take a long time for us to cross those worlds," Yun Shu finally said. She exclaimed, "Those words are powerful, and our worlds can't compare to them. I heard that Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals died there. It's horrifying. They call it the Area of the Gods."

Goddess Nuwa nodded. She was not surprised.

It took her a lot of time to cross the Eldritch World. Those worlds were far bigger than the Eldritch World.

The Eldritch World had beasts like Dragons and Kirins. The beasts in the Area of the Gods and in the Chaos must be a hundred times more ferocious and terrifying!

They suddenly stopped being pleased about becoming Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. They did not want to mention anything else. The beasts in the cookbook alone were better than them.

'I still have a long way to go. I have to work hard.'

Goddess Nuwa asked curiously, "Cultivator Yun Shu, have you been to the Area of the Gods? What does it look like?"

"Never."

Yun Shu shook her head. Then, she said, "I heard it from the ancient legends, too, but I don't know if it's real or not. I heard that a lot of people have searched for the Area of the Gods. They might be looking for huge opportunities."

"Really?"

Goddess Nuwa pondered. She thought of the expert.

She did not believe that the opportunities would be better than what the expert gave them. However… Perhaps the expert came from the Area of the Gods?

Yun Shu suddenly said, "Cultivator Nuwa, thanks for accompanying me on this trip."

"Why are you being so courteous?"

Goddess Nuwa shook her head. "Back then, the Eldritch World was in danger. You risked your life to help us. Also, we work for an expert now. Do you really have a television in your world?"

They went on the trip to look for the television.

It was the wedding day of the expert. They must prepare a wedding gift. The expert would be pleased if they gave him a television.

"Yes."

Yun Shu nodded and said, "I remember it clearly. One cultivator has an Immortal Item named the Mind Orb. You can visualize anything in your mind and the Mind Orb will actualize it. It's the best tool to help others learn. It's a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!"

Goddess Nuwa nodded.

They did not speak after that.

A day passed. Yun Shu guided her into an area filled with stars.

Goddess Nuwa slightly frowned. She could sense the impure Spiritual Qi. She was disgusted by it.

The air was muddy, too. It was gloomy and smelled awful. The smell was extremely weird and nasty.

The dead stars floated in the sky with dim lights.

The world was far worse than the Eldritch World.

Goddess Nuwa had to look at Yun Shu. She sighed internally. She felt scared. Yet, she was glad.

'If there was no expert, I'm afraid that my Eldritch World would look like this, too.'

Yun Shu was in a daze. Her lips were trembling. She was overwhelmed with mixed emotions at that moment.

It had been thousands of years.

Merely thousands of years.

"I… I'm back."

She felt like a child that returned to her hometown. She looked at her fallen hometown that she could no longer recognize.

She could not believe it. 'What has happened since I left? How did it end up like this?'

She slowly landed with Goddess Nuwa.

The place was dead silent. It was gloomy. They gradually saw the lands.

The lands were dried out. There were no plants at all.

A breeze blew by, dust and sand were sent flying. There was no life on the land.

"Cultivator Nuwa, my world's too flawed. I'm the only one who became a Saint," mumbled Yun Shu.

It was like she was mumbling to herself.

"It's a good thing. Nobody tried to hurt me or fight me. I slowly filled up the flaws of my world alone. My world was small, but it was getting better. It slowly improved and it was peaceful.

"I treated them like my own children. I preached religion and taught them.

"They respected me. They see me as their Saintly Mother.

"But…"

Yun Shu had a trembling voice. She could not continue.

Goddess Nuwa could guess.

'But then, their world was exposed. Yun Shu was no match for some unwelcome cultivators. She had no choice but to leave, so she fled to the Chaos.'

The guilt of abandoning her world was worse than death.

"I am my world's hope. Countless living beings relied on me, waited for me to come back and rescue them. But I had to go.

"This is all my fault."

Goddess Nuwa could not say anything. Yun Shu had tears in her eyes. 𝑙𝒾𝘣𝘳𝑒𝒶𝒹.𝑐𝘰𝓂

Bam!

Suddenly, a fiery red flame fell from the sky like a meteor. It was crashing down on Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu!

Goddess Nuwa barely glanced at it. The fireball instantly turned to dust. Then, she simply waved. A bony lady was captured from the sky and dragged toward them.

The lady had no pupils. Her body was deformed. A lot of her skin was sunken but it was not gory. She barely had flesh or blood. Her white bones were exposed. Her body still looked human, but not at all. The lady was struggling with her life.

She seemed to be deranged and crazy.

"Xiao Rou?"

Yun Shu felt thunderstruck when she saw the lady. Then, she hurriedly tapped on her forehead.

The lady shook violently. Then, she instantly stopped like she was exhausted. Pupils half-appeared in her eyes. She looked horrible.

"Master… Master?"

Xiao Rou barely gained consciousness. Her body continued to shake. She struggled and said, "Master, they forced us to learn a Forbidden Spell. They made us fight each other, and we tore each other apart. Our Immortal powers weren't compatible with Demonic powers. We're barely human and half-Demons.

"Master, please kill me…

"Run, Master. They're too horrible!"

#

Chapter 510

The moon in the sky reflected a blood-red light.

The crimson light shined on the yellowish-brown dirt. Perhaps the dirt was tainted with blood, too. It looked chilling and menacing.

It was a land of despair. Everywhere looked cursed and out of place.

That place…was the world that homed Yun Shu. Back then, every species lived in peace. They were a diverse paradise.

Xiao Rou finally died. Yun Shu wiped her out.

She was considered already dead, just with her last bit of consciousness. It was painful for her to live.

"They let the Demons and the Humans fight each other with a Devour-type Spell. Even their Primordial Spirits were intertwined. Nobody could survive. It birthed a deformed monster."

Goddess Nuwa took a deep breath. She felt disgusted and pained just from hearing that. She asked cruelly, "What do they want to achieve?"

The Forbidden Spell was unacceptable, even in the Chaos. It was inhumane!

Anybody would be enraged.

The world birthed two completely different species. They had independent lives. However, they were forced to devour the powers of each other. They were forced to fight to the death. They merged without consent. It was evil! Ultimately evil!

The two of them followed Xiao Rou's final instructions. They headed toward a direction.

Soon, they saw a city.

The city was extremely majestic. It was different from a human city. The city was glamorous with lights and clouds. It looked ancient and powerful, too.

It was not artificially built. The city was pieced together by a construction-type Immortal Item!

The city was under attack precisely because it looked like that.

The attackers were not Demons. They were monsters like Xiao Rou.

Their bodies were extremely deformed because of the Forbidden Spell. They had chicken wings and duck feet. Some of them had fish eyes and cow lips and they still had half-human bodies. It was extremely tragic to look at.

However, they were very strong. Their powers were merged with Demonic powers. They were powerful and they could cast spells. Fire, black water, and cold wind filled up the place. They were casting flashy spells everywhere toward the city.

The city itself was casting spells, too. They were fighting against them.

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu straightened up. Somebody was alive!

The city was piled up with half-human half-Demon monsters. They looked menacing and dangerous.

The city was a city in danger. It was doomed.

They were like cattle in a cage. They were going to be destroyed sooner or later.

An elder with white robes and white hair had sunken eyes. He looked exhausted yet determined.

He held a Seven-Layered Gold Pyramid in his hand. There was Zen energy coming from him. He guided everyone around him and made them less anxious.

The cultivators around the city stood up straight. Some were cultivators, some were Demons. They stared at those monsters outside the city, holding their weapons tightly. They were ready to die in battle!

They were like trees that protected the city. One could never beat them down!

"The City of Hope won't fall as long as we're alive!"

"I'm ready to die. Bring it on!"

"Attack!"

They yelled. Some of the cultivators flew to the air. Some went straight for the sea of enemies fearlessly. They held their Immortal Items and attacked.

Soon, the city was raining blood.

The monsters were tough. There were a lot of them. However, they were deranged. They could not manipulate their Immortal Items, which was why they did not defeat the cultivators instantly.

The cultivators had been in many deadly battles. They were experienced and determined. Their hope and determination were indestructible.

'Kill them!'

'Kill them with all our might!'

The spells had bright halos. They were beautiful like shooting stars in the night sky. However, reality was all gory with flesh and blood.

Boom!

Suddenly, there was a huge earthquake. A hurricane attacked them like an ancient beast that was awoken from its slumber. It attacked the city with a terrifying force!

The menacing aura washed over the City of Hope. A huge hand came crashing down from the sky. It was like the sky had fallen. They could not breathe under the enormous pressure.

The white-robed elder tossed his Seven-Layered Gold Pyramid in the air. It levitated and had a golden halo. It was like a small sun in the sky. It formed a light shield and blocked out the attacks.

Roar!

There was a roar from a faraway area. The roars came over them in waves. It hit the shield. The echoes from the shield caused lands to collapse. Three meters of land were wiped out!

Boom!

There was a black figure from afar. It was not large, but every step it took made the earth shake. It was like an uncontrollable force.

The figure was a man. However, he had black bear fur everywhere on his body. He looked like a barbarian. He even had two heads!

One head was human while the other head was a bear. They both had terrifying wounds on their faces. Their cheekbones popped out and they were scary!

The monster emitted the aura of a Quasi-Saint. He caused the hurricane attacks against the city. 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝘳𝑒𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝑜𝑚

The white-robed elder slowly levitated. He looked serious. He said, "Leave this monster to me. Take care…of the others."

"Elder Qingyang!" yelled everyone. They stared at the elder.

They were worried but helpless.

Elder Qingyang was the only Quasi-Saint left. No one could fight that monster except him.

However, Elder Qingyang was injured. The cultivators were able to survive because of his guidance. Everyone relied on him. He did not have time to heal or to rest.

He could not win against the monster under the circumstances.

Elder Qingyang raised his hand but he was looking at a bunch of children in the city.

The children were looking at him, too. Some looked terrified, some looked determined, and some looked worried.

"Children, the will to survive is the best form of determination. Try to survive, never give up hope even if it's hopeless."

Elder Qingyang bowed and said, "I'm sorry that you were born in this doomed world. It's our fault. We're selfish because we wouldn't let our world die!

"You're our only hope now. Face the battle outside the city. Don't be afraid. We hope you can grow up someday and lead this city out of despair!"

Then, he flew into the air and did not look back. He had the Seven-Layered Gold Pyramid above his head. He went straight for that monster!

"Haha—Come on. Let me see how powerful this new test subject is."

Black clouds rolled in and formed a gigantic human face. He laughed maniacally and looked down on everyone.

"This is my first successful test subject. A double-headed monster that devoured each other equally. Don't let me down."

It appeared that the world had become a huge experiment field.

The city was like a toy for the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. He did not destroy it because he wanted to test out his monster subjects.

He captured the living beings of the world and forced them to learn the Forbidden Spell. Then, he forcefully experimented on them. Forced them to tear each other apart.

It was inhumane. An arena that was far cruller than a beast fight!𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

The people of the city lived in a hopeless place. They struggled to survive for thousands of years, but they did not give up!

Elder Qingyang flew in front of the double-headed monster. He yelled as he pointed, "Shoot!" A beam of light that contained Power of Law blasted out!

The light blasted toward the monster in the blink of an eye!

It was a small and delicate flying sword with a golden bell tied to the handle. It was ringing.

The ringing was subtle but it was effectively distracting.

The bell and the fast sword were a fantastic combo. Nobody could dodge that attack.

Quasi-Saints were powerful and destructive. However, Elder Qingyang used all his powers in that sword attack. No powers leaked out from the sword as it was sent on its way. A black path appeared as it flew!

It was like a page that papercut-sliced through space and time!

For cultivators of the same level, the cultivator that had an Immortal Item was definitely at an advantage.

Elder Qingyang had been a Quasi-Saint for 10,000 years. He was experienced in being a Quasi-Saint. He knew how to fight the monster that did not have an Immortal Item.

He knew he had to kill him in one single attack!

The monster did not dodge it. He raised his paw and tried to grab the flying sword!

He tried to grab the sword with his bare hands!

Slash!

Light beamed inside the monster. It quickly slashed through the monster and vanquished all his Demonic powers!

Finally, the longsword slashed through his palm and into his bare head!

"Nice!"

Countless cultivators inside the city cheered with gleaming eyes.

However, the flying sword did not fully penetrate the palm. That bear head was barely pierced but the sword stopped moving forward!

'How is this possible?!'

Elder Qingyang jolted. He felt a cold shiver in his heart.

The monster had his other arm out. He created a huge bear paw with a push. The terrifying force twisted time and space. It created a spiral mid-air. Endless cracks could be seen spreading around the spiral. The spiraling black hole was about to devour Elder Qingyang.

The Seven-Layered Gold Pyramid shielded Elder Qingyang. Lights were flickering around the endless destruction. He was surrounded like a lone boat amongst tidal waves. He swayed with uncertainty.

Then, Elder Qingyang flew backward, leaving a trail of blood.

He was too exhausted.

He had been in too many tough battles. He was overworked and weak. His Primordial Spirit and powers were weakened.

Boom!

The monster stepped forward again and attacked him the second time!

The palm figure created storms. It became a jet-black beast that was about to devour Elder Qingyang.

"This is the best I can do! May God bless you with a miracle!"

Elder Qingyang faced the abyss of destruction. He had a cold glare in his eyes. He activated his powers because he wanted to give it his all and die with the monster!

It was a close call. A sudden powerful force appeared out of nowhere.

A figure flew in from afar. She was holy, powerful, and unstoppable. Everyone was momentarily blinded by the light.

Then, she wiped away all the attacks like she was clearing leaves with strong wind. All the monsters around the city were wiped out!

The world was at peace again. It was instantly quiet. The chaotic city was much emptier.

Everyone in the City of Hope was shocked. They also looked confused.

The face in the sky was as confused as they were.

Soon, he snapped out of it.

He yelled, "Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal?"

He was enjoying the show. He felt angered because somebody interfered.

"I remember you. Your name's Yun Shu. You're that weak and pathetic Saint. How dare you come back?

"Haha. Good. I need to experiment on a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, too. Don't run. Wait for me!"

#

Chapter 511

At the City of Hope.

Endless danger and brutality covered the land.

It was a city of despair.

Two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals manipulated the city behind the scenes and it became an arena for experiments and battle sports. The people of the city were like trapped ants. They could not resist. There was no hope for them. Their only hope was a miracle.

However, they never gave up. They still rebuilt their city for generations. They were determined to fight their way out of it.

The city was made for the children. They were born in war and hardship. They were taught to fight from a young age. The children had to resist so they could be the future for the City of Hope!

Which was why they grew up fast. However, their lives were cut short. They had been battling since young.

Perhaps it was a new form of strength—to find the meaning of life in hardships.

However, the light they waited for finally arrived.

The blinding light shined through the dark. They could not open their eyes. The light shone down on them like a waterfall.

The world was at peace again.

Everyone in the City of Hope was astonished. They looked emotional and in disbelief. Then, two holy figures slowly appeared.

They jolted when they saw one of the figures as if they were thunderstruck. "Empress Yun Shu!"

Elder Qingyang instantly cried. He sobbed with dazed eyes as he said, "Greetings… Greetings from Qingyang to the Master!"

Yun Shu said with mixed emotions, "Qingyang, I can't believe we're able to see each other again. I'm late. It must've been tough for you."

"It's not tough. I'm able to see you again, Master. I can die with no regrets."

Elder Qingyang shook his head. Then, he said, "Empress Yun Shu, you shouldn't have come back. They have two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals, and they seem to be powerful. Hurry up and run. You can still make it!"

"Two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals? We can handle them."

Yun Shu shook her head. She had a menacing glare as she said, "Also… I'm back now. How can I ever abandon you all again? How can I flee?"

Elder Qingyang felt touched but also anxious. "Empress Yun Shu, you…"

He was not as powerful as her. However, he knew that it was difficult for powerful cultivators like Empress Yun Shu to improve. She had only been away for thousands of years. There was no way that she could take on two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals.

Moreover… The opponents were terrifyingly capable.

Elder Qingyang begged her with a trembling voice, "Please, think this through, Empress Yun Shu. If you die, our city will truly be hopeless!"

Everyone in the City of Hope looked at her with tears in their eyes. Some were surprised and some were worried.

The children were inspired. They looked at her with respect.

"Is she Empress Yun Shu? Our Saintly Mother."

"Is she here to save us? But… Can we win?"

"Empress Yun Shu. Run! We can hold on for ten thousand years!"

Then, everyone stopped talking. They looked to the sky.

Yun Shu and Goddess Nuwa slowly landed in the city.

"Don't worry, everyone. I'm here. No one will hurt you again!"

Yun Shu sounded oddly confident. They were convinced and at ease. "I can't believe we're lucky enough…to run into a miracle in the vast Chaos!"

"Miracle? What kind of miracle made you so confident and delusional? How dare you try to face us?!"

A calm voice could be heard from the sky. The volume was not loud, but it was rumbling. Everyone quivered in fear.

Then, two elders appeared out of nowhere. The elder figures were in gray and black. They suddenly appeared and looked down on everyone in the city.

"I see that you have helpers. Just in time. I must capture you. I'll enjoy watching two holy and beautiful Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal ladies fight against the beasts!"

They laughed creepily at the same time.

Yun Shu slowly levitated. Her powers were like tidal waves. She said coldly, "I shall kill you today. You'll pay for what you did to my people!"

"Yeah, right. You?"

The elder in black scoffed. He swiped out a crystal ball. The crystal ball shined and heightened his aura. A roaring power washed over them. It instantly caused a landslide!

His body changed, too. He was enlarged!

Boom!

His foot crushed the ground like a huge pillar. The land was crumbling like paper, exposing the red molten lava inside!

The gigantic feet landed in the lava and continued to enlarge. It caused a lava hurricane! Lava was splashing out from the ground!

The giant stood tall with his feet in the ground. His body surpassed the clouds. Everyone looked up at the giant body. They could only see parts of his body.

Boom!

The pressure overwhelmed them. Their foundation was destroyed like a wet sponge being squished. The lava was splashing out like a fountain!

Stars fell from the sky. They were in an apocalypse.

Yun Shu and Goddess Nuwa pulled out their Lotus Lantern and Dust Free Mirror. Their light shields protected the City of Hope.

"Are you trying to protect this place? How can you protect this place? Stop joking!"

Cruel voices echoed in the realm. Their breaths were wild hurricanes that shook the earth!

He raised his arm. It was as huge as an endless sea. The arm was going to crush them.

A giant hand that fell from the sky. It was unimaginably huge. They could not resist it. It was too scary and invincible.

The giant hand cast a jet-black shade. It had not crushed them yet, but the light from the Lotus Lantern had started to flicker.

The crystal ball was the Mind Orb.

It could project a virtual reality with the actual power of the user. The user could form an attack with their imagination.

The elder in black looked down upon the insects and smirked.

"How will you handle this attack? If you dodge it, the City of Hope will be turned to dust. If you forcefully take it, how will you handle it? You shall abandon your people again. I bet you look good when you run like a coward!"

Everyone in the City of Hope looked at the incoming giant hand. They were filled with horror and despair.

The hand that could wipe away everything!

"Empress Yun Shu, dodge it!"

They all prayed at the same time.

Suddenly, a golden light appeared in front of Yun Shu.

The golden light was subtle, but it stood out in the dark. It became the only light source in the depressing darkness.

It was the Golden Hairpin. It looked uneven with messy patterns. It was not a refined hairpin.

The golden light was like a strand of hair compared to the giant hand. They could easily neglect it.

Everyone was dumbfounded, including the elder in black.

'Is she going to block my attack with that?'

Yun Shu took a deep breath. She slowly pushed out the hairpin.

It was not like she was pushing it, but rather gently sending the hairpin out with an 'after you' gesture.

The elder in black knew that something was off. He frowned and scoffed, "Trickery."

He attacked faster.

Then—

The Golden Hairpin moved.

It blasted toward the palm, leaving a bright trail of golden light.

It was not loud, nor did it create any obstruction. However…its aura suddenly heightened to an unbalanced level. It was hard to watch.

"This…this is…" The elder in black was frightened.

He watched as the golden light came closer. Then…the giant hand vanished even before the hairpin touched it.

The entire arm vanished. Any part of the arm that touched the golden light vanished into nothingness!

The arm vanished in an instant.

The elder in black could not make a sound. He still maintained his composure instead of a horrified one before he vanished. 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The realm-changing elder vanished in an instant. He was no longer there.

The world was once again empty. The mess that he left behind reminded everyone it was not a dream.

Plop. The crystal ball fell to the ground. That was the television.

Everyone fell into a daze.

The elder in gray at the side almost started his eyes out. His mouth was agape and his mind went blank. He lost the ability to think. He started to go into error mode.

'Mother of God!

'What is this?

'Where did my ally go?

'Something's wrong!

'They're cheating!'

He snapped out of it. Fear ran through his body. His body went cold as his hair stood on end. His hair was spiked.

'Wait a minute…

'Am I next?

'I'm going to die!'

He wanted to run. However, he realized that he could not move. The golden light was pointing at him!

Something was holding him down. He could not struggle or resist.

"Is…is this… Wisdom?!

'Is this the miracle they spoke of? This is indeed a freaking miracle!

"No! I'm with the Ministry. Who dares to kill me?!"

#

Chapter 512

Who was he?

What was the last word he left behind? Before he vanished?

The light did not make sense at all. It did not give anyone any explanation.

How horrifying!

On the surface of the ground, limitless lava was boiling and bubbling. The heat was everywhere, evaporating this world. For the cultivators, this was a small scene that nobody minded.

Everyone was still caught up by the light.

How enchanting, how shocking. They could not help thinking about it.

It was like sunshine in the darkness, the first ray of sunlight by the end of the skyline.

What kind of glow was that? They could not tell from their realm. They only felt that the light was beyond their world. It was like the Truth all of them had been looking for.

The Truth of all cultivations.

What Truth was that?

Since ancient times, nobody could tell.

And yet, they seemed to have seen it…

Gradually, they snapped back to reality.

"Vic…victory!"

"So powerful! If the elder in black didn't have such a drastic change, I would've assumed the two of them to be actors."

"Two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals vanished, just like this?"

Everyone found it hard to believe.

In a broken world like theirs, even a Saint was not to be seen around, let alone a Chaos Golden Immortal.

They respected the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal deeply.

And yet, two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals simply vanished, just like that. Right in front of them!

This was too triggering. Their scalps felt itchy as they trembled.

How unreal, this felt like a dream!

Qingyang Elder gulped and said with disbelief, "Tea—teacher, you're so…powerful?"

"Not me, the expert who made this hairpin is powerful."

Yun Shu shook her head and felt the power of Truth from this hairpin. She took in a deep breath and cried in awe, "You've no idea. This hairpin was just a by-product when the expert made another treasure."

"What!?"

Gasp…

Everyone was shocked. They felt as if they were listening to a story.

This was too magical! This refreshed their senses. This was way too powerful for them!

This by-product was able to kill two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. This expert was too powerful, too shocking, and undefeatable!

The children in town clenched their fists. They were in awe.

Was this an expert?

Affected by their surroundings, they respected and craved power. One day, they would turn up and conquer the world!

They learned a lot, there was a lot to learn! 𝘭𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"This is the miracle I was talking about." Yun Shu continued, "I was lucky to have met the expert for such an opportunity to save you all. We're still weak, so…cultivate well. Remember what he's done for us! We must pay him back whenever we have a chance to!"

Everyone said in unison with a determined look, "Yes, Empress Yun Shu!"

Following that, the crowd went to the opponent's territory. It was no longer a place to live, it was like hell.

Countless people and demons were locked in cages. They were killing one another, eating their flesh and cores. They were merged into one. It was a difficult sight.

This pain and wildness were beyond anyone's ability to cope. It was more traumatizing than soul-extraction. It was…insane!

These were the living forces of their world. They knew one another and it was an eerie sight.

Yun Shu sighed and said, "Kill them all, give them relief."

"What curse was this? How evil."

Goddess Nuwa could not watch any longer. This was beyond imagination. Having this happening in the world was too depressing!

"Teacher, I heard something. Someone formed a big organization to hunt down these strange beasts and many smaller worlds."

Qingyang Elder said, "This evil spell has some hidden secrets behind it."

"Hunting down strange beasts?"

Goddess Nuwa was interested. Mentioning a strange beast, she thought of the expert's menu instinctively.

The expert gave them a menu of natural beasts. There might be a crossover with these groups of natural beasts. Was that a hint?

Following that, Yun Shu gave some instructions before going back to the Eldritch World with Goddess Nuwa along with the television.

Recovering the world was not a one-day mission. The expert was about to get married. This matter was not as important.

In the Yunhuang World.

Two figures arrived from the Chaos. They took a step in and arrived mid-air. A gust of Qi was let out and nature was affected.

Many beings sensed it as well. Their hearts jumped with joy. They acted as if they were the children who had found their parents. They rushed over instantly.

"Godfather! You have to help us!"

"My Yunhuang World's in trouble. It's so difficult, it's bad!"

A skinny elder in black robes exuded his Qi all over. His formations were surrounding him like his children, circling him. He seemed to have ripples around him.

His face straightened. "What is it? Tell me in detail!"

Instantly, the crowd told him all about it, from the death of Sect Master, to Goddess Nuwa catching the fish, and then the arrival of Blackie.

"From another world? A broken world? A dog as powerful as a world?" The skinny old man said coldly. He waved it off and the nature of the Yunhuang World appeared. He closed his eyes to merge with nature. He felt the arrival of Blackie. He saw the dog paw…

After a moment, he gradually opened his eyes. He frowned and did not speak.

"How is it?" Another elder beside him asked.

"There's indeed a black dog as powerful as the Heavenly Realm. However, there's a problem."

"What problem?"

"This dog's too powerful, I can't fight it."

Another elder fell silent. His eyes were filled with panic.

"With such a powerful dog beast, it's not easy. We must join forces to capture it!" A hoarse voice was heard from his mouth. He licked his lips with his tongue and said, "Let's continue to join forces. To ensure our victory, we need to hurry and have more cultivators on our side."

His tongue had a bifurcation!

…

The Eldritch World.

They were in a delightful mood.

There were lights everywhere with good vibes. There were flying beasts from time to time, glowing everywhere.

There were also colorful clouds shining in all directions. The rainbows formed a rainbow bridge, connecting the ground to the sky.

The sun was just right, the sea was calm, and there was no disaster. Everything was peaceful.

Everyone was busy. Anyone with a reputation started working hard to prepare for the event. They were doing their best.

Only the four-part architecture remained peaceful as always.

Daji and Fire Phoenix were preparing for the wedding ceremony in the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. As the groom, Li Nianfan could not stay there, so he went back to the four-part architecture.

He sat alone on a chair, rocking it nonchalantly. He did not seem present.

Unknowingly, he had lived in the Eldritch World for seven years. He was about to get married.

And his wives were two goddesses who were as beautiful as flowers. No, they were actual Goddesses!

Thinking back, since the training given by the System, his life had changed from what he planned. It was too different.

He was clever to have come up with tactics for all kinds of human technologies. He befriended the cultivators and then slowly met the legendary characters.

Furthermore, he somehow managed to cultivate the Deluxe Merit power and managed to drink wine with the legendary characters.

Thinking back, this felt too surreal. This was a beautiful transmigration.

The people he met were all friendly.

He had no enemies and he was not looked down on by anyone. There was no dangerous moment, no fighting…it was blissful!

A constant bliss of stability.

"Although the System left me behind, no matter what, I should thank the System for bringing me to this world. At least, all these years, my life has been way more blissful than my previous one. I've seen and met many beautiful things. Life's complete."

Li Nianfan mumbled to himself and suddenly, he smiled and shook his head. "Thinking of the countless people before me who transgressed, they were constantly in fights with enemies everywhere. They were constantly in danger every day. They fought for their lives without a wife at the end…"

What for?

To be the best in the world? To seek the Truth?

How tragic!

Li Nianfan felt lucky. Luckily, he was not that kind of transgressor.

Now that he had two beautiful Goddesses waiting to marry him, he was having the time of his life! What else did he need?

Thinking of the 'wedding night' not long from now, he felt excited and was full of anticipation. He was drooling in bliss.

However, if possible, he still wanted to cultivate.

After all…

He touched his back and looked worried.

If his body was not in shape, it was definitely not the brightest moment being a man. How could he ever be prideful again?

He looked at Xiao Bai and asked, "Xiao Bai, I'm getting married."

Xiao Bai said, "Congratulations my master for the end of virginity. You're behind ninety-five percent of other men. This is worth celebrating."

Li Nianfan was perplexed. "Xiao Bai, how dare you! You're laughing at me!"

Xiao Bai said in a normal tone, "Sorry, my master. I'm not laughing at you, I'm just stating the truth according to the data."

"Alright. Let me ask you, between a husband and wife, if one side isn't as good, what should be done?" Li Nianfan looked calm with his eyes straight. He looked as if he was simply asking.

Xiao Bai looked at Li Nianfan.

Its eyes were shining nonstop. It seemed as if Xiao Bai was analyzing which side Li Nianfan was referring to.

Finally, it asked, "My master's worried that you're too good that the ladies can't take it?"

"Cough, cough. Possible."

"My master can consider some medications and positions. These are the two most effective ideas. Medications work on the inside, the positions on the outside. The scientific data showed that if the position was correct, the feeling is different and…"

"Stop! Don't tell me about science." Li Nianfan listened with his scalp itching. He cut it off. If Xiao Bai went on, he would have to learn with pictures.

Wait up.

Positions?

Learn from pictures?

Li Nianfan halted. He ran to the storage room.

There was a row of books with some study books by the corner. Li Nianfan started looking for them.

Finally, at the bottom of the pile. He found a thin booklet.

The cover was white gray with a beautiful lady revealing her shoulder on the cover page.

The book was named 'Safe Entry'.

The title seemed unsuspicious.

The content of the book had no words. They were all pictures. Each picture was very detailed with detailed movements.

Back in the days, when the System gave this book to Li Nianfan, he instantly placed it at the bottom of the pale.

A real man would not read this.

He would never read this but did not want to bin this either. He thought he would never need this but now, he actually needed it!

Li Nianfan gradually opened it and read it without blinking. He seemed as if he was reading a comic book. He felt as if this book was glowing.

A godly book! This was indeed a godly book!

The more Li Nianfan read it, the more caught up by it he was.

This book was too precise. Since he still had time, he wanted to learn everything…

#

Chapter 513

Time was like water.

It passed calmly.

In the blink of an eye, it was already their wedding day.

Today, the sky was covered in a red glow—a miracle day. The land was in order with lights everywhere. Even in some empty hills, there were big, red flowers.

Today, birds were all over, chirping in delight.

Today, the world was celebrating this day. This was more important than any occasion. Everyone was busy with red blessing papers in front of their houses. They were all smiling and feeling festive. It was a celebration.

The children were in the mood. They were delighted and playing around. Their laughter was heard in all corners.

Countless people walked out of their rooms to look at the red-filled sky. They were all in awe.

This was a rare sight. The world was celebrating this day. It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of sight. Every ordinary man felt delighted looking at the sky.

"Look, look at the star there!"

Someone called out excitedly. The person's eyes were glowing.

In the red sky, many stars were appearing. These stars appeared in order, forming two hearts. In the middle, there was an arrow. It was a stunning sight.

Furthermore, the stars continued to appear, forming rows of lights and pictures. The sight was stunning. One could not help looking at them with excitement.

These stars were no longer moving. They were forming images with the sky as the backdrop. They were high above, forming the best blessings.

Following that, there seemed to be seven lights flashing behind the images. One could not get bored looking at it. It was all very captivating.

"So clever, so beautiful. What day is it today? Even the sky's celebrating."

"You don't know? The entire world knows! A big figure from Heaven's getting married!"

"I'm telling you all, not just the sky, even the Underworld's celebrating this day. You don't know? Many elders who were about to die were given one extra day with good health to spend with their families."

"So nice? This big figure's so kind to ordinary people. This figure must be so respectable!"

"Ha-ha, let me tell you another thing. Nowadays, the world's been at peace and everyone's safe. Let's talk about the incident closer to us. Have you heard of the black mountain demon on our hill?"

"What about it?"

"Usually, the passing crews had to avoid the area, afraid of being killed. Recently, the demon's no longer seen. It doesn't cause any trouble as well!"

"How peaceful! We're at peace! This is a noteworthy occasion! This day must be written in history."

…

Meanwhile, someone ran over with excitement. "Everyone, the Xia Kingdom's celebrating this day. They have transportations. Anyone can quickly sign up to go, there are two seats left in the horse carriage."

"We're going as a group. Join us for a lift!"

…

The Xia Kingdom.

Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang stood together. They looked up at the sky and smiled.

Zhou Yunwu saw that the world was at peace. He said emotionally, "The expert's indeed an expert. He actualized the ideal world in my head."

"A word from the expert, of course, the world has to comply. Even the Underworld celebrates this day. This is a big occasion," Meng Junliang said in awe. Although this atmosphere would only last for a few days, it was enough to be recorded as the greatest moment in human history.

Meanwhile, a cloud flowed by. Yao Mengji, who had Immortalized not long ago, appeared.

"My King, Advisor, it's time to go."

"Thank you Sect Master Yao for the lift."

Zhou Yunwu fixed his clothing and made a gesture. He said with a serious tone, "Someone, bring over my gift."

They were all invited as guests. Of course, they made a lot of effort to prepare the gifts. This was their greatest gesture.

The Underworld, demons, sea races, and kirins all showed up with gifts. They looked serious and well-composed. They came with a sacred look as they approached the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint.

Following that, many Immortals came up from the ordinary realm. Clouds were everywhere and some Goddesses were dancing and playing music.

Dong…

A sharp sound was heard, followed by a sky-shooting light. Following that, the sky had an explosion of flowers, forming a beautiful sight.

The sound was just the start. In all corners, flames danced in the air as music resonated everywhere. The sky was filled with flames and eye-catching colors.

The flame started because Li Nianfan made one for Daji the other day. The ordinary people found it fascinating and so they were inspired by this. Who would have thought that they could use this to celebrate Li Nianfan's special day!

At the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint.

Goddesses in long dresses were dancing. They were all busy decorating the venue or welcoming the guests.

The guests showed up with smiles. They chatted with one another. They got along well and seemed pleased.

Fruit platters and nice wines were served. The Heavenly Chefs were around with Xiao Bai as the Head Chef. Some other Immortals were helping out, wildly boot-licking Xiao Bai. They were all so enthusiastic. It was a unique sight.

Li Nainfan stood in front of a room door. He was patiently waiting. Along with a click, a figure gradually walked out. It was Daji.𝘭𝒾𝒷𝓇𝘦𝑎𝑑.𝒸ℴ𝓂

His eyes sparkled.

Daji was wearing a silky long dress. With the shine of the red sky, it turned red. There was an embroidered golden sun. She had a golden phoenix hairpin on her head. She was glowing with elegance. She was a Goddess!

She already had a beautiful face and the makeup she wore further emphasized her beauty.

Around her clear eyes was thin eyeliner. She looked at Li Nianfan with a hint of shyness. Her long eyelashes moved slightly. Her fair and spotless skin was pinkish. She glowed. Her lips were like rose petals.

Today, Daji presented herself most beautifully. From inside out, from outside in, she was glowing with utmost beauty.

Even Li Nianfan felt lost while looking at her. A beautiful woman like her was about to become his wife.

If this woman was in his previous realm, everyone would have gone crazy about her for 40,000 years. She was a one-of-a-kind beauty. She could turn anyone wild, both men and women!

She was too perfect, too delicate, too sacred. From afar, she was out of anyone's league!

As a nine-tailed fox, she had cultivated far enough to achieve the utmost beauty. She was perfect with no flaws. She was almost as perfect as the Path.

Beauty was a Path in itself. If one was advanced enough with the Path taken in, one could become so beautiful that one's soul could be stolen away with just a look! They would do anything for her. Even nature would be affected.

"Mr. Li."

Seeing that Li Nianfan was staring at her, her red lips smiled. Her eyes were watery as if she was shy.

Li Nianfan held Daji's small hand. He said, "Daji, you're so beautiful today. How's Fire Phoenix? We should entertain our guests at the main hall."

Fire Phoenix walked out. "Mr. Li, I'm ready, too."

Her red hair was long and her red, flaming eyes were like rubies, glowing and glinting just like her wedding gown.

They were like two contrasting flowers accompanying Li Nianfan.

The guests arrived from all directions. The Immortals in charge of receiving gifts were worn out and tired.

These gifts were the most precious gifts in the world. They were too precious. Some Sects even gave away the most precious thing they owned. They were all very generous.

Taibai Jinxing held the gift list in hand. He was announcing the gifts.

"The Underworld gave a pair of three-life stones for Lord Saint's big day."

"Empress Yun Shu gave a television…"

"Empress Nuwa gave a red ball…"

"Eastern Sea Dragon Palace gave a million-year dragon core, worth a hundred thousand pounds."

"Kirins gave a set of kirin arms, horns, set meals…"

…

In the outer world.

Yang Jing and Juling Shen were watching the celebration at the Heavenly Palace from afar. Their eyes deepened as their lips curled upward.

Today was a big day but they did not attend. They were more cautious than usual. They were looking at the surroundings of the Outer World closely. This was to ensure that no accidents would happen!

They were not disappointed. They did not show any emotion. They were merely fulfilling their duties and they volunteered to do so.

There seldom had things to do for the expert. They were proud of what they were doing. 𝒍𝙞𝙗𝒓𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Meanwhile, from afar, a bloody light flashed by, followed by some ripples.

Yang Jing's third eye jumped.

"Our people are sending out enemy alerts!"

"It's from the Big Dipper! Everyone, get ready, follow me!"

Juling Shen held on to his ax, his eyes glinting. He growled, "Wa-ya-ya! Damn it! Who's so foolish to mess things up today! Hold it up, Xiao Chengfeng, I'll come over to tear them apart!"

#

Chapter 514

The enemy's alert was not simply sent out. They only sent it when the energy was out of their league!

If even Xiao Chengfeng sent out the alert, the energy must have been strong!

Yang Jing's face darkened. He sped up and rushed toward the Big Dipper.

When they arrived, spells were everywhere with Sword Qi rushing up. There were glows and sparkles everywhere.

A handsome middle-aged man with a square face was smiling mockingly. He was fighting against Xiao Chengfeng and Ye Liuyun.

Fighting as in playing with them.

This man was a Quasi-Saint, and he had a circular treasure in his hand. He was so powerful that he could have destroyed stars. If Xiao Chengfeng and Ye Liuyun were not as powerful with protective armors, they would not be able to hold up against him.

As for other Heavenly Soldiers, they were surrounding them. They were pushing against the ripples, trying to destroy the formation as they did not want to affect the expert's wedding ceremony.

"How dare you!" Yang Jing growled. He scoffed with powerful Qi. He had knives in his hands as he rushed toward the square-faced man.

"How daring of you! Eat my sword!

"Sword Denting Chop!"

Xiao Chengfeng's eyes sparkled. He was determined. No matter what, he had to stab this man with his sword!

His Sword Qi was very powerful. They formed a dent and lashed down from above!

This was actually quite risky. Since his cultivation was not as good as the man's, he was fighting him without a shield.

However, his goal was clear. He would rather hurt himself to keep this square-faced man in place for Yang Jing to rush over and attack!𝓵𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝓪𝓭.𝒄𝓸𝓶

How dare this man come today to mess around! Xiao Chengfeng would not permit it! Even if he had to die, he still wanted to help maintain the expert's reputation!

This was the pride of his life!

Xiao Chengfeng was still agitated. He scoffed, "Come on, I'm not scared. Come on!"

And yet, the man seemed to be able to tell Xiao Chengfeng's intention. He merely scoffed and tossed the circle toward the sword.

The circle was circling in the air. It lashed against the sword light while the man tilted his head. He did not even look back.

Xiao Chengfeng was offended. "Bastard! Where're you going? You're so weak-hearted and yet you come here? Go home and drink milk!"

"Ha-ha, you're about to die and yet you're still so wild."

The man with a square face made a gesture. He retrieved the circle and scoffed coldly, "I only came here to verify the location. Wait for it. In no time, my Yunhuang World will send you a big gift!"

With that said, his body flashed and he disappeared into the Chaos.

Yang Jing did not look good. He said in a low voice, "Someone from the Yunhuang World!"

Xiao Chengfeng pouted his lips and said unwillingly, "The world that Lord Dog screwed over? How dare they come back! Have they forgotten about the terror exuded by Lord Dog?"

Yang Jing said in a heavy tone, "Since they're coming, they must have planned it. Go and inform Empress Nuwa to increase our power. We need to be more alert!"

At the same time.

Inside the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint, the wedding ceremony had started. There was a red carpet, a built-in stage, and many lights. The atmosphere was luxurious.

Some fairies were playing on lutes and stringed instruments. Their small hands flew in the air, their small lips pouting. They formed a nice view.

The procedure was similar to an ordinary man's wedding, except it was way grander. The guests consisted of all the major figures in this world. He had gathered all the top powers in the entire Eldritch World. This was the biggest and most luxurious wedding in the Eldritch World!

The only difference was the lack of worshiping procedures. Since he had no relatives and the Jade Emperor insisted that Li Nianfan was the Deluxe Merit Saint who did not need to worship the sky and ground, they took out that part of the ceremony.

Finally, they turned it into making a toast to the sky, the ground, and the guests.

"Congratulations! The two brides are now married!"

Goddess Nuwa was the witness. With her voice heard, all the major figures applauded with smiles on their faces. They were cheering.

Li Nianfan's heart landed heavily. It had finally come to an end. From now on, he was a man with wives—two beautiful wives.

He even had the mother of all human race, Goddess Nuwa, as his witness. His wedding ceremony was too advanced!

Meanwhile, he was excited and full of anticipation. It was about to get to the final stage. The wedding night!

He was about to test out his theories. He wondered if the book was reliable at all.

He pulled the red string over the Daji and Fire Phoenix's heads. Then, he sent them to the carriage.

The carriage was pulled by the dragons while the pile of gifts was pulled by Kirins.

To fight for this arrangement, the dragons and kirins almost started fighting. They were jealous of one another.

This was a proud moment, something they could tell over generations.

Finally, they had a round of exciting Flying Chess to determine who was pulling the carriage and who was pulling the pile of gifts.

If it was not for Lord Kirin playing chess, he would have been scolded by everyone.

Along with the roaring of dragons, the luxurious carriage flew in the air, glowing brightly. It looked alive and most importantly, it was pulled by six dragons in front. There were six kirins at the back pulling a huge pile of gifts.

They crossed the sky and it was a majestic sight.

Heavenly Soldiers were standing by the sides of the clouds. With background music playing, there were beautiful lights everywhere.

Their destination was the four-part architecture. They were sending the brides to the four-part architecture for Li Nianfan to spend the night with them.

Li Nianfan stood on the platform of the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. As he watched the carriages going further away, he wanted to go along with them. However, he held back the urge and continued to make toasts with his guests.

There were good dishes and conversations. They were all happily engaged.

Luckily, the guests came prepared. Though their hearts were still pounding during this banquet, they felt as if they were having the time of their lives! 𝘭𝒾𝑏𝓇𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝘰𝑚

The wedding of the expert was something the entire world should be celebrating. This was a wild celebration.

In this banquet, they had all earned back the treasures they had given away and got back way more than they had given!

It was a different level!

The expert thought so highly of them and invited them over!

Dragon held the wine glass, her face flushed red. She ran over and cried out with excitement, "Brother, happy wedding day! I hope you make children, live long…no, never die!"

Never die?

This sounded strange…

However, he liked it.

"And me, and me!" Nanan ran over. She added, "Brother, I wish for you to stay united, stay sweet for a hundred…no, millions of years!"

Li Nianfan laughed. He ruffled their small heads and said, "You two have been thinking a lot. Children should drink less, do you know that?"

Dragon stuck out her tongue. "Brother, we're not young anymore."

The Jade Emperor and Empress came over with wine glasses. They greeted, "Lord Saint, happy wedding day."

Following that, many old friends came forward.

The event went on until midnight. Li Nianfan then bid the crowd farewell and went back to the four-part architecture.

"Everyone, eat and drink well. There are lots of wines and drinks. If you need more food, just ask Xiao Bai to make a few more dishes! Excuse me for leaving early!"

"Lord Saint's too polite."

Of course, nobody dared to mention the wedding night. They all smiled as they sent him away.

As Li Nianfan gradually went out of sight, they watched as he gradually disappeared. Goddess Nuwa's face lit up and she was emotional. She said, "The expert got married in our Eldritch World. This is the greatest opportunity we could receive. So wonderful!"

The Jade Emperor nodded. He took a deep breath and said, "Who knows, maybe the expert wants to develop the Eldritch World. It's a blessing to us!"

Getting married was not a big deal for the crowd.

The Truth was circulating, each had its sources. The two opposites were the roots of all Truth. The Truth in Chaos!

One would not last long. It would be strange for one man to stay single forever. This would cause malfunctions both mentally and physically. One would not gain the Truth.

Although some had forgotten their Path on the way, after cultivating, they had lost themselves. However powerful the force was, nobody would admire it nor cultivate it.

Out of so many major figures, the chosen ones to bear children had become a common thing among them. Some had love debts to return to.

To them, the expert getting married was part of him experiencing normal life. However, it was more of an experience.

Since he was not married to women from the Eldritch World, simply looking after this world was a simple gesture.

Meanwhile, the Empress suddenly lifted her hand and pinched the Jade Emperor's loose flesh. She scoffed, "Jade Emperor has had many experiences. I wonder where are those wives now?"

According to the legends, there were quite some rumors about the Jade Emperor in the ordinary realm. They had talked about him.

"This…" As the Jade Emperor was thinking hard and sweating, a bunch of Heavenly Soldiers rushed over. They looked anxious.

"Report…

"It's bad, Jade Emperor and Empress. Someone from the Yunhuang World came. They wanted to destroy our world tonight!"

Meanwhile,

In the Chaos.

10 figures gathered. They stared in one direction with cold faces.

The square-faced man came from afar. He said in a low voice, "There's indeed a broken world with not many powerful figures there. It's nothing."

He halted and raised an eyebrow. "However…they seem to be celebrating something big. They're very cautious and don't want anyone to mess around."

"They're hosting an event again?"

A bald man halted. He was speechless, "This world is such a joke. They host an event every three days. When I went the other day, they were preparing for an event as well. They were enjoying themselves."

"Hmph! They aren't powerful and yet they still have so much fun! They were born to be inferior!"

The leading skinny elder said mockingly, "They don't want anyone to mess it up? Ha-ha, funny. We live in a world where power speaks louder than anything. Let's ruin their celebration!"

With that said, he did not move. A black swirl gradually appeared in front of him.

The swirl was expanding with a strange Qi coming out of it. It was too powerful and had an irresistible power, ready to suck in everything in the world!

When the surrounding people saw the swirl, they were terrified. Their cores were unstable and almost got sucked in. instantly, they looked scared and respectful.

"Huh!"

Unlimited stars in the surroundings started to gather. Some only had a 100,000 kilometers radius, some had millions of kilometers radius. They were huge!

When they approached, the stars crashed and went into the black hole.

In the Chaos, countless stars rushed over. Gradually, the black hole started to let out red light. An extremely powerful star ignited with a strange glow. It seemed to have seven colors with the flame at its core.

As more stars gathered, the seed expanded more. Finally, it turned into a meteorite of a 300,000-kilometer radius. It had a very destructive power from within, and it seemed ready to destroy any world!

Like a beast, a mega beast, it was very scary. Even a Chaos Daluo Golden had to be cautious of it.

The skinny elder was calm. It seemed as if he had merely done a small thing. He gradually lifted his hands and pushed the meteorite further…

Vroom!

The terrifying meteorite had powerful Qi. It crossed the Chaos and rushed into the Eldritch World!

Gulp!

Everyone in the Eldritch World gulped at the same time. They were all terrified.

Was this how powerful a powerful being was?

The skinny elder said coldly as if he was the judge in control of everything.

"Let's test the water first. If the dog doesn't come out, then this world is…over!"

#

Chapter 515

In Outer Space.

Under the lead of Goddess Nuwa, the Jade Emperor and Empress went over with heavy faces.𝓁𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐ℴ𝘮

Someone from the Yunhuang World was coming?

This was a challenge for the crowd.

After all, the Yunhuang World was way more powerful than the Eldritch World. They had way too many powerful beings. They were out of their league, completely.

If they came after seeing how powerful Lord Dog was, they were not friendly. It seemed that…

Goddess Nuwa said, "Anyone below Daluo Golden Immortal, go back."

"Empress, we're not leaving."

"Today's a big day. Please, let us do something. The more the better."

"No matter what, even if we can keep them away for one second, we'll do it."

"Even if we can't fight them, does it matter if we leave now? It's better to stay on and fight till our last breath!"

Whether it was the demons, sea races, or Heavenly Soldiers, they remained determined and did not think of backing away.

Vroom!

Meanwhile, everyone jolted as a terrifying Qi rushed over. It came from the Chaos like a river beast rushing in, ready to engulf everything.

They were coming!

"This! The power…"

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu felt the worst. They did not want to waste any more time. They rushed toward the Qi.

The rest followed along.

As they leaned in, the feeling of shock was getting stronger as if they were about to be engulfed. Their hair stood up and their organs were shaking. They looked over in shock!

All they could see was that in the Chaos, an eye-catching flame was approaching with an unstoppable Qi. It was rushing toward the Eldritch World!

The rest followed behind.

The places it touched were affected with scars.

A meteorite?

No! Not an ordinary meteorite!

"If it was a normal star, it wouldn't be as scary!" The Jade Emperor took a deep breath, looking shocked. "What is it?"

As he finished his sentence, the meteorite came closer instantly…

Vroom!

An extremely scary Qi had materialized. It formed a wave as it rolled toward the crowd!

Although it was still far away, a powerful Qi was escaping it. The crowd was breathing rapidly. Everyone felt very stressed. Layer after layer, ripples made the temperature go extremely high. It was as if it was about to cook everything!

Too powerful! Unbalance-able!

"We can't let this meteorite get any closer!" Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu said with a serious tone.

If it approached any closer, even the meteorite's light would cause harm to the entire Eldritch World!

It did not matter if the Eldritch World was harmed. However, if the ceremony decorations for the expert were ruined, they would be too embarrassed to live in this world!

They had to stop it! They must!

They could not let it get any closer. The decorations for the expert's wedding cannot be harmed!

At this moment, they all had one idea. They were determined to stop this!

Dong!

A long sword scratched the sky and formed a long arch. The Sword Qi focused into a point and rushed toward the meteorite!

There was no fear and no backup. One word—fight!

A deadly fight! 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Ha-ha-ha, I, Xiao Chengfeng, am never scared of death! My sword is a longsword!" Xiao Chengfeng followed his sword and flew in the air with his hair flowing behind him. He used up all of his Qi to control his sword. This was all he had. "I'll merge with my sword to…kill the star!"

The longsword vibrated and rushed forward at the quickest speed.

He picked up the trash-talk from Li Nianfan. He found the last sentence hard to say out loud, even for someone as thick-skinned as himself. However, now that he cried it out loud, he was proud of it and felt very arrogant.

He would fight until his death! He was determined!

The power of the longsword was tiny in comparison to the meteorite.

Too tiny!

It was like the moon in the sky compared to the gravel on the ground. It was like a candlelight against the boundless star. They were not of the same level.

A moth rushing to the flame!

Hitting a stone with an egg.

This was what was on everyone else's minds when they saw Xiao Chengfeng rushing over.

Were they looking down on him?

Were they hopeless?

Even though they knew this was mission impossible, who was not afraid of death?

Sometimes, they just had to…keep going!

Fight until the end!

100,000 Heavenly Soldiers, a million demons, countless sea races all rushed out all at once. They were powerful like tsunamis. They gave their all and met the danger in front of them!

No matter how powerful or insignificant they were, at this moment, they were powerful. They all gave their best in time!

The Lotus Lantern in Goddess Nuwa's hand rushed out. The lantern floated away and a gigantic lotus was formed. It had a sacred glow all around it as if it consisted of all the power in this world. It rushed toward the meteorite!

Yun Shu's mirror in her hand was sent over, too! It formed a gigantic light screen. Like a worldly shield, it started to glow, ready to block away all dangers!

Nanan was among the crowd. She had the golden cudgel in hand as she mumbled, "Golden Cudgel, can you cut a star? Go on!"

She lifted her hand and her small body rose with unlimited energy. Just like a bullet, the golden cudgel rushed out!

The golden cudgel flew in the air and kept getting bigger. Instantly, it had turned into a sky-touching pillar, rushing toward the meteorite!

Dragon's small hand reached up as she tossed out a dragon pearl. Her child-like face wore a threatening look. "All of the sea races listen up, transfer all of your energy into this golden pearl!"

Instantly, the dragon pearls gathered into a phantom of a dragon. The dragon was huge, like nine stars gathered into one. The Chaos functioned as its sea, and it growled and rushed toward the meteorite!

Immense energy was released. It was very terrifying. This was the combination of everyone's power! The entire power in the Eldritch World gathered in one. They went all out and were ready to die!

At this moment, those ordinary men who looked up at the stars saw a light flashing from afar!

It was brighter than any star! It was the brightest star of all in the sky!

Many people cried out, "Is that a light? What's the name of that star?"

The total power combined smashed into the meteorite!

It was as if a stone as big as the ocean was thrown into the ocean. A massive ripple was caused!

The flame of the meteorite ignited. It was ready to burn everything! Most of the power vanished!

Many treasures lost their glow. They were ruined!

Sizz!

Everyone spat out mouthfuls of fresh blood. Their cores were shattered into pieces and they were severely injured.

However, they all resisted with reddened eyes!

Xiao Chengfeng had grown countless years older. His eyes blanked as he felt his longsword crack. The longsword was ready to break into two at any time!

"Although I'm not as tough, even if the sword is broken, I must pierce through!"

The meteorite was still approaching. Power from all over was trying to stop it!

Everyone was not giving in, yet!

Meanwhile, the dragon phantom gathered by the dragon pearl jolted. It had a glow in its eyes.

"I can help out now without anyone knowing! This won't stop me from hiding, I'm so clever."

The dragon tail shook.

Click!

A crisp sound was heard. It was louder in the Chaos.

Everyone was shocked.

Swiftly after, the crack on the meteorite expanded rapidly. Crushed stones appeared and the attacks that could not get through gradually went in.

One inch, two inches, three inches!

It was in!

Vroom!

Along with a loud, resonating sound, the entire meteorite exploded. An eye-catching flame was seen as the ripples caused by the flame lashed out in all directions like stars. It was a majestic sight.

"We…did it!"

"I knew it, ha-ha…cough cough!"

Everyone was severely injured. Their powers were emptied as they stood wearily. However, they were determined with their eyes sparkling!

And yet, before anyone could cheer, a terrifying Qi suddenly appeared and overwhelmed everyone!

This was 10 times more powerful than the previous energy. It was beyond words and at this moment, everyone had no way of resisting it!

"This…this is…"

They looked up and saw the meteorite flying over. They felt the power coming out of it. Their pupils dilated with despair.

Many people could not even resist the Qi. They instantly fainted.

"Hold it!"

Among the crowd, someone growled. Nobody backed away. They stood in their spots and used their bodies to form a wall. They were using their lives to hold it!

Almost like a group of ants blocking the tsunami. It was funny and useless.

The crowd from the Yunhuang World had smiles on their faces. Just like watching a drama, they said coldly, "Is it over yet?"

However, in the next moment, they were shocked.

A black figure gradually approached. It was a black dog with a newly roasted pork thigh in its mouth. The black dog had cold eyes and seemed impatient.

It was walking toward the meteorite, one step at a time!

#

Chapter 516

In the endless Chaos, it was quiet with no sound.

The meteorite came with the fire ready to destroy the world. It landed from afar.

Blackie was looking ordinary. He did not show any powerful Qi. His body was bigger than an ordinary dog but not too much bigger. He was walking, simply walking toward a meteorite that was countless times bigger than itself!

And yet, although the difference was big, the crowd felt at ease when they saw Blackie's back.

With so many eyes watching, the gap between the meteorite and Blackie grew smaller. The meteorite was crashing down while Blackie walked over, walking while eating the pork thigh.

When the pork thigh was done, the two were only 10,000 meters apart. They would crash in a matter of seconds!

Blackie suddenly stood up on two pawls with his front paws raised. He looked as if he was in a fistfight. With a slight backward pull, he rushed up into the sky and punched the meteorite.

This scene looked as if a super-dog was flying!

Vroom!

Eye-stabbing glow lashed out in all directions. The meteorite exploded into pieces!

As the light retreated, only Blackie was left in sight. He frowned and parted his dog's mouth. A cold voice was heard saying, "How dare you screw things up on my master's big day? You affected me from eating. Tell me, how do you want to die?"

"Hmm! What a stubborn black dog! That's not all!"

"What a strange ordinary dog. It doesn't seem to belong to the Chaos. I've never seen one. Not bad, a surprise."

Along with dark laughter, Blackie's surroundings suddenly lit up like screens. Blackie was trapped!

Following that, three figures walked out from the Chaos. They were in black robes and looking airy.

The moment they landed on their feet, the screens were like river water with ripples forming. They went into the screen.

In a triangle, they surrounded Blackie.

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu had looks of shock on their faces. They widened their pupils as they cried out, "Three Realm Cultivators!"

How could that be?!

They were Realm Cultivators! The most powerful beings in the Chaos! It was impossible to meet one usually. They would be at the deepest ends looking for opportunities.

It was too rare for a Realm Cultivator to get involved. It had become a legend.

And yet, there were three of them all at once!

This was unbelievable! This was a big thing!

Goddess Nuwa took a deep breath and said in a shaking voice, "Their target's Lord Dog!"

"Combined forces?" Yun Shu's face was disturbed. She growled, "They want to capture Blackie to experiment on it!"

They wanted to capture a Realm Cultivating beast! And so many Real Cultivators were involved. They were so wild? What did they want to do?

The Jade Emperor and the crowd looked at the Chaos with extreme shock. They were also worried. Some wanted to help but they also knew that there was nothing they could do.

Now that they had emptied their energy, they were not even able to protect themselves. They could only hope that those powerful beings would not make it hard for them.

Among the three of them, one of them was skinny. He was the Father of the Yunhuang World. The other one had a slightly green face like wasabi. His eyes were darkened. The other one was elongated with his eyes flaming red. His pupils had crosses in them. He did not seem old but seemed to be the leader of them all.

"Let me introduce myself."

The elongated man with flaming eyes looked at Blackie. He had a strange glint in his eyes as he said proudly, "My name's Guimu. I want to borrow your life. Do you want to give yourself up or do you want me to take it myself?"

Blackie answered coldly, "I need to borrow your mouth to poop. Do you want to come over or do you want me to do it myself!?"

With that said, he raised his paws as limitless power condensed into a massive paw. It landed from the sky and crashed toward Guimu!

"Alright, let me check you out first!"

Guy smiled and with a wave, a jade green turtle shell floated mid-air. It was glowing a jade green color as it formed into a big shield. A powerful Qi was coming out of the shell.

This was a Realm Cultivating Godly Tortoise's shell. It was then turned into a treasure.

Since it was man-made, it was not a Chaos Treasure but it was just as powerful. It might even be stronger than the Chaos Treasure. It was known as the Dao Weapon!

With the appearance of this tortoiseshell, vibrations were caused. One could see layers of ripples shaking up the screens from all directions!

Even the watching crowd could feel the vibrations in their souls. It was terrifying! They could be dead anytime!

Sizz!

The tortoiseshell fell and started shaking. As Blackie scratched his paw, he shook it again and the shell was tossed out. Blackie did not stop scratching as he heavily slammed down on Guy's body. As if hitting a fly with a loud 'swat', the screen behind lit up!

Half of Guimu's body was instantly torn away, revealing his torn flesh. His bones cracked as scratch marks were left.

However, even though it was a terrifying sight, he remained standing and recovered at a speed that one could see with his eyes. He said, unharmed, "How surprising. Even though you're just a dog, your energy's way more vibrant than any beast I've captured."

The Realm Cultivators could create their own world. Thus, they could recreate themselves. Unless their core was destroyed, they could not be killed!

However, a Realm Cultivator could be killed by another Realm Cultivator. They could use the same level of power to completely destroy one's core!

Therefore, Blackie remained calm and smashed away again!

"I'm getting more and more excited. I can't wait to study with you already!" Guimu said creepily in a cold tone. "Move it!"

The three in black robes cast a spell at the same time...

Whoosh!

Around the four screens, countless chains rushed out. They were thick and big. There were so many of them that they could fill up the screens. The sight of it sent chills to everyone.

The chains seemed as if they were alive. Each chain was letting out a dark glow, very active. The speed was shocking with the power of destruction.𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Even one strand of it was able to destroy a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

Sizz!

Suddenly, hundreds of chains tied up Blackie's body and his legs. Just like pythons, they started tightening up. 𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

Blood flowed like water around Blackie.

Blackie's face remained calm like always, as if he felt no pain. He lifted his front paw and easily smashed the chains into pieces. All chains were broken and went back to Guimu. Blackie lifted his paw and slapped Guide.

Ping!

His body was kicked away like a ball, his brain crushed, and half of his face was destroyed. His eyes were still on his face.

However, some chains popped out not long after, passing right through Blackie's back. They were moving vigorously as they drilled a big hole in his stomach. It was a shocking sight.

Guimu and Blackie's bodies were recovering at the same time.

However, before Guy's head had regrown, Blackie was already closer to him. He scratched his paw.

This time, before Blackie could lash out with his paw, Guy's eyes shot out lights. A black cross rushed out to destroy Blackie.

It was so quick. With just a shot, there was light everywhere!

Without a trace, Blackie's neck was cut open as blood splattered everywhere. With a flash, Blackie recovered and his eyes were filled with violence.

Woof!

He growled with a low voice as his paws grabbed onto Guy's shoulders and tore him apart.

Instantly, Guy's body was split into two with blood everywhere!

Following that, his paws grabbed two parts of Guy's body and smacked them against one another.

Sizz!

Guy's body turned into a pile of mud, falling to the ground.

Whoosh!

Countless chains dropped around Blackie. They connected with one another and formed a ball to trap Blackie inside.

"Why don't you taste my poison?"

The green-faced elder spat out his crossed-tongue and a strange laugher was heard. Instantly, a strange green light lit up the chain rapidly. Following that, the entire ball had turned green.

As for Guimu, his pile of flesh still had some Qi circulating it. His body recovered.

He licked his lips and placed his hands on his chest. By closing his palm, Qi was circulating all around.

"Lock the prisoner!"

Other than the chain-ball, a transparent cage appeared as power circulated all over. It had the power of melting—it wanted to melt Blackie!

...

At the same time.

Inside the Four-part Architecture.

It was feeling festive here. There was a red carpet on the ground with decorations everywhere.

Li Nianfan walked in and stopped before a red-colored door. His heartbeat fastened and he felt nervous.

He was about to sleep with them. Once he had entered, the feel...hmm!

It would be beyond words.

However, getting too excited and looking forward to it made him even more nervous and uneasy.

Most importantly, the two women in there were so beautiful, and they were both Immortals! How...exciting!

He was at the peak of his life!

"Phew..."

Li Nianfan took a deep breath and with a gentle push, the door was pushed open.

Inside the room, there was candlelight. The lighting was dimmed.

With a faint bodily fragrance, two women with red head-cloths sat by the bed. They were waiting silently.

They were in their red wedding gowns, their waists skinny and their figures perfect. Li Nianfan took a look and he could already feel their softness and comfort.

The candlelight made it even more tempting.

Since they had heard some movements, Daji and Fire Phoenix's bodies squirmed. Their skinny waists jolted and went upright. Their fair hands were placed on top of their tummies. They were feeling nervous.

Li Nianfan did not ruin this silence. He walked over gradually, their breaths audible. Following that, he gradually reached out to slowly lift their head-cloths with both hands, one hand for each.

Daji and Fire Phoenix's beautiful eyes looked at Li Nianfan nervously. Their eyes were flirtatious before they quickly looked away. Their faces blushed red as they felt embarrassed.

Their faces were so beautiful that they could make all the flowers around them look unattractive. The dimmed room was lit up by their beauty.

They gave off two different vibes.

Daji was colder and quiet. She was embarrassed, yet tempting. She compelled one to care for her.

Fire Phoenix's red eyes came with a natural sense of passion. Even though she was embarrassed, she did not refuse it and was very alluring.

The seductive air filled the room, making one's scalp itchy.

Both of Li Nianfan's hands shook. He did not know how to start.

'What do I do now? Push them? Is there a prelude?'

He felt conflicted for a long while.

Daji said in a low voice, "Mr. Li, we'll...take off your clothes for you?"

"Oh, hmm, okay." Li Nianfan nodded.

Two soft, small hands started to remove Li Nianfan's clothing. He was wearing less and less...

"Wait up."

Li Nianfan suddenly grabbed Daji and Fire Phoenix's hands. He thought of something.

Meeting Fire Phoenix and Daji's scared eyes, he bit his lip and said, "There... There's something I think we can all discuss together."

There were many movements in the book that he could not describe in words. So, he wanted the three of them to learn it together.

There was no other choice.

Quickly, he brought out 'Safe Entrance' and placed it before Fire Phoenix and Daji. He covered his face and was too embarrassed to look at them.

"Ah!"

Upon turning the first page, Daji and Fire Phoenix gasped audibly. Their faces blushed red and their breathing was rapid.

However, it did not take long before their faces halted. They stared at the book without blinking. They had a heavy look.

This...this was the Double Major Path?

A Yin Yang Crossover Path!

The difference between Yin and Yang, Heaven and Earth. The notes of every being in the world, transforming into parents, the birth and reason behind everything.

This was the source and origin of everything!

This was very powerful!

There were too many benefits from practicing this Double Major Path. This was more insightful than any other Paths. This was way beyond!

One could get the other's power to fill up their bodies. One's realm would rapidly increase!

What a powerful master he was! He owned such a powerful cultivating secret! This was a Double Major Path manual! The most precious cultivating Path in the entire Chaos!

If this was spread out, the entire Chaos would go viral!

Furthermore...they could practice this with Li Nianfan! How blissful!

Li Nianfan was secretly observing Daji and Fire Phoenix. He saw how they went from embarrassed to closely staring at the book. They were looking with so much focus, they were more focused than himself. They seemed almost desperate!

They even talked among themselves in a low voice from time to time.

Furthermore, their faces were flushing red. They seemed vaguely excited with anticipation.

Li Nianfan could not help feeling his scalp itching.

What...what?

"Gasp... I'm feeling weak."

#

Chapter 517

In the Chaos.

A giant screen formed into a shield shutting down the area. It had immense power from within. Even a slight hint of it could make one terrified.

One could foresee how when it exploded, the world would collapse entirely and never recover!

In the screens, countless chains were entangling around, forming a gigantic metal chain in the mid air. It looked like a terrifying beast.

No matter if it was the Yunhuang World or Eldritch World, everyone went blank.

This was the fight between the Realm Cultivators?

How shocking!

Little did they expect the fight between the Realm Cultivators to be so absolutely cruel! They tore out each other's body and gave off destructive power. It was not a pleasant sight.

They were physically fighting with power.

However, it did make sense. When one arrived at this realm, fighting physically did make sense. The spell-throwing fight was old-fashioned. They did not need the visual effects anymore.

Furthermore, their bodies were torn out and yet they were fine as if nothing happened. This was hard to watch!

"Lord Dog!"

Nuwa and the crowd saw the chain ball and they were worried. Their faces turned pale and they clench their fists tightly.

They had seen Blackie fight a few times. Each time, Blackie killed its opponent easily. It was usually very powerful. And now, it seemed to be losing. This made them nervous and very guilty.

"Three Realm Cultivators fight against one! And even set traps! What a disgrace!" Xiao Chengfeng was agitated. He was shaking and blamed his longsword for not being strong enough.

Nuwa said, "We're still alive, we can't sit back and watch Blackie getting in trouble!"

Jade Emperor said with a serious face, "Empress Nuwa is right, if not, we can fight him!"

When the crowd from Dunhuang World saw the screen, they smiled coldly with pride.

Especially the bald man. His body was beaten up by Blackie with his mouth twisted. His Core was harmed and he hated Blackie for that. He looked vulgar and very excited.

He scoffed coldly, "Ha-ha-ha, what a silly dog. Be wild! Wait till you die!"

Inside the screens, the three men in black robes frowned and spat out some Qi. They had a serious look on.

This was not an ordinary chain, it was a chain made of Chaos Ocean's dark metal. It could keep recreating and tightly lock one's core and body. It could minimize one's power and energy.

They always used this to capture the beasts.

And yet, even though Blackie was inside with many chains going through its body, it was still fighting and giving out power. It was still looking active unlike the other beasts.

Guy's eyes glinted, he mumbled, "This dog's body is...special! It's strangely stubborn, what is it made of?"

The Poison God was very curious, "It's almost immune to my poison. Where does this dog come from? Interesting, interesting. It seems like we've made new discoveries. Nice."

"Vroom!"

Meanwhile, a cry was heard, resonating in all directions. Everyone's core was shaking as if the core was about to leave the body.

Even the Real Cultivators jumped a little. They felt as if something big was about to happen.

"That...that!"

Yunhuang World's Father jolted. He felt as if he was struck by lightning. He appeared to have seen the most unbelievable thing in the world! His pupils dilated and formed a needle-like shape. He gasped and turned into a sculpture.

Even someone in his realm felt his core shaking!

Guimu looked over and instantly felt his scalp itching. He cried out with disbelief, "Yin Yang Crossover Path, the Origins of Chaos?!"

Poison God was dumbfounded, he said blankly, "The Yin Yang Path! It can create a whole new world! How could that be!?"

In the direction of Eldritch World, it was originally covered by a layer of Chaos. And now, there was a layer of black and white Qi entangled with one another. A black line of crack was formed and the line was expanding from the side of the Eldritch World!

One could see with one's naked eyes that it was expanding rapidly.

Instantly, it was already ten times bigger and still going!

Terrifying! How terrifying!

This scene was not strange for the Realm Cultivators. This was the sight of breaking ground!

Why?

Why was there a Yin Yang Path? To break the ground of the Eldritch World?

"Vroom!"

A layer of purple Qi rushed out from the Eldritch World like a tsunami. It was limitless. The sight of it made one difficult to breathe.

Too much, too powerful.

Purple QI was rushing over!

"Hong...Hongmeng Purple Qi!?"

"How much of Hongmeng Purple Qi was there!?"

Poison God was dumbfounded.

Yunhuang Lord's father was dumbfounded.

Guimu was dumbfounded.

After opening up the world, one could absorb some Hongmeng Purple Qi from the Chaos. However, the quantity was limited, only eight slots!

Eight slots represented the eight Saints to maintain the working of the world! 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

This was the birth of a new world. So the Hongmeng Purple Qi was a reward from the Chaos. Nobody could take more than they deserved!

And yet...

So much Hongmeng Purple Qi was taken! How big was this world going to be?

Too big!

The crowd was transfixed in the air. They could not move. Their eyes widened as they looked at the Hongmeng Purple Qi circulating the Eldritch World. Part of them had transformed into thunder, striking down. The thunder caused some ripples to form in the Chaos!

A new land started to take shape. It was extremely large and what they saw was just the tip of the iceberg. It was a shocking sight way beyond words.

More Hongmeng Purple Qi condensed and formed into raindrops going down along the thunders. The rain landed on the ground and turned into seas and rivers, along with trees...

Jade Emperor and the crowd watched with their eyes and mouths forming an "O" shape. The crowd from Dunhuang World almost had their jaws dropped to the ground. Their eyes were popping out.

They witnessed the creation of a world with shock. This was memorable for anyone!

The rain was falling, washing over the new Eldritch World. The leftover Hongmeng Qi transformed into countless Paths, entering the Eldritch World and spreading out. They went out of sight!

Meanwhile, a sacred Qi was rising up from the Eldritch World from all directions. Some were fierce, some were sacred, some were arrogant, some were airy. This was the appearance of many treasures!

"One makes two, two makes three, three makes everything! Yin Yang Path was the origin of the Chaos. It gives birth to everything and causes everything to move. It gives out a limitless Hongmeng Purple Qi to celebrate!"

Guy's eyes widened. His head was buzzing loudly and went blank, "This, this...this Eldritch World is so broken up! How does it deserve such a big opportunity?"

Poison God looked at the new world and his eyes reddened with blood veins showing, "Perhaps the Chaos is giving birth to a new world? Ha-ha-ha! Who'd have thought that this happened in front of us! This new world will belong to us! We're getting rich! We're getting rich! Ha-ha-ha!"

Yunhuang World's father laughed wildly, "This new world has countless transformations. Who'd know, perhaps there are Chaos Treasures in there? This is a massive opportunity for me! We've gained a lot from attacking the Eldritch World! We're in luck!"

Jade Emperor and the crowd stared at the Eldritch World strangely getting bigger. They were perplexed.

"The expert! It must've been an expert!"

Jade Emperor was shaking, "We're blessed by the expert, our poor land is now growing rapidly!"

Nuwa was emotional, "They had reached the peak. I knew it. Daji and Fire Phoenix are so blessed to be able to marry the expert. This opportunity is greater than our imagination!"

"The peak of the first wedding night!"

The crowd was excited. The rain started falling and washing the treasures on their bodies.

Suddenly, a limitless Spiritual Light shone brightly. The crowd felt their bodies getting nourished. Their emptied bodies and wounds were recovering speedily.

Meanwhile, the treasures used to fight against the meteorite were recovered. They were giving out glow, and their quality was improving!

...

At the same time, the Heavenly Temple was going through a huge change!

However, Xiao Bai, who was inside the Heavenly Temple did not seem to have seen the changes. It was walking over the Immortal Bridge nonchalantly. It was pushing a small trolley with all kinds of freshly prepared dishes.

When it arrived at the Deluxe Merit Palace and saw that it was empty, it halted and its eyes scanned around.

"They all left before finishing the meal? Even Blackie is gone?!"

"How rude! They look down on my master? And think my dishes are bad? I need to ask them to come back!"

#

Chapter 518

The Eldritch World was still getting bigger.

The scene was majestic, the sight was astonishing.

This was a whole new world, a terrifying world!

Sending one's divine consciousness in, one could clearly feel the world rapidly growing. Compared to the previous Eldritch World, or even Yunhuang world, this was way more powerful!

Not only the energy, the quality was different. They could feel the world was now more spacious. Even the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals could fight there and destroy places.

In comparison, this word was way more dangerous than before. The opportunities came in sight after the rain. Since this was a whole new world, it was just like how the place was in the beginning. It was full of possibilities.

Inside the Eldritch World.

A terrifying change was indeed happening. As the rain dropped, all cultivators felt their power working. Following that, bottlenecks broke as easily as drinking water. They easily leveled up!

In the ordinary realm, those ill patients in bed were miraculously recovered. Many people who did not have Spiritual Roots suddenly had the capability to cultivate!

Meanwhile, the land was changing shape as well. This land was expanding rapidly.

The ten miles distance turned into a hundred miles, and then a thousand miles!

The trees went ten times taller over the night!

Some animals developed Spiritual Roots and turned into demons after the rain.

Some even had enlightenment over the night!

Overall, everything was improving rapidly. All the possibilities were developed in a terrifying way.

In the Chaos, the crowd from Dunhuang World watched everyone and everything from the Eldritch World upgrading. Their eyes reddened with jealousy. They did not feel good, they wanted to take out their treasures to wash in the rain...

And yet, the rain had no effect on their treasures. After all, they did not belong here, and were not entitled to the blessing.

"Ha-ha-ha, poor things. You want to take our advantage? Are you not ashamed?" Xiao Chengfeng mocked them with no fear. He had recovered and jumped up again.

"Ha-ha, your world is just lucky." The bald man smiled coldly, he said in a mocking tone, "This is good, we're the one in luck. Once we kill you all, this world will belong to us! Ha-ha-ha, the opportunity is ours!"

"Vroom!"

As everyone was feeling intimidated, a loud buzzing sound was heard coming from the screens. It was as if a terrifying energy had awakened. This feeling was filled with immense anger and emotions!

These emotions made one terrified and not want to mess with it. The Realm Cultivators were no exceptions.

This was because their instincts told them this was something they must not offend!

"Dang!"

The metal chain ball started to shake, there was an energy coming out from within.

"Is it actually fighting back?"

Guy's eyes feel heavy. He used the energy around him trying to hold it back. However, with a loud crash, the metal ball exploded into all parts!

A powerful Qi came out and formed a tornado. It was an undefeatable Qi too powerful! It even vanished the cage casted by Guimu. The Qi did not disperse, it was spreading out.

"Cluck!"

The screen had a crack and let out a Qi. The crowd from Dunhuang World were terrified. They were shaking.

In the screens, the three men in black robes were churned into meatballs. Blood rain was everywhere as the dust lingered in the air.

However, with just a flash of laws, the three of them rebuilt their bodies and resumed to what they were. They looked at Blackie in shock.

Yunhuang World's father and Poison God exchanged a look, they felt lucky.

Luckily they were clever and knew they were no match to the Lord Dog. They did not attack it and asked to join forces. If not, they could easily get killed!

Terrifying! How terrifying!

"Lord Dog!"

"So powerful!"

Nuwa and the crowd had their eyes lit up with delight. Following that, their eyes blanked and looked concerned.

On Blackie's body, there was still a china going through its stomach!

The chain was different from other chains. It was giving out a black glow with a sutra circling it. It was black like a dark hole. Even by looking at it, one could feel goosebumps all over with cores shrinking.

"Interesting, interesting."

Guimu said with his hoarse voice. His eerie eyes fixed on Blackie, "A black ordinary dog, you're very powerful and stubborn. If we didn't come prepared, we're no match to you even if we joined forces. Due to this, you make me even more excited! Now that your core is locked, how many more attacks can you throw?"

With that said, he laughed eerily again.

"You have successfully agitated me." Blackie's black eyes looked into Guimu. Its eyes were dark while its tone was calm with a hint of pity.

"Ever since following my master around, my master has been telling me to treat others with respect. Be kind and don't get angry easily. Don't lash out at others. As a dog, I should be well-restrained."

Blackie mumbled and recalled the days when Li Nianfan was taming it.

Li Nianfan said so merely because he thought this silly dog would be ruthless and run everywhere. If so, it might die in a foreign land.

After all, this was a dangerous world. If Blackie ran around, it might die and become the food of other demons!

Let alone that, Blackie might even put him in danger and it would be bad!

However...Blackie must have taken it the wrong way.

"It's been too long, I haven't been so angry for so long! You forced me into this, your outcome will be way beyond your imagination!"

Blackie remained on the same spot. The Qi around it was rapidly rising. A gust of unknown Qi was appearing. everyone could not help holding their breaths and dared not to move."

"Ma...Master?"

Guimu frowned. His heart sank.

He was focusing on the black dog and neglected the master it was talking about. Now that he heard it again, he sensed that something did not add up.

A powerful dog like this had a master!?

This was a Realm Cultivational Dog! How would it have a master? This did not make sense!

Was it bluffing?

Before he could think it through, his pupils dilated with disbelief. He thought he saw it wrongly.

The others as well. They all looked like 'what's going on'. They even rubbed their eyes.

What was happening in front of them did not make sense. They found it strange.

Jade Emperor's lips were shaking. He could not believe, "Hair...hair removal?"

Dragon's cute mouth opened, she said blankly, "It's getting...bald? Blackie is turning bald?"

In such a tense atmosphere, Blackie said two sentences and started removing hair. Was that reasonable?𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

If this was not a tense situation, the crowd would have laughed out loud.

"Blackie, Xiao Bai is calling you to go home and eat!"

Meanwhile, a sound was heard.

Following that, Xiao Bai walked on flames and rushed toward them. It stopped in front of the crowd.

Its glinting eyes scanned through everyone. It asked in a robotic voice, "You all left in the middle of eating, this makes Chef Xiao Bai angry!"

The crowd felt chills, they panicked.

Nuwa quickly said, "Xiao Bai, the truth is, someone was screwing up on the expert's wedding day. We have no choice but to rush over here to stop them!"

Julin Shen nodded and pointed at the screen, "Right! Lord Xiao Bai, they're there!"

Xiao Bai turned over and did not speak. 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝑜𝘮

It walked on flames and the screens looked invisible to it. It flew over it and stopped beside Blackie.

Meanwhile, Blackie's hair removal was halfway done. It was half bald and with fur on one side. Its dog face was still looking serious.

Xiao Bai looked at it head to toe. It said with an emotional tone, "Blackie! You're bald again! However, compared to when you're young, you're fairer now! You've gained weight as well..."

Following that, a robotic laughter washeard...

"Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha..."

"You've successfully made me laugh."

Xiao Bai's glinting eyes formed a moon-like arch.

Blackie scoffed and said coldly, "Hmph! I'm going bald for my master! I'm proud of it!"

Guimu could not help staring at Xiao Bai, he asked in a low voice, "Eh, what is this?"

It was neither a demon or human. It was not alive, it was like metal. If so, it must've been a Spiritual Machine. However, it was not so powerful.

Xiao Bai stopped laughing and red lights shot out from its eyes. It turned over and stared at Guimu.

Meanwhile, it reached out a hand to grab on the chain penetrating through Blackie.

"You used such cheap metal to tie up Blackie?"

In the next instance. The chain started shaking as if it was alive. It was terrified, shaking and struggling.

Following that, as if a magnet, countless chains were flowing over and gathered in Xiao Bai's hand. They went into its hand, forming a majestic sight. Suddenly, they all vanished and went into it.

"How could that be?!"

Guimu and the other two cried out loud. Their faces went blank, their worldview was refreshed.

These metals were made of Chaos Black Metals. They were very powerful and yet this unknown metal-man called it rubbish?!

Before they could think, the metal-man already raised its hand and pointed at Guimu!

A cold voice made it seem even eerier.

"You caused fear in Chef Xiao Bai's guests and distracted them from eating! You're sinned! Warrior Xiao Bai is here to fight for our rights!"

Danger!

A bone-shattering chill engulfed Guimu fully. It had been too many years, he had forgotten the feeling of terror. Let alone this eerie and chilling terror!

Run!

Guimu had this thought in his head. He then saw a flash of light in Xiao Bai's palm. A laser beam then shot out!

The speed was beyond limits. It was unreasonable. It touched upon him in no time!

Following that, Guimy felt his life vanishing!

His life! Not only his body! His life was vanishing from the Chaos!

How could that be? What power was that?

He was simply vanishing so easily?

And that light! So bright! So eye-stabbing!

That was his last thought before vanishing in thin air. Nothing was left behind.

To an outsider, Guy's body felt like snow melting into nothingness. It was a shocking sight, very shocking!

"One."

Xiao Bai turned over and looked at Poison God. It clasped its hands.

Poison God had sweat all over, he cried out and tried to run away.

However as the light flashed, his body was unable to move and instantly vanished with no sound.

"Two."

Xiao Bai turned its hand at Dunhuang Lord's father.

He was trying to run away, how he wished he had four legs. How he wished he could give out everything to run faster. He wanted to be the fastest man in the world.

However, it was useless.

As Xiao Bai's hand gave off another flash, the Yunhuang World father could clearly feel his life getting wiped out!

There was no hint of resistance. He did not have a chance to say his final words before vanishing!

"Three."

#

Chapter 519

"Gasp..."

"Gasp..."

The crowd from Dunhuang World and Eldritch World gasped. They thought they were dreaming.

Three Realm Cultivators, three of them! The strongest in the Chaos! To them, they existed way beyond touch! Like a legend!

And yet, they vanished right in front of them, quietly.

This was unbelievable! This was a miracle of the Chaos! Nobody could imagine this, this was way beyond their grasp.

Their eyes could not take this sight. They felt aches.

"Gulp."

The crowd from the Eldritch World gulped so much that they even choked themselves.

"Is Lord Xiao Bai so powerful?"

"The hand was meant for chopping vegetables, and yet it could kill so deadly?"

Jade Emperor and the crowd stared at Xiao Bai wide-eyed with utmost respect. Their hearts were beating.

They could guess that Xiao Bai was very powerful. After all, it had been with experts for a long time and looked special. However, they thought Xiao Bai was not as powerful as Blackie.

After all, Xiao Bai did not seem alive. It was in charge of...making meals like a servant. They were even served by Xiao Bai!

And yet, Xiao Bai could easily vanish three Realm Cultivators! So easy!

This was too sudden, their heads were not turning fast enough.

They were shocked. The Yunhuang World crowd was completely shocked! Their souls even went out of their bodies as they shook, "This, this, this...our godly father vanished?"

To them, he was the all-mighty and powerful godly father. And yet, he vanished just like that?

To them, this was like their world collapsing. Their world-view screwed over.

Most importantly, their terror rushed over like water. They dared not to move.

One of the elders was so terrified that his face twisted. He was shaking and he stuttered, "Ma...Master? The dog and metal-man have a master..."

This sentence was like the last bullet sent out to the crowd. They felt lifeless and chilly. Their cores are on the verge of collapsing. They felt too insignificant.

These two extremely powerful beings actually had a master. How powerful was their master? Did that even make sense?

Did something not add up?

"The changes in the Chaos was not a coincidence?"

The crowd was not silly. They thought about the changes in the Eldritch World earlier and sensed that something did not make sense. Perhaps someone was using manpower to expand the Eldritch World?

This, this...

Impossible!

Fake! It must be fake!

They cried out internally, instantly denying this speculation.

However, they heard Xiao Chengfeng talking to Junling Shen.

"Old Junling, our Eldritch World has improved so much. This is too powerful. The expert must've thought that our world is too small and so he decided to help us expand."

"Old Xiao, I think you're not right. Now that the expert is married to Miss Daji and Miss Fire Phoenix, he's happy and so he rewarded us with this. Our Eldritch World is in luck! Being able to meet the expert is...waa...I can't. I want to cry from excitement..."

"Ex...expert? No way. No way!"

The crowd from Dunhuang World looked in the direction of the Eldritch World. They were shaking in fear and disbelief.

Xiao Chengfeng smiled coldly, "Ha-ha, yeah. Today's the expert's wedding day. You're all so brave to pick this day to challenge us. Who gave you the permission?"

Vroom!

The crowd from Dunhuang World shook. They felt their organs shattering and their heads buzzing.

Meanwhile, they felt unjust and jealous. They did not feel good.

A broken world like the Eldritch World did not deserve such treats from an expert of this level! They got really lucky!

This was so unfair!

They did not want to give in!

Wa...what did the Yuan Huang World do wrong? They wanted some love as well!

Meanwhile, they felt Blackie's eyes on them. They felt chills with sweat all over. Their scalps felt empty.𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

The bald man felt soft and said in fear, "Lord...Lord Dog, we've learned our mistake. We're silly, we're idiots! Please don't be like us!"

"One scratch!"

Blackie said coldly. Although it was now half bald, the other half of its dog fur was flowing in the air. It was dark and glowing, looking very soft.

"My anger needs someone to withstand. I will give you one scratch, if you can hold it...you may live!"

With that said, its paw gradually lifted and went forward.

"Vroom!"

A gigantic dog paw phantom gathered. Like a bulldozer, it crashed toward the Yunhuang World crowd!

This paw slowly gathered in the air. It was Blackie's paw but countless times bigger. It was all over the place and powerful as it went forward!

This paw was too scary! It was not something anyone could withstand! The powerful Qi had overwhelmed everyone in this world!

This scene was similar to the meteorite crashing down earlier.

However the target was now different.

The crowd from Dunhuang World were shocked. They were wildly preparing their power, trying to use up all of their power. They held nothing back and used up all of the power. They merely wanted to live.

The paw pushed over and crushed everyone below it. quickly, the crowd was pushed away and vanished in the deep end of the Chaos. Livelihood unknown.

The crowd from the Eldritch World watched and could not help pursing their lips. There were six Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals among them. They were just like toys in front of Lord Dog!

"Blackie, you're bald! You're stronger now!"

Xiao Bai looked at Blackie and said, "I feel that whenever you want to get angry, you can shout: I'm turning bald, step aside! Ha-ha-ha, what a sight!"

Blackie remained its cold dog face and looked away. It looked serious as it pretended to hear nothing.

Two bigshots' conversation was not something the crowd could get involved in. They pretended to have heard nothing and knew nothing. They were innocent.

They had to stay alive.

Feeling that Xiao Bai was approaching them, they straightened their faces with their hearts pumping rapidly. They were very nervous.

Nuwa said sincerely, she thanked, "Thank you Lord Xiao Bai for saving our lives." 𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝒎

Xiao Bai said, "You're all my guests. Of course I should give you an ideal dining experience. This is the bare minimum of being a chef."

Jade Empress asked in a small voice with disbelief, "Lord Xiao Bai, you came over to ask us to...eat?"

"Exactly." Xiao Bai nodded, "They distracted my guests from eating. This was disrespectful to my dishes. This is a deadly crime!"

Jade Emperor and the rest exchanged a look. they could not help smiling bitterly.

The three Realm Cultivators died so wrongfully. If they knew they were killed because of a meka, they would be so angry that they might even revive...

Xiao Bai pestered, "Hurry, the new dishes are ready. Don't waste them."

The crowd jolted. They were very cautious.

"Oh, now, now!"

"Lord Xiao Bai, don't worry. The dishes are our lives! We will rush back right away!"

"Waste? That doesn't exist! Do you need us to eat the plates as well? To be honest with you, it's my forte!"

...

At the same time.

Somewhere in the Chaos Ocean.

It was pitch dark here. Looking from the outside, it looked like a massive black swirling hole. It was full of all kinds of danger. It was giving out a powerful Qi.

A pair of eyes made of purple flames jolted open. It contained unlimited deadly Qi as its voice was powerfully heard, "Some senior members are dead. Find out what happened!"

Another pair of golden eyes lit up. It was so elegant that anyone would want to worship it, "Three senior members are dead all at once? What energy in the Chaos could do so? This is strange, very strange and interesting..."

#

Chapter 520

"Hwa-la-la!"

In the Eldritch World, the rain did not stop.

Jade Emperor and the rest returned for the Chaos with mixed feelings. They felt the changes in the world and felt emotional.

This was a familiar world and now it seemed foreign. They could feel the world moving, growing, expanding and strengthening!

The Absolute Era had completely vanished. The Immortal Realm and Ordinary Realm merged into one. There was no need to Immortalize anymore. The originally broken world was now complete. It was even stronger than before. It was filled with even more possibilities!

Let alone the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, it was now possible to cultivate into a Realm Cultivator here!

This was a boundless world! Meanwhile, they had a feeling.

This Eldritch World had changed so much. Even though they could not tell now, the elements were now different from the original world.

The Jade Emperor and Nuwa had survived since the Ancient Times. Of course they knew that the world had the ideal conditions now just like new. It had the potential to create many opportunities. Of course, this world was way more advanced than the world back in Ancient Times.

Yun Shu felt the dense Immortal Qi in this world and the laws engraved in the air. She could not help saying, "Sister Nuwa, do you remember the Area of Gods I told you about?"

Nuwa's face straightened, "Sister Yun Shu, are you saying that the expert is creating an Area of Gods?"

"I'm not sure," Yun Shu shook her head, she continued, "However, based on these conditions, they were way beyond the standard worlds. I feel like only an Area of Gods is good enough for it."

The two took in a deep breath. They went wild.

They were discussing this Area of Gods not long ago, and now...they experienced the expert creating one! He even built it upon the Eldritch World and turned it into an Area of Gods. This was...magical! Like a dream!

"Sister Nuwa, if this is an Area of Gods, we have to be ready." Yun Shu said with a serious face. She said with concern, "Perhaps...in no time, there will be a World War!"

In the Chaos, there are powerful beings from different worlds looking for an Area of Gods. They hope to get opportunities from it in order to further develop.

And here, it was not only an Area of Gods, it was a newly formed Area of Gods. It was very attractive. If anyone found out the location of the Eldritch World, countless powerful beings would come over. By then, they would fight all over for the treasures and opportunities. Thus a World War would begin!

"I understand that." Nuwa nodded and her face straightened. She clenched her fists, "However...this is the Eldritch World, this is awarded to us by the expert. We have to cultivate well, so even if there is war, we can guard this place well and prevent anyone from disturbing the expert!"

"Empress is right!" Jade Emperor nodded, he paused and started thinking, "The expert's cultivation is way beyond our grasp. He could even create an Area of Gods. Do you think the expert is intentionally making this land more interesting?"

"Jade Emperor is right. I feel that the changes in the Eldritch World are both an opportunity and test!" Jade Empress said, "A figure like the expert is merely playing around the world. He does as he pleases. Of course he would make some challenges as he gets bored. The expert is likely looking forward to a World War. The only thing we must do is to not let him down while making the most out of it!"

"Yeah, the expert has given us so many opportunities. If we can't do this, it won't make sense. Anyway, we have to work hard!"

"Here's to keeping our land and finding more opportunities. It's time to build our strength!"

As everyone was discussing, they had gone back to the Heavenly Temple.

However, they saw that the Heavenly Temple was now five times bigger than how it used to be. The original architecture had been upgraded. The surrounding rivers were more grand and luxurious. There seemed to be a glow from within.

The sky was sparkling and clouds were everywhere. There was a sacred light glowing. Each tile did not seem very different but the crowd could feel that the materials had improved greatly.

In other words, they had leveled up!

This made sense. If the Heavenly Temple still looked the same, it would not look presentable at all. Furthermore, there was the Deluxe Merit Palace inside the Heavenly Temple, it was where the expert lived!

The Immortals and Gods were grinning ear to ear. The others were jealous and envious, "I wonder when my accommodation will turn out like this."

Black and White Impermanence thought about their Underworld, the sea races thought about their ocean. They wanted to get back right away to have a look!

On the next day.

A brand new world.

A brand new day.

The sun was shining brightly and warmly. It was bringing lights to the world. 𝒍𝙞𝙗𝓻𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝙢

Inside the wedding room of the Four-part Architecture.

Li Nianfan looked at Daji and Fire Phoenix who were on each of his sides, he felt warmth and softness from them. He could not help smiling.

He gradually sat up, looking at the two of them closely.

They were like the flowers after rain, so gentle and delicate.

"I'm so blessed to be able to marry two stunning ladies like them. They're Immortals! I'm having the time of my life! How nice!"

He could not help recalling last night. It was worth remembering. He was stunned by how powerful the manual was.

They followed closely to the manual. In the beginning, it was embarrassing and shameful. The three of them were awkward and made one wonder whether to laugh or cry. However, it was a new experience worth remembering for the rest of his life.

However, what pleased Li Nianfan the most was the efficiency of the moves. It gave him pleasure while maintaining his dignity.

Meanwhile, he saw Daji's long eyelashes moving. His lips curled up with a naughty smile.

He looked at Daji's delicate, fair and soft feet. He reached out to tickle them.

He found out last night that Daji was ticklish, especially feet tickles. She was so intimidated by it.

Her delicate feet halted and curled up. Following that, Daji could no longer hold it. She moaned and curled up her feet. She blushed and sat up, "Mr. Li, you're so naughty."

Li Nianfan smiled, "Daji, you're naughty. You're pretending to be asleep. And you, Fire Phoenix, if you don't wake up I'm going to pull your ears."

As expected, Fire Phoenix who had her eyes closed instantly opened her eyes like a frightened deer. She quickly covered her ears.

She blushed, "Mr. Li, let us help you get up."

Soon, the three of them put on clothes and walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai walked over and said, "My lovely master, Xiao Bai has prepared you with the most nutritious breakfast. Soy, Dough Sticks and eggs."

"Thank you, Xiao Bai."

Li Nianfan nodded and focused on his surroundings. He felt something was different.

Swiftly after, his pupils dilated as he called out with disbelief, "Xiao bai, is our four-part architecture bigger?"

"Yes, my master. With my careful calculation, our front yard is five times bigger, our inner yard is three points two times bigger. The backyard is five point three times bigger!"

They got bigger!

No wonder the setting was still the same but it felt different. So there was more space now!

"Wait, even the mountain got bigger?"

Li Nianfan was shocked. He brought Daji and Fire Phoenix to fly up in the air to look over the world.

As they rose up, they saw more. Li Nianfan was very shocked.

What was it?

Everything seemed the same but different! The obvious difference was the size. Many things had gone bigger and more prosperous. Even on this mountain, it seemed to have grown taller?

Luckily he could fly now. in the past, it would have been exhausting to go out...

The backyard as well. There were already many plants planted. The decoration was perfect. Suddenly, there was more space now and it seemed empty.

Most importantly...where was the Fallen Town?

Why was it no longer in sight? Was the distance so big now?

He merely slept for a night. What happened?

He transgressed? Has the world changed?

Li Nianfan asked, "Daji, did you two hear the thunder and rain last night?"

"Mr. Li, of course we hear it." Daji and Fire Phoenix flushed red.

The rain was loud last night. However, the three of them were busy, they did not care.

As for the changes in the world, Daji and Fire Phoenix had guessed it. However, seeing that Li Nianfan was looking shocked, they understood it. Of course they acted along to look shocked.

They were good actresses.

"Whoosh!"

Meanwhile, a wild wind blew by with a cold Qi.

"Ha-ha-ha, the sky is taking care of me. I'm about to get undefeatable!"

An arrogant voice was heard ringing. Following that, the space shook up and a gigantic rhino was walking in the air. It was running energetically in the air, causing a tornado.

It was very strong. One could see its body growing bigger. It was like a rockery with hatred and violence in its eyes. It was growling, "I feel so strong now, I want to fight ten!"

It was very exciting and wild. As it was growing wildly, it saw the three people in the air. It rushed forward wildly.

"Three pitiable small worms. Be good and turn it into my food."

Daji's face turned cold like the chilliest and most arrogant goddess. She raised her fair hand and pointed at the rhino.

"Crack!"

A layer of frost covered over the rhino. The frost expanded throughout its body instantly.

The rhino demon felt its movement getting slower, its speed dropping until it could no longer move. The chill was bone-stabbing when it finally reacted. It had turned into an ice stick.

The rhino demon blinked and looked perplexed.

As it was about to die, there was a nonchalant voice coming from its ears, "The rhino is quite cold but it's okay. It's in front of us now, we bring it home and ask Xiao Bai to sort it out..."

#

Chapter 521

Who am I?

Was I not undefeatable?

I'm so strong now, how did someone kill me in seconds?

The rhino demon used its last remaining consciousness to ask itself.

Li Nianfan looked at the rhino demon and he felt strange. Afterall, this was the first demon that came right in his face.

How confident was this rhino in order to do so?

"Mr. Li, this word has changed. Not just the view, many beings have been changed." Fire Phoenix said, "This rhino demon had an opportunity to grow its ability, it became arrogant. It's normal for it to be overly-arrogant."

Daji added, "Its power was undefeatable in the previous times."

Li Nianfan nodded, he asked, "Is this related to the rain yesterday?"

Daji and Fire Phoenix exchanged a look, they nodded in unison, "Maybe."

"How interesting." Li Nianfan frowned and went quiet.

From the land to the plants, each of them was enlarged by different times. He did not expect the living beings to go through changes as well.

This felt as if...the Spiritual Qi had resumed?

However, this was already a mythical world! If the Spiritual Qi resumed, what did that mean? How surreal!

He was curious, could this turn into the Ancient Wild Era? With huge beats walking around and filling up the skies?

There must have been many demons like this rhino. They were boosted with energy and felt good about themselves. They might be confused by the new world. It might get lively in the following times.

Let alone the others, Li Nianfan felt a sense of strangeness in this whole new world. The view was different, he wondered if there were new raw materials for food...

Li Nianfan waved it off, he said, "Although I don't know why, we don't have to care about the world. Daji, Fire Phoenix, let's get breakfast."

At the same time.

The demon race.

Inside the palace, the Lord Demon was kneeling before a black door. Behind him, there were many other demons.

They all called out in unison, "All of the demons would humbly ask God Demon to wake up, to hold up the demons and rule over the world!" 𝙡𝓲𝒃𝓻𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

They repeated it thrice and bowed. The movement was very united and rehearsed.

This was a duty by now. it had become a routine they had every morning.

After all, they had been trying to wake him up for so long with no movement. They went from feeling hopeful in the beginning to perplexed and then helpless. They were now numb.

They would wake him up every morning more as a gesture.

Whether he woke up or not, it did not matter. They did not mean it anymore.

"Morning routine done. Free activities today."

The Lord Demon patted his clothing and gradually stood up. He said, "Don't mess things up outside. We're not like how we were in the past, we must keep things low. Come back tomorrow at the same time to continue."

All of them nodded. As they stood up and were ready to leave, the entire palace shook!

"Whoosh!"

The black door in the center of the palace turned into a swirl. As if something was waking up, a pair of eyes gradually opened.

A powerful demonic Qi rushed out from the door. It let out a sound with thick black Qi condensing. A beast from the Eldritch World brought chills to everyone.

Power!

An immense terrifying pressure and power!

The demons felt the pressure. They were delighted and looked joyful.

"He woke up! Our God Demon woke up!"

"Nice! Our time has come!"

"Waa...God Demon, we have done so much for you, you're finally awake!"

Lord Demon even cried and looked perplexed. He fell on his knees and said with excitement, "You're finally back! Luckily we didn't give up on you!"

"Vroom!"

Another violent shake. A black palm reached out from the door. The black Qi thickened. Many black lotuses opened up in the air. The Qi was everywhere and caused a shocking sight.

Following that, another hand reached out!

Two hands held on the door. In the next moment, a tall man walked out from the door.

Behind him, the black swirl was rolling. It was as if he walked out from the Ancient Times, his hair was black and puffy, there was a twisting horn on his head. There were some scales on his neck. He was wearing long sleeves made of countless black fur, floating in the air.

This was how the demons looked in the beginning.

The three thousand demons along Pangu back in the days were different. Even Pangu looked different from modern humans.

In the Chaos, lives had no limits. There were many races. Although the built-up looked similar, the looks could get very different. The skin, body, hair, features and others were different!

Demon's eyes glinted with a dark glow. His body was hard, his voice was like a bell resonating. He was very powerful as he laughed, "Ha-ha, I'm back."

The demons cried out in joy. Their eyes burning with excitement, "Welcome back, God Demon!"

God Demon was like a hill, his body was big and tall. He looked down at his crowd and scanned through. He made a sound, "Eh, that's all we've got? Where's Demon King?"

Lord Demon said with sadness in his eyes, "God Demon, Demon King has been sacrificed."

"Sacrificed?"

Lord Demon halted and then nodded, "Good, good. It seems that as I was asleep, you've all been working hard. Even the Demon King has sacrificed himself. Good job, he died a proud death! He died well!"

Lord Demon and the rest did not speak. They exchanged looks.

Proud their ass!

He was sitting at home, doing nothing and then he died. What a wasted death!

They did not even want to mention this kind of death out loud.𝒍𝙞𝙗𝒓𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝒎

God demon said with anticipation, "You've all made so much sacrifice. It seems that my demons have been through a lot, you all must have done a lot with great success. According to my deal with Hongjun, the Absolute Era is done. How's the conquest getting on?"

"This...that..."

The Lord Demon stuttered. He said weakly, "Lord Demon, some unknown changes have happened with irresistible forces. The progress is getting more challenging."

"Challenging? Irresistible forces?" God Demon's face sank. He looked at his crowd with heavy faces and could not help feeling heavy. He waved it off and scoffed, "Whatever, let me see it myself! What is it that you cannot speak of? No matter what happened, now that I'm back, everything will be sorted out!"

With that said, he walked away impatiently. He could not wait to see how prosperous the demons had become.

And yet, as he walked, his frown deepened. He felt a gust of weariness and brokenness. The population had decreased, they were no longer as sharp and arrogant as they used to be. The demons had...gone down!

His pace quickened. As he walked out of the demon's area, his pupils dilated. He had a look of disbelief.

"This, this land..."

His dark eyes are glinting. He was very shocked, he was dumbfounded!

"How could this be? Isn't it an Absolute Era now? Why's there so much Immortal Qi? So densely packed? The opposite end of the Absolute Era?"

He let out his divine consciousness, the more he watched, the more shocked he was.

"Why is my demons' population so small now?"

He looked at the Lord Demon and his eyes turned cold, "What's the matter? What're you all doing?!"

This was too different from what he imagined. It was already scripted, how did it turn the other way round?

This was way too different!

He thought when he woke up this time, he could see his demons ruling the world. He even had his speech ready and yet...just this?

Lord Demon pursed his lips and sobbed, "God Demon, it's bad for us! We're getting targeted!"

Instantly, Lord Demon sobbed and told God Demon everything in a pitiable tone. He was crying and wailing, he seemed very sad.

"Vroom!"

God Demon let out a violent Qi instantly. He was shaking all over with his black hair flying in the air. He was powerful with deadly Qi.

"How could it be!"

His voice was like thunder, buzzing out loud. His dark eyes shot out like laser beams. He smiled coldly, "Hongjun! Hongjun must have trapped me! He disobeyed our promise! What a bastard!"

"However...that's good. This word is now full of Immortal Qi everywhere. The laws are like mists. One's ability is now more than a million times greater. Most importantly, the Qi are all newly made! I woke up at the right time! Countless opportunities are waiting for me and they will belong to my demons!"

"Don't panic, now that I'm back, the demons will be baptized! Pass it on, come with me to find Hongjun! I want an explanation!"

#

Chapter 522

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Is Lord Saint around?"

Nuwa, Yun Shu, Jade Emperor, and Empress stood politely outside the four-part architecture—waiting.

Click!

The door opened. Xiao Bai then looked out and scanned at the people with a glow from his eyes before saying, "Please come in."

The crowd instantly stiffened their bodies upon seeing Xiao Bai and said, "Greetings to Lord Xiao Bai, thank you."

One could only imagine how nervous they were if they had seen Xiao Bai's performance last night. Xiao Bai looked like a serving robot but was also a mega bigshock!

If they had not come to the four-part architecture, they would not have known what being 'low-key' was!

They saw Li Nianfan tidying things as they entered the four-part architecture and greeted, "Lord Saint, sorry for visiting you without an invitation."

Meanwhile, Li Nianfan was tidying up with Daji and Fire Phoenix as the entire four-part architecture was piled with small items. All of it was last night's gifts from the guests. How generous of them! There were just too many! If the four-part architecture had not gotten bigger, they would not have been able to contain all of it!

Immortals were immortals! How generous! They had everything!

Li Nianfan said, "You didn't disturb me, come in and have a seat. My house is a little messy right now, let me tidy it up. Xiao Bai, bring some tea for the guests."

Jade Empress quickly said, "Thank you, Lord Saint. Please don't mind us."

The four of them sat nervously in their seats and could not help looking at the gifts. All of them were jolted with shocks in their eyes from just a look.

They could feel a huge Spiritual Qi moving from within the gifts. Its frequency was so high that even Nuwa and Yun Shu were shocked.

Furthermore, it was not coming from just one gift...all those gifts were similar!

However, the glow was internally contained as they were keeping things low.

Luckily, it was the expert's yard. Otherwise, those gifts would have attracted so much attention and been stolen if they were placed outside!

Those gifts were not from his guests but due to being washed by the rain since that area was at the heart of the rain last night. The rain would have leveled up and improved those gifts.

Nuwa could not help looking at Daji and Fire Phoenix as it crossed her mind.

They were beautiful and elegant. They looked formal and happy.

Of course, that was not the crux.

The crux was...the lack of Qi presence in Daji and Fire Phoenix. Their power had been contained. Other than their temperament, they looked just like two ordinary women!

They were of course not ordinary women! The fact that Nuwa could no longer see through them showed that...

Daji and Fire Phoenix had overpowered her!

In the past, Daji and Fire Phoenix would suppress their Qi but Nuwa could still clearly see them. However, she could not notice anything at that moment!

T-t-this...

Nuwa's heart dropped. She could not help biting her lips and asked softly, "Cultivator Yun Shu, can you see through Immortal Daji and Immortal Fire Phoenix's cultivation?"

Yun Shu shook her head with a similarly perplexed look.

Jade Emperor's eyes instantly widened and asked in disbelief, "Empress Nuwa and Empress Yun Shu, both of you really can't see through their cultivation?"

Nuwa sighed and sourly said, "Why would I lie? Their strength is now beyond ours!"

"Gasp..."

Jade Emperor and Empress gasped with buzzing heads and shaking hearts. They mumbled blankly, "Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals?!"

What was their cultivation before they slept together?

They just reached Daluo Golden Immortal not too long ago!

They had skipped Daluo Golden Immortal and Quasi-Saint's massive bottleneck in one go and went straight into Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal realm!

It was greater than an ordinary man turning into an Immortal! It was a hundred, a thousand... No, ten thousand times greater!

Damn it!

How shocking!

Was that even fair?

Nuwa and Yun Shu felt very bitter as they had worked hard for countless years and had to give up so much to reach their current state. However, the two of them merely slept for a night and had already superseded them! What was the point of cultivating?

It was unfair!

The Jade Emperor and Empress wanted to faint!

They had always wanted to become a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal but it did not happen. They had tried everything to make a breakthrough and even wanted to self-cultivate for 100,000 years and yet...

There was no point comparing!

They had reached the realm many dared not to even dream of within only a single night! Was that even plausible? How outrageous! Was that the benefit of sleeping with a bigshot?

Was he still accepting new applicants?

They really did not want to work hard anymore...

The more Jade Empress thought about it, the angrier she was and immediately pinched the Jade Emperor.

"Just looking at them—you're too weak!"

Meanwhile, Li Nianfan had finished tidying. He clapped his hands and smilingly walked over with a crystal ball. "Empress Yun Shu, thank you for sending me a television when I needed one."

Yun Shu smiled. "It's just an insignificant gift. It's fine as long as you like it."

"I like it. Right, what did all of you do this time? You've gained so much Deluxe Merits!"

Li Nianfan said as he waved. An ocean of Deluxe Merit rushed over not only to the four of them but also was being dispersed to their surroundings. He repaid their favors in one go!

Jade Emperor and the group quickly took out their treasures. Nuwa and Yun Shu took out the lotus and mirror. They would be able to upgrade them to the Heavenly Deluxe Treasures level with such an amount of Deluxe Merit! The crowd was flushing with excitement upon recalling how powerful they would become.

The crowd then thanked upon receiving everything, "Thank you, Lord Saint."

Li Nianfan was curious. "Are all of you related to the world's changes?"

The Jade Emperor looked at Li Nianfan and bit his tongue to say softly, "Cough cough, just very little."

Li Nianfan nodded and said, "You've changed the world and received a lot of Deluxe Merits! I woke up this morning and was shocked by this world's changes. It was shockingly beyond my imagination!"

The crowd was speechless upon looking at Li Nianfan's sincere eyes.

His acting was too professional.

'Bigshot, we beg you don't laugh at us. We're the ones who were shocked!'

Nuwa's mouth twitched and said, "The Eldritch World isn't only a few times larger than before—even the surroundings have been expanded. The size is now at least over a few hundred times bigger than before."

Li Nianfan gasped and shockingly said, "A few hundred times? So much? So there'll be lots of powerful beings from now on?"

He had no idea how big it was, but it must be very large!

A few hundred times bigger was indeed terrifying. Would he be able to walk around before his life ended?

"Many powerful beings would exist here, but don't worry as everything is within our control," reassured the Jade Emperor.

Li Nianfan nodded. Although he was shocked, he was not scared.

He was able to endure it since he had seen the world. Furthermore...the Eldritch World's expansion was really helpful to him.

Nature had been protecting him since he was the Deluxe Merit Saint. At that time, he could pick a few shields from his pile of gifts while Daji and Fire Phoenix protected him and countless figures supporting him—he could do anything without getting told off!

After learning of the situation, Li Nianfan looked at the television in his hands and asked, "Come and try out this new television model."

He sighed and turned around as he imagined something.

Instantly, the television lit up with a faint glow shooting out and a projection started being displayed in the air.

Li Nianfan frowned. He was both surprised and delighted. "Wow, it projects the image and it's even in 3D! How powerful!"

Things given by bigshots were indeed at a different level.

Nuwa and the crowd curiously looked at the image and wondered what the expert was playing.

Meanwhile, the projection jumped and a white flame started burning in the air.

The flame was airy and unrealistic.

"Wow!"

The crowd felt a gust of chills as the explosive power landed on their shoulders. It made them feel heavy and fearful.

"T-this...is the Heavenly Flame!?" Nuwa and Yun Shu widened their eyes before crying out in unison with rapid breaths.

The Heavenly Flame was a chaos flame from the Chaos. It was as powerful as the Heavens—way beyond the ordinary flame.

There were three types of flames. The Sun consisted of real flames made from Heavenly Flame in the Eldritch World that contained laws and was less powerful in comparison to the Heavenly Flame.

The Heavenly Flame was very desirable as it was way more precious than forging a new world. It was because that type of flame contained the complete Flame Laws!

Once one got hold of it and learned well, one could become as powerful as the Heavens upon complete understanding!

It was like copying the model answers instead of doing self-research!

The number of laws was as many as flame types with each containing different laws. Any complete law was priceless and undoubtedly powerful!

It was a Heavenly Realm Flame! The flame was more important than life itself for a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. The outcome was way beyond anyone's imagination once it appeared!

Nuwa gulped and asked with a shaking voice, "Lord Saint, I wonder...what's this flame called?"

"Why would it have a name when I simply imagined it?"

Li Nianfan smiled and waved it off. "This is a special flame made of extreme frost and heat. It's different from ordinary flames and contains frost other than heat, so I truly wonder about its existence."

Nuwa and the rest speechlessly exchanged looks. 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝓂

They were unsure whether the flame existed, but they could feel there was a complete and massive path within that flame!

It was a possible path of cultivation!

The Expert simply imagined a...Flaming Path?

Meanwhile, the image jolted and the white flame disappeared. It was replaced by a liquid-like green flame.

The green liquid flame spread out in the air as those flames were expanding. It gave one the feeling it could die out at any time as layers of mist rose.

However, it was different from the fragility of life as the flames contained destruction and wildness.

Nuwa and the rest adorably parted their mouths while staring blankly.

Another Flaming Path?!

The flames changed again before they could react.

It was transparent and shapeless with only a sense of Qi.

One could only feel it with one's core. One's power would weaken vaguely upon touching it—causing the core to feel a burning pain.

It...was another Flaming Path!

Next, the flames changed colors again.

Silver, red, green...

Every flame resembled a completed Flaming Path!

Nuwa and the crowd's mouths were left open throughout the period with none ever once thought to close it. Their bodies turned into statues and heads buzzing.

Those were paths!

In all honesty, each path required countless geniuses to discover and would normally take years to materialize.

Many people got lost when chasing after a path not knowing how to proceed and ended up feeling worse than death.

Most took the wrong path with no idea it was wrong.

However, the Expert simply projected paths after paths to the crowd as though it was a movie...

What would those flame cultivators feel when they saw it?

They would cry...

#

Chapter 523

There were so many possible paths with each difficult for one to traverse. The journey of finding a path was vague. One could not move further if one entered the wrong path and might even end up committing many sins.

In the case of Flaming Path, some people went after 'heat' while others were after 'light'. Some went after arrogance and some focused on the body, core, or anything imaginable!

However, not many could reach the main Path because they only sought after the surface layer. Although it was strong, such would not form the main path as it was not extreme, hence one needed guidance.

For example, Styx went for the Killing Path but was unsure of how to kill, who to kill, or how many to kill. By the time he realized, he had already gone too far and that was it.

Understanding the Path... Understanding...

It was too superficial. Gifts, opportunities, and hard work could not determine much as many roads were blocked which led to countless geniuses gone crazy.

Despite that, the Expert already exhibited more than ten Flaming Paths just moments ago...

It was not something Nuwa and the group could understand as they merely saw the possibilities behind those paths and had no idea about the cultivation process. However, that was already very precious.

Considering...they were able to see a good outcome, it was equivalent to a correct goal. Such was better than having an uncertain goal.

It could save them from taking the wrong paths—a priceless inspiration.

Li Nianfan saw the shocked crowd and found it interesting. He had a smile on his lips.

All of them were fascinated by those flames?

His mind still had all kinds of fascinating imaginations. He might not be as good at cultivating, but his imagination was way better than them!

There were all kinds of demons, spells, and imaginable things in movies back in his previous realm. He was certain that even the Jade Emperor and Empress had not seen them were he to project all of it for them to see.

However, he had to admit the television was a good item as it could project one's imagination with a 3D effect. It was more shocking than him telling them the story. 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Of course, Nuwa and the crowd would be dumbfounded if they knew about his thoughts.

There was no way of materializing what he imagined!

Was there a television that could materialize things? It was merely his imagination and that could not be materialized!

It was similar to the television's previous owner. Even though he was undefeatable, there was a giant who could destroy his world which eventually destroyed him...

Those cool flames were unable to be materialized!

Li Nianfan curiously asked, "Empress Nuwa, have you not seen any of these flames?"

Nuwa shook her head and added, "No, not in the Eldritch World. However, they might exist in the Chaos. Now that the world has changed, there might..."

She abruptly halted halfway with her words as her pupils dilated and body shook. She suddenly thought of a possibility.

Vroom!

Meanwhile, thunder could be heard as a terrifying Qi spread out and formed a gigantic black swirl in the sky.

There were flashes of lightning from within the black swirl that lashed down from the sky and spread to their surroundings. They looked like a silver dragon ready to destroy the world.

Thereafter, the swirling changed and moved to reveal another swirl.

More areas were affected as one could even see it from the four-part architecture.

Yun Shu's eyes sank and frowned. "Two very powerful cultivators are fighting."

She exchanged a look with Nuwa and both of them frowned.

It was lucky the world had been elevated to contain such a level of fighting!

Otherwise, that level of combat would have caused a lot of casualties and even destroyed their world. It was a fight between two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals!

"Someone's fighting again?"

Li Nianfan looked over and could not help sighing, "As expected, the Eldritch World is never peaceful. Will it be more chaotic in the future?"

Jade Emperor nodded and said with a serious tone, "To be honest, other stronger figures might be attracted now that the world has been elevated. This is just the beginning."

Li Nianfan could not help shaking his head. "This isn't good news."

However, he had anticipated such as there was no way to hide from it.

The so-called fight started because of a treasure. A fight would surely break out if ten cultivators wanted to get that one treasure.

Nuwa said, "Don't worry, Lord Saint. We'll go over and have a look. We'll calm this down."

Daji said, "Mr. Li, I'd like to go over as well."

Li Nianfan waved it off. "Whatever, be careful and come back earlier."

After that, he asked Xiao Bai to organize the gifts with him.

Daji and the group walked out of the four-part architecture without stopping as they rushed toward the battlefield.

On the way there, Nuwa could not help but licked her lips and asked, "Immortal Daji and Immortal Fire Phoenix, are both of you...Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal now?"

Daji nodded and happily smiled while feeling her core. "Yeah, Master has given me a lot. Unfortunately, I can only absorb so much with my current realm."

They were already so powerful after absorbing 'so much'?

How unfair!

Nuwa's heart sank as she had asked for it herself. Why did she ask? It ended up giving them a chance to brag.

She pursed her lips and asked in a serious tone, "I thought of a possibility when I saw the Expert showing those flames. Do you think...those flames might appear in our new Eldritch World?"

Jade Emperor and the group were shocked upon hearing her words. Their eyes were beaming.

"What you're saying is that...the Expert can create those flames?" Jade Empress's voice was very shaky while her scalp felt itchy.

It was the Flaming Path! If one got hold of them, one would only take one day and succeed in almost no time!

The creation of those flames was equivalent to developing a shockingly powerful cultivator. The Expert's power was indeed beyond imagination.

"It's very possible."

Yun Shu gasped and felt awakened as she said in shock, "No wonder when the Expert was projecting the show, I felt those flames aren't only a 3D projection. They seem to be...alive! The Expert created an Area of Gods which would result in bringing forth the Fighting Era! What was there to fight about? All kinds of opportunities of course! The Expert could simply create many opportunities for them to fight for! This would make sense!"

"I finally understand!"

A glint shone from the Jade Emperor's eyes as he said with a serious tone, "The Expert has helped our world too much, but...it would be boring to keep giving us opportunities. The Fighting Era might come across as an interesting game to the Expert. He's the ultimate gift-giver!"

Nuwa nodded seriously. "You're right. The Expert has been protecting our world. We have been getting too many opportunities through the backdoor. We cannot expect the Expert to keep helping us and have to guard our world by winning this battle!"

Jade Empress had an idea and looked at Fire Phoenix. "Immortal Fire Phoenix, since you cultivate flames these flames would help you greatly if they are real! We will bring them over for you!"

"Thank you but no need." Fire Phoenix shook her head as her red hair flew in the air along with her red gown as though her body was in flames. Her eyes seemed sacred as her stunningly red lips curled up into a smile and gently said, "All of you should fight for the opportunities given by Master. I don't need them."

She lifted her hand to feel her core upon saying that.

Jade Emperor and the rest twitched their mouths as their eyelids jumped.

They were reminded of how those were merely some type of flames while she had over tens of thousands of such flames in her...

How triggering!

They put their thoughts aside and tried their best to calm down—attempting to forget about it.

They must not think about such a demotivating matter...

Daji said, "We'll only stay by the Master's side to live in peace and won't get involved in other matters."

At the same time.

Somewhere above the sky.

A black-colored Demon God held onto a Godly Gun and glared at a man in green robes in front of him. He scoffed coldly, "Cultivator Hongjun! You're so unreasonable! Why won't you admit that you broke our promise!"

#

Chapter 524

Above the massive sky.

Two powerful and threatening figures could be seen moving. The unleashed residual powers from each wave and kick would cause rivers to dry up and disintegrate many other things into dust.

Qi kept coming through from every direction—making the surrounding spaces twisted as the terrifying Immortal Qi turned into a boiling ocean.

They were shocked as the world was several times more powerful than the Eldritch World. In the past, they had to move into the Chaos for a fight.

The earlier destruction they caused would have destroyed the previous Eldritch World. They would have flattened the world and caused space to collapse—destroying the world!

However, the space was still stable without any cracks despite the ground being destroyed. It was able to withstand the residual impact. Such resilient areas were very inviting for Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals to duel!

Hongjun waved it off and seriously said, "Luohou, calm down. I really don't have anything to admit! In all honesty, I just woke up not too long ago, hence this has nothing to do with me."

"Nonsense!" Luohou smiled coldly. He had seen through and groaned in a low voice, "Cultivator Hongjun, how could I not see through your tricks? This is all within your calculations! I shouldn't have trusted you back then! Tell me! What did you do to turn the Eldritch World into this? What's your plan?"

"Luohou, you should know that I can't possibly do this." Hongjun frowned. He too was feeling bitter and shocked as he helplessly said, "Furthermore...I used my body as the Path, so I've now been separated from the Heavens when I woke up..."

Who could he complain to?

He was also a victim!

All of them mysteriously fell asleep back then just like Luohou. It was normal for them to sleep for a few years since it was nothing in comparison to their lifespan. Who would have thought the world had transgressed with such massive changes by the time they awakened!

Perhaps the Eldritch World had been going through some unusual evolutions that placed them to sleep!

Luohou was furious and groaned in a low voice, "I don't care! You promised me back then to cast my demons as the main characters of the world! You and I will share the Eldritch World and seek the Truth! When I woke up earlier, I realized my demons aren't stronger but are being bullied instead! You have to give me an explanation!"

"Casting the demons as main characters?"

A suspicious voice was heard as Daji and the other five gradually appeared in mid-air and concurrently looked at Luohu and Hongjun.

Daji scoffed coldly, "The Absolute Era was your plan?"

Luohou and Hongjun were shocked as they looked with a glint in their eyes at the group of people.

"Jade Emperor, Jade Empress, and Nuwa? All of you here?"

Hongjun's pupils dilated as he looked at their group in shock.

At that moment, Nuwa was no longer releasing the Qi of a Saint but a...Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

The Jade Emperor and Jade Empress had become a lot stronger! Both of them were close to becoming Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

On the other hand, Yun Shu and the other two's Qi were shocking!

T-this...

He was dumbfounded.

He was secretly joyful when he initially woke up and noticed the world's changes.

It was because he thought he was still the most powerful being in the world. The current changes in the Eldritch World were beneficial for him and he should be able to enjoy everything with his strength.

However, it was unexpected that he ended up being surrounded by a group of powerful beings including those he once knew...

It did not feel good at all!

Luohou was just as shocked as Hongjun and felt heavy-hearted.

In truth, he came to Hongjun not only for revenge since the demons were merely his tools. The crux was that their world had changed with way more opportunities than before!

Even though he wanted to take revenge on Hongjun, his true purpose was to monopolize more opportunities by getting Hongjun to stay away!

However...everything was not going according to plan as there were other characters involved...

Hongjun asked Nuwa, "What's the matter?"

The Jade Emperor beside her asked, "Daozu, why don't you answer Immortal Daji's question first?"

Meanwhile, he signaled to Daozu with a look.

Hongjun dared not to waste any time and said after a moment, "We did intend to bring about the Absolute Era. However, we did not have a choice as I've used my body as the path and merged with it, hence it would be beneficial for me if the world weakens..."

Therefore, Hongjun had been leading the Eldritch World according to his plan by secretly cultivating and developing Saints—trying to fill up the void in the world.

However, he did not expect Luohou—who lost to him—had not died back then. Instead, he had stayed hidden in the Bloody Sea and waited for his recovery to make a comeback!

Furthermore, he was unwilling to compromise that time round!

He would leak the Eldritch World's location if Hongjun refused to share the world with him to the Chaos. Many figures would then approach that world and attempt to take over it!

Therefore, Hongjun had no choice and did not step in when Luohou destroyed Buddhism.

Luohou cultivated the Killing Path and wanted to use demons to kill all humans upon the Absolute Era's arrival. Once that was completed, he could then upgrade his power.

Luohou scoffed coldly from feeling insecure and wanted to leave, "Damn! You make it sound good, that you and your path merge into one while all you wanted was to use the Law Pangu left behind to upgrade your power! I don't want to stay here anymore since we don't get along from cultivating different paths."

Daji's face remained expressionless and said in a calm voice, "Master doesn't like demons. Don't go yet since we've just met!" Her white gown fluttered in the air as her figure vanished from the spot and reappeared before Louhou with a single step.

"Haha, there are many who don't like demons! Who can stop me from going where I want in this world?" Luohou laughed wildly as wild killing intent lashed out from his eyes. He then growled, "You may be powerful but you don't have the right to stop me yet! Get out of my sight!"

His weapons flashed with a glint in the dark as terrifying Qi gathered into a long black dragon and stabbed toward Daji as he spoke!

Daji raised her hand as ice crystals gathered in front of her and formed an ice wall.

Crack!

The long spear penetrated the wall as ice fragments shattered and flew outward in all directions with the spear's sharp edge pointing at Daji's face.

Daji remained in the same spot with her emotionless beautiful eyes.

Such calmness further irritated Luohou. His pupils dilated as his killing intent reached its peak to the extent that even the wind was growling.

"You're asking for death! My Godly Killing Spear is meant for killing! Nobody can stop it! You are overestimating yourself from having that ice wall!" Luohou was furious as he gathered his full power and increased his strength!

The energy he lashed out turned into a whirlwind and collided with the mountain behind Daji into nothingness. The surrounding hundred miles of terrain had been flattened!

However, her ice wall was still able to block such unimaginable power—disallowing it to pierce through!

Regardless of Luohou's attempts at using his full strength, his power was blocked by that wall and he could not even penetrate it!

The God Killing Spear's tip was soon covered with a layer of frost without him realizing it.

How could that be!?

Luohou's eyes widened while his heart shivered from complete helplessness. A sense of powerlessness was overwhelming him.

Crack!

More layers of frost spread on his spear.

Luohou quickly reacted and did not hesitate to let go of the God Killing Spear before turning around to escape.

"You can't escape since I've said so!" Daji's eyes were cold as she gently raised her delicate hand. The frosty spear suddenly turned around and pointed at Luohu as though it received an order.

The long frosted spear shot out according to her finger pointing!

It left behind a trail of beautiful but terrifying frost.

One could feel that terrifying sense of power. Luohou's face changed and he felt an itch in his scalp. He could only retaliate with spells since his Rank Twelve Deluxe Merit Black Lotus had gone missing alongside the Lord Demon!

The long spear moved forward and penetrated through his spell with an unstoppable Qi!

On the other side, Fire Phoenix was getting impatient and flexed her red wings behind her. Her body turned into a fiery flame before she vanished.

The crowd felt dumbfounded as flames suddenly appeared in Luohou's stomach by the time they reacted!

A layer of flame rose from his body as he groaned. In the blink of an eye, his entire body had turned into ashes and evaporated.

Hongjun stared with widened eyes as he watched the entire event right in front of him and cautiously gasped.

Had Luohou just evaporated in just three breaths?

Luohou and himself were not unfamiliar with the strength of Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals as they had refined their paths for countless years. Even though Daji and Fire Phoenix had joined forces, it was still very terrifying.

They could kill him as well since they could kill Luohou!

Hongjun's face turned green and shivered.

The Jade Emperor and Jade Empress could not help smiling upon seeing Hognjun's reaction—finding it amusing.

'Daozu had not expected this, eh?'

It was just Luohou. He had not seen Lord Dog fight yet. A single paw of his could crush more than 10 Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals to death as though it was merely playing!

Hongjun shivered and smiled, "Jade Emperor and Jade Empress, why don't you introduce me to these two super powerful and beautiful Immortals?"

"They're Immortal Daji and Immortal Fire Phoenix." Jade Emperor paused before continuing, "The Eldritch World's changes were caused by their husband."

Hongjun was very shocked. However, it did not stop him from bootlicking as he opened his mouth and said, "I knew it! There must be an expert behind who elevated the Eldritch World! We not only survived the catastrophe but even gained a lot from it! These two Immortals' husbands are so awesome! It's so magical! Please allow me to express my admiration to your husband."

He raised his hands with a solemn face as he sincerely bowed at Daji and Fire Phoenix.

Thereafter he continued, "Both of you have my admiration for being so powerful and doing a great favor by killing someone like Luohou. Please allow me to worship you!"

He bowed again after speaking.

Jade Emperor, Jade Empress, and Nuwa were all rendered speechless.

Hongjun had always placed himself high above the rest as the mysterious and well-respected Daozu. He had remained that way for countless years and never behaved as such. 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Damn it! Who would have thought he was such a good bootlicker!

So, it seems that Daozu's true nature was such.

Everyone had two faces and behind their reputable public image was merely a bootlicker...

The essence of the world was bootlicking each other.

At the same time.

In another part of the world...

Lord Demon led the demons to wait for their Demon God's return.

They were filled with anticipation and could almost see their bright future calling out to them.

Suddenly, the Demon God's statue cracked.

It cracked...

The crowd stared blankly and could not believe the sight. They rubbed their eyes in unison and looked again...

A burning flame exploded from a crack in his heart.

"The Demon God is...dead?"

"It's... It's not possible?"

Damn it!

Such an abrupt death was worse than their previous Lord Demon!

The demons must have been targeted! Such a way of dying was too unreasonable! Nothing was going smoothly since the beginning.

No, that was not the only issue as everything had been progressing wrongly!

How could they live on?

Lord Demon collapsed. "This world is too dangerous. It's too difficult...for demons!"

"No, I need to start hiding!"

#

Chapter 525

At the Heavenly Palace.

The Jade Emperor and Goddess Nuwa discussed with Hongjun on what they knew. "Daozu, that's what happened."

They were impressed by Hongjun. They respected him in their hearts, which was why they called him Daozu. It was naturally because of his teachings that benefitted the development of the Eldritch World. He did a lot for the living beings of the Eldritch World.

It was ridiculous to say he did it merely for self-improvement.

Was he not allowed to gain some rewards for good deeds? The world was just. One could do good deeds without getting any rewards. However, if one requested for someone to do so, it would be considered unfair.

In retrospect, it was better to name a price for good deeds.

"Mind your words! What do you mean Daozu? I'm not Daozu!"

Hongjun instantly scolded, "Don't call me that ever again! I did what I did because I was going along with Pangu's transformation of the realm. I tried to improve myself, to have a breakthrough as a Realm Cultivator. That's why I kept trying to improve the Eldritch World. That's all.

"Compared to the expert, I'm nothing. Don't call me Daozu ever again. I don't deserve it!"

How could he call himself Daozu in front of an expert? Moreover... The Eldritch World had changed. There were weird phenomena in the Chaos that could attract powerful beings. They would fight for the benefit of the world. There would be all sorts of powerful cultivators by then.

Imagine if a powerful cultivator arrived at the Eldritch World. They would yell, 'Who's the most powerful cultivator here?'

'It's Daozu!'

'Daozu? Alright! Bring him here. I want to fight him alone!'

Yikes—

'Too scary.'

Hongjun shuddered. He thought it was problematic. "Oh, yeah. I have to change my name, too. From now on, I'm not Hongjun. Just call me Cultivator Junjun."

'This name's subtle, cute, and humble. It sounds so wholesome and non-threatening. Perfect name for me.'

The Jade Emperor and the Empress stared at him with wide eyes. It was as if that was the first time they knew Hongjun. They felt a mix of emotions.𝘭𝑖𝒷𝓇𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐𝘰𝘮

'What the hell? Only Daozu can make us feel so awkward.'

They always had a question in mind. Why did Hongjun alone survive when Pangu split the realms for the three-thousand Demon Gods? How did he become the ultimate winner in the end?

They...finally understood.

'Expert. He's an expert.'

The Empress said, "Hong... Cultivator Junjun. That's the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. It's also where the expert's staying in the Heavenly Palace."

"I already know. The door's shut, but I can feel the aura from within. It's holy and majestic. It's just a hint, but it nourishes the Heavenly Palace. It benefits you all."

Cultivator Junjun saluted and bowed at the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. "I must bow to the expert's place."

He felt helpless, too. He was envious of the Jade Emperor and the Empress.

Cultivator Junjun had the utmost respect for Li Nianfan when he heard their stories. Especially the part where they got to eat Chaos Spiritual Fruits. He salivated and gulped. 'Forget the Chaos Spiritual Fruit, at least let me have a sip of Chaos Spiritual Water!

'Give me one drop!'

He was Daozu for countless years, but he had never tried it. His ex-students, the Jade Emperor and the Empress, had a blast eating it. They improved so much. They were almost Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals.

His face was as sour as a lemon.

'Why was I in a slumber?

'I missed out on such a huge opportunity to kiss up to the expert. This is the most painful thing in life!'

Suddenly, Chang'e and the Seven Princesses chatted merrily as they walked toward the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint. They were in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They were very colorful and beautiful in their floaty dresses. They were graceful, gorgeous, and blinding.

The Empress immediately scolded, "Hong, how can you enter the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint without permission?"

The Princesses were frightened like deers in headlights. They hurriedly bowed and greeted, "Empress, Emperor."

The big sister, Hong, said, "Empress, Lord Xiao Bai gave us orders last night. There are some leftover beverages in the palace. He told us to clean it up today."

'Leftover beverages?

'Really?!'

The Jade Emperor and the others were instantly intrigued.

Cultivator Junjun suddenly had spiked eyebrows and a spiked beard. He was flushed from excitement. "Let me do it!"

...

Time passed.

A month had slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Li Nianfan was living a peaceful, happy life with Daji and the others in the four-part architecture.

He was in his honeymoon period, so he was naturally delighted.

However, he could still feel the changes in the realm without going out.

Big flying Demons would fly by from time to time. Daji would shoot them down. They were made into poultry.

Li Nianfan thought it was convenient. It was like food delivery.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

An elder with white robes and white hair suddenly groaned. He shuddered. His right arm was instantly covered in a layer of white frost!

He had four students behind him—two guys and two girls. They said at the same time, "Master, are you alright?"

The elder slowly opened his eyes. He looked shocked. He shook his head and said, "The Godly area's indeed dangerous. I tried to get closer to the area by manipulating a big flying Demon. I was turned to an icicle before I could take a closer look. I even felt it backfiring on me. The message was clear... Horror, fear, and power.

"Something exists on that mountain. We can't mess with it. Let's seek for another mountain to set up our sect."

A Bengal Tiger with golden wings at the side spat fire to unfreeze the elder.

The elder patted the tiger on the head. He said, "Thank God I didn't send you there. Otherwise, this would've ended badly."

Their cultivation was related to the Demons.

They had a contract bond with the Demons. They were lifelong allies. They called it the Familiar Demon. They were naturally precious to them.

The elder forced a Demon to do his bidding earlier with a Manipulation Spell. It was the best way to reduce risk.

A young lady said, "But Master, you said this mountain's extraordinary. It looks like a Dragon and it's an excellent place. We've lost so many Demons already. How about we wait for my grandpa's arrival...?"

"We just got here. It's best not to make enemies right away. They're probably warning us to stay away. We should look for another place. Safety first."

The elder chuckled and said, "How many times do I have to tell you? Try to avoid confrontation as much as you can. Don't be boastful. A feisty personality won't get you anywhere. Let's go."

In the midst of the Chaos. 𝓵𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝓪𝓭.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Several figures went straight toward the Eldritch World.

"The Chaos created a new world and the aura has risen like a tide in this Area of the Gods. I can't believe we searched for the Area of the Gods for so long to no avail, but a new Area of the Gods was formed in the Chaos."

"It's indeed the Area of the Gods. The Immortal Qi is ten times more intense than any world I've been to!"

"I sense it, too. The smell of so many opportunities..."

Boom!

A powerful aura rolled in. The golden light shone like a galaxy as it formed a path. Then, three Magical Beasts with ox heads, jet-black bodies, and golden fur rode in on a luxurious palanquin.

"That's the Saintly Sovereign of the Saintly Kingdom!" somebody recognized him and exclaimed.

"He's here? I heard that he single-handedly created the Saintly Kingdom. He overpowered all the sects. He ruled over Humans, Demons, and Immortals!"

"I heard that he can create realms. He's a Realm Cultivator. However, he's been looking for opportunities in the Chaos. I can't believe he's targeting the Area of the Gods, too."

Just when everyone was shocked, they sensed another rising aura.

The aura was gray and creepy. They heard the moans and cries of a million ghosts. A huge skull figure was formed.

It seemed to be formed by intense smoke.

Two ghastly green eyes emitted Ghost Fire. It was intimidating to look at. They were frightened and cold.

Everyone looked petrified. They hurriedly backed off.

"That's the Ghastly Ghost King! Why's he here? He's that terrifying existence that once turned an entire world to the Area of the Ghosts!"

"I thought we had the upper hand because the Area of the Gods just appeared. I can't believe so many people showed up. Did they all come out from their worlds?"

"All the elites and powerful cultivators are swarming in like bees. The Area of the Gods truly lives up to its name!"

...

#

Chapter 526

When various powerful cultivators received the news, they all swarmed towards the Area of the Gods.

A figure appeared in the Chaos with a notebook in hand. An elder stood next to him with respect.

The figure flipped the notebook. He had a flickering gaze. He scoffed, "The Legendary Demon Sect, the Saintly Kingdom, the White Cloud Sect, the Dustfall Mountain Sect... There are eight sects here from the Twelve Chaos Sects! These annoying cultivators, I'll kill them eventually!

"The Heavenly Palace, the Underworld, the Demons, and the Human Sovereign... Are these the original forces in the Area of the Gods? They seem so non-threatening."

He continued to flip the page. Then, he closed the book.

He asked, "Do you know how the three senior members died?" 𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"My Lord, I went to a world that one of them created. It's called the Yunhuang World. I found out that the three senior members went to capture a Dog!"

"A Realm Cultivator Dog?"

The elder nodded. He said sternly, "And the Dog seems to be very powerful!"

The figure groaned for a moment. He frowned and said, "The Ministry can't do things in public at this point."

He meant that the Ministry would send out more experts to capture the Dog, but there were too many powerful forces to worry about.

"We have to keep an eye on the Area of the Gods. There will be a lot of extraordinary Demons. Capture them. Also... If we run into anyone from the Legendary Demon Sect, try to capture them alive!"

"Don't worry, my Lord. I'll do my best. I won't let you down!"

There were a lot of small worlds in the Chaos. Forces, clans, and sects were complicated and diverse. They all swarmed towards the Area of the Gods to look for opportunities.

However, they had an unspoken bond between them. They were all cultivators. So, unless there were some issues, they would refrain from fighting. They seemed to be peaceful at the moment.

"The Underworld? Reincarnation? How ridiculous! I can't believe that the Ghost Realm would have such lowly ways. The Ghosts are in desperate need of my help!"

The Ghastly Ghost King stood on top of a hill with his eyes shut. Creepy Ghost aura surrounded him like dreadful cloud rings. Then, he turned to smoke and moved!

Grey aura was emitted wherever he passed by. It was a unique kind of deadly gas. The deadly gas was filled with rage, contempt, hatred, desperation, pain, and destruction.

Meanwhile, at a small village.

A woman was struggling in the water. Gradually, she could no longer move her limbs. Her eyes were filled with despair. She gradually stopped struggling as her life faded away.

Her hatred and rage gradually died down as she died. However, an undetected gray aura slowly floated towards her.

The soul of the woman floated out from her body. She turned around. She dazedly looked at her body. There was confusion in her eyes.

"Am I dead?"

"That's right, you're dead! You were murdered by an evil couple! Your husband cheated on you and abandoned you. Then, he and his lover pushed you into the river to drown. You want revenge!"

"I want revenge?"

"That's right! You want revenge! You want them to die in the most painful way!"

"But... I should go reincarnate."

"Reincarnate? That's nothing but tricks. All your life experiences and trauma will be gone with a bowl of Meng Po Soup. Will you still be you? Who will avenge you? Do you want to watch that cheating couple live happily ever after?

"They killed you, but they'll be happier than ever. Nobody cares about your death. Nobody will blame them. Everyone will congratulate them. You don't deserve this. You're the only person who can stand up for yourself!"

The woman's ghost had red teary eyes. Her long hair flowed with the wind. She said with a hint of hatred, "You're right, I have to avenge myself!"

"That's the spirit. The best revenge is the one you serve yourself. Go, avenge yourself!"

In another forest, a few gardeners were carrying a dead body to the middle of nowhere.

They did not look surprised at all. Another woman was killed by their young master.

A gentle gray aura came over.

The ghost that stood next to the body instantly had a twisted expression. Endless hatred turned to creepy winds. The trees and leaves shook with the wind. The gardeners instantly felt a chill go down their spines. They shivered.

"How can you treat me like this? I want revenge! And to those who stood by and watched, those who ignored my screams for help, they're accomplices, too. They also need to die!"

"Haha, that's right. That's humanity for you. Kill them! Destroy them! Make them pay, make them regret it. Let the whole world feel your pain!"

The Ghastly Ghost King passed by like a master manipulator. He enjoyed the hatred of the dead.

...

The appearance of the Area of the Gods was naturally a good thing for the Eldritch World. The Humans were stronger. They had a higher chance of becoming Immortals. It was also very beneficial for the cultivators.

However, they were more pressured because there were powerful beings everywhere.

They were initially pleased to have breakthroughs. However, they became more afraid.

They had to admit a painful fact. 'I see that having a breakthrough doesn't mean I'm stronger. The world's stronger. I didn't quite catch up to the improvement of the world...'

In other words, they were weak losers.

The Heavenly Palace deservingly became the main spotlight.

A lot of newcomers chose to be in contact with the Heavenly Palace first. Of course, the Jade Emperor and the Empress were against it.

However, they had to open the gates and welcome them with a smile, no matter how unwilling they were.

They were not as powerful as the outsiders. So, they could only allow them to do so.

Clang!

Suddenly, a muscular and buff cultivator crushed the cup in his hand. The buff cultivator had a long whip for a nose and he had a black face. He spat out his beverage. He demanded with a cold voice, "Do you think I'm a beggar? I'm a ruler in the Chaos. How can you welcome me with this nonsense?!"

"How dare you?!"

Yang Jing and Juling Shen menacingly surrounded him with a bunch of Heavenly Soldiers.

However, the buff Elephant cultivator squinted. He yelled, "Scram!"

The single word was terrifyingly powerful. The power was irresistible. The Heavenly Soldiers were instantly knocked backward.

The buff cultivator laughed and said, "Haha, so weak. Don't embarrass yourselves!"

"Calm down, cultivator."

Cultivator Junjun gently waved. He disengaged the power of the buff cultivator. He said, "This wine's the best wine of the Heavenly Palace. I'm truly sorry about that."

The buff cultivator sneered, "This is the Area of the Gods. There are opportunities and treasures everywhere. Right? Is this the best wine you can get? You must be bluffing!"

Cultivator Junjun said calmly, "Cultivator, you know that the Area of the Gods just appeared. To be honest with you, this land was previously flawed."

The Jade Emperor and the Empress quietly stood behind him.

They were naturally very angry. However, they forced themselves to endure it. A lot of cultivators would love to cause havoc if they lost control.𝒍𝒊𝙗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝙘𝙤𝙢

As for the food and wine, they knew what they were doing. Unless they had brain damage, they would never serve the fruits and wine of the expert. They did not even want to mention the expert. That was something they all agreed on.

It was like a golden touch. No one would brag about that to the public.

'Do you want to drink beautiful wine? Do you deserve it?'

"Nonsense!" The buff cultivator started with wide eyes. He yelled, "Tell me then. How did a flawed world become the Area of the Gods? Are you telling me that there were no rare treasures in the transformation process? I suggest you bring them out!"

The other cultivators simultaneously put down their wine glasses. They stared at the Jade Emperor and the others with glaring eyes.

They naturally wished that someone would start trouble. In that case, they could figure out the Heavenly Palace. If the Heavenly Palace hid treasures, they could gain benefits without the fight. It was a worthy deal and they were happy to take it.

Cultivator Junjun looked sincere. He said innocently, "We're not as powerful. As for rare treasures, we haven't found anything yet."

The buff cultivator squinted. He stared at Cultivator Junjun. Then, he looked at the Heavenly Palace. He sneered, "This is a nice place you got here! I just arrived. Don't you think you should give me a palace?"

Cultivator Junjun shook his head and said, "That's not appropriate, cultivator. Only Heavenly Palace Immortals can stay at the Heavenly Palace."

"You have no right to reject me! If you don't have enough rooms, that's an easy fix. I'll kill until I have a room!"

The buff cultivator laughed coldly. He stepped out and started to pick his palace. Then, he laid eyes on the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint.

"This palace is facing the stars and it's pretty high up. It's nice. Where's the owner of this palace? Tell him to meet me!"

The Jade Emperor and the others blocked the buff cultivator. They said with seriousness, "Cultivator, this is the Deluxe Merit Saint of our Eldritch World. He won't come out to see you."

"Deluxe Merit Saint? He's nothing to me! How arrogant!"

The buff cultivator sneered and scoffed, "I see that you're all so nervous. Perhaps there's a hidden secret? Open the door. I want to go inside!"

Cultivator Junjun did not look happy at all. "Cultivator, enough. Conflict won't be good for anybody here!"

Goddess Nuwa and Yun Shu activated their powers at the side.

They could discard their pride and allow them to enter the Heavenly Palace. However, the palace of the expert was extremely sacred. They had to defend it!

The other outsider cultivators simultaneously activated their powers. They were pressuring everyone from the Heavenly Palace.

"It's only a palace. Open the doors and show us."

"What? You don't dare to?"

"Perhaps there's a hidden secret? This is troublesome for us!"

Goddess Nuwa and the others felt their hearts sink. They felt pressured but they did not want to back off.

Suddenly, the long nose of the buff cultivator stiffened without a warning. His soft nose suddenly became as hard as a baton. A strong water pillar was also ejaculated in an instant!

The target was the door of the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint!

Then, there was an attack from a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

He attacked within a second to be fast but it was still very powerful. Also, it was too quick to stop it.

Everyone watched the water pillar hit the door.

The Jade Emperor and the others were nervous. The others were excited.

However, the strong attack did not push the door open.

Not only was the door not opened, but it also remained untouched. It was not affected at all.

Everyone went silent. They had odd looks.

'Seriously?'

'You're so incompetent.'

The buff cultivator blushed. He looked at the door. The knocker was still dangling...

It proved that he was there.

He was instantly humiliated. He felt made fun of.

Before he could be angry, a huge sense of danger overcame him. His body went cold as his hair stood on ends. He was oddly nervous and he could not breathe.

'Danger!

'My life's in danger!

'I'm going to die!'

He was blinded by a bright light the moment he had those thoughts. A blinding white light shone upon him and covered him entirely!

The light beam was a horrifyingly thick bolt of lightning!

#

Chapter 527

Kaboom!

The deafening thunder made their ears buzz, ringing loudly.

They were dumbfounded, shocked by the outrageously thick lightning bolt.

There was a saying, 'swift and skinny like a lightning bolt'. The saying was false because apparently, lightning bolts could be thick, too.

The lightning bolt drowned the buff man like a tidal wave. Everyone could only see white, plus a small shadow of the buff man. They literally felt thunderstruck.

'So thick. This is too much. I can't handle this.'

"Argh—"

Then, they heard a painful scream.

"Chaos... Chaos Thunderbolt?!"

The others felt the hint of the aura and they were petrified. They backed off.

They could not believe their eyes.

The Area of the Gods was created by the Chaos Thunderbolt. 'But... How is it possible that we just witnessed another Chaos Thunderbolt?!'

'That's a Chaos Thunderbolt!'

If Natural Punishment was the highest form of punishment, then being punished by the Chaos Thunderbolt was a Chaos Natural Punishment. It was terrifying!

After all... It was something that could split the Chaos apart!

It could easily kill a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. It was something that even Realm Cultivators were afraid of.

They all seemed frozen in place. The powerful rumbling of the thunder kept going.

Gradually... They smelled something burnt.

Everyone slowly recovered from being blinded as the lightning bolt faded away. The strong buff cultivator was no longer there. The replacement was a huge black Elephant that laid peacefully on the floor. His body was smoking with charred flesh. He looked burnt.

"Yikes—"

The outsiders gasped at the same time and backed away again. They were petrified.

The buff cultivator was reckless and arrogant for a reason. He was not a weak cultivator amongst Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. He could even be a leader, too.

The outsiders were not his allies, but in a way, they were with him. They were all there to diminish the power of the Heavenly Palace. They were there to figure out the truth.

However, the buff cultivator probably did not expect that his ejaculation on the door would turn him into barbequed meat.

It was too out of the blue. He died too unexpectedly.

'This...this...'

They had to look at the Jade Emperor and the others.

The Jade Emperor and the others looked calm, as if they already saw it coming. They kind of looked mysterious, too. It was like they were saying, 'He deserved it.'

Truthfully, they were also shocked. They did not expect that the expert upgraded again. The Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint upgraded its Natural Punishment to Chaos Thunderbolt.

'Awesome.'

However, they were used to it. They were able to adapt in a short time.

The Jade Emperor sighed. He looked at them with pity and said, "We told you so. You cannot trespass the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint, but you wouldn't listen. Can't you try to stay alive?"

Somebody asked with uneasiness, "What happened? Why did it attract the Chaos Thunderbolt?"𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

Goddess Nuwa smiled and said, "We told you. Right? The Deluxe Merit Saint. Try to process that title, everyone!"

Somebody gasped. They asked with a trembling voice, "Does the Deluxe Merit Saint own the Area of the Gods? Is it possible to have a Deluxe Merit Saint in the Area of the Gods?"

"It's not entirely impossible. But there are no previous records of this." Somebody frowned and said, "I can't believe that the Deluxe Merit Saint from the Area of the Gods can use a Chaos Thunderbolt as Natural Punishment."

"We can't mess with him. We can't mess with him at all." 𝓁𝒾𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"More importantly... That buff Elephant cultivator hit the door. Right? Hitting the door counts as trespassing, too?"

"It's probably a special case in the Area of the Gods. We just... Can't mess with him."

Everyone was petrified. They looked at the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint and shuddered. They felt a chill go down their spines. It was too scary.

At that moment, they were no longer powerful cultivators. They became a bunch of ordinary cultivators that were scared of sudden thunderbolts that would fall from the sky. They were scared of being electrocuted.

The Jade Emperor genuinely said, "To be honest, we were trying to protect you just now. Why can't you understand our kindness? Who else wants to forcefully enter the place? Feel free to try for yourselves."

"Fine. Since it's the Palace of the Deluxe Merit Saint, we shall obey the rules. We came here to get familiar with you locals. From today onward, our Tianluo Sect will be in the Area of the Gods!"

"That's right. We already drank the wine. From now on, let's do things based on our capabilities. Let's look after one another."

"Farewell!"

The Jade Emperor and the others waved them farewell. "Safe travels, everyone. Come again next time."

The Empress went serious after sending off the unwelcome guests. She looked at the dead body of the Elephant and said, "Hurry up. Don't delay. Send this meat to the expert!"

Soon, the presence of the Deluxe Merit Saint in the Area of the Gods caused a huge buzz.

"What?! The Area of the Gods was not created by the Chaos? How did someone get the Deluxe Merit Flesh?"

"Not sure, but according to reliable sources and accurate theories, the Area of the Gods is a new world created by the Eldritch World, and the Deluxe Merit Saint belongs to the Eldritch World."

"So... The Deluxe Merit Saint of the Eldritch World's also the Deluxe Merit Saint of the Area of the Gods?"

"That's right. It's the most sound theory."

"Gosh! That guy's so freaking lucky. If that's the case, is he protected by the Chaos Thunderbolt? Who would dare mess with him?!"

"Sigh. Anything's possible in the Chaos. No one truly understands the Area of the Gods. All I can say is, he's a lucky one chosen by the Chaos."

"He straight-up hit the jackpot! So lucky! I'm so envious that I'm going to cry. Boohoo..."

"Damn, luck beats hard work? I'm going to have a freaking breakdown!"

Most were jealous and envious. However, a lot of them were extremely horrified.

"Hitting a door activates the Deluxe Merit Flesh, too? Is that even possible? Is that fair?"

"He's a curse! A bad omen! Avoid him as much as you can."

"Be careful from now on, everyone. If you offend the Deluxe Merit Saint, don't blame me for banishing you from our sect!"

...

Meanwhile, the Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun carried that huge black Elephant to the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

Cultivator Junjun was nervous about his first visit.

They arrived at the door of the four-part architecture. He hurriedly adjusted his clothes. Then, he looked at the Jade Emperor and said, "Jade Emperor, go and knock on the door. You must be tired from carrying the Elephant. Leave it to me."

Then, he snatched the black Elephant from the shoulders of the Jade Emperor without a second thought. He placed it on his shoulders. He looked like he was travel-worn in the blink of an eye.

The Jade Emperor was dumbfounded.

Knock knock.

"Is the Deluxe Merit Saint at home?"

Li Nianfan could be heard from within, "Yes. Push the door open and come in."

Creak.

The Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun carefully stepped into the room. Chaos Spiritual Qi washed over Cultivator Junjun. He instantly shut his eyes and enjoyed the moment.

'Is this the scent of a bigshot?'

"Yo, just come and visit. Why did you bring a gift for me?"

Li Nianfan immediately saw the huge black Elephant. Then, he saw a scrawny old man with a white beard underneath the Elephant. It was very visually impactful because of the ratio contrast.

However, the elder looked strong. He smiled at Li Nianfan.

"I wonder, you're...?"

"Lord Saint, I'm Cultivator Junjun. Sorry for the uninvited visit."

Cultivator Junjun said, "This Elephant tried to start a fight at the Heavenly Palace. We can't let good meat go to waste, so we came here to give it to you, Lord Saint."

"Haha, thanks."

Li Nianfan laughed. He complimented, "Such a buff Elephant. The meat must be rare and delicious. You're right, it would've been such a waste! You made the right choice to bring it here. Place it on an empty spot."

"Oh, alright!"

Cultivator Junjun nodded. Then, he took out a Jade Piece and passed it to Li Nianfan. He smiled and said, "I didn't make it to your wedding, Lord Saint. I truly am sorry about that. Please, don't reject my belated wedding gift."

The knowledgeable Jade Emperor looked at the Jade Piece and had to stop breathing. His face froze up.

'The Fortune Jade Piece!

'That's the Fortune Jade Piece!

'This is Hongjun's personal treasure! It's also his original treasure as a cultivator!'

It was a Chaos Spiritual Treasure. It was a flawed Chaos Spiritual Treasure.

However, it was one of the best treasures of the Eldritch World for sure.

Most importantly, the Three Thousand Wisdom was recorded there. It was like a cheat item for cultivators. It was more valuable than any treasure!

Of course, at the four-part architecture of the expert, he was not shocked at how valuable the Jade Piece was. He was more shocked at Cultivator Junjun.

'He just gave away his personal treasure without blinking. Truly the Master. So ruthless!

'No wonder this ruthless cultivator's so successful.'

Li Nianfan curiously looked at the Fortune Jade Piece. He instantly had a weird look. He said in a surprised tone, "Is this... A disk?"

#

Chapter 528

"Good eye, Lord Saint."

Cultivator Junjun looked normal. He also kissed the expert. He said, "I think this item's kind of rare, so I came here to give it to you, Lord Saint."

"It's indeed rare. I can't believe that I can see this thing here."

Li Nianfan nodded. He took the disk and inspected it.

The disk was the same as disks in his past realm, but it was slightly larger. It was a flat, round disk with a round hole at the center.

The color was Jade white. It reflected the sunlight with a holographic sheen.𝒍𝒊𝒃𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝙤𝒎

'Huh?'

Li Nianfan noticed something. He gently glided his fingers across the disk's surface. He felt patterns on it. He looked closer and saw subtle engraved patterns on the disk.

It seemed to be a mountain, and it seemed to be scenery with people in it...

He had to take out the television.

He asked curiously, "Cultivator Junjun, is this disk related to television?"

"This...this..."

Cultivator Junjun instantly froze up. He stopped breathing as his mind ran in circles. He panicked at the sudden question.

'Should I answer yes, or should I answer no?

'This is such a deep question. Is the expert testing me?

'I am not prepared at all!

'If I answer incorrectly, will the expert be disappointed?'

He did not dare let Li Nianfan wait for the answer. He forced himself to say, "May... Maybe."

"I thought so, too."

Li Nianfan nodded. Then, he placed the disk on the table. He placed the television in the round hole of the disk...

It was a perfect fit.

Buzz!

The Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun felt a slight buzz in the air. It was not only sounds, it was more like the rhythm of Wisdom. They instantly went blank the moment they heard it.

Then, they looked at the television again. They widened their eyes in disbelief at the same time.

'Some... Something happened.'

At that moment, the television shined. Then, a slight projection was projected into the air. Li Nianfan was very familiar with it. 'The opening of a 3D movie.'

However, he did not need to imagine the scenes. The television was playing on its own. "Awesome. The disk works."

Li Nianfan was pleasantly surprised. He hurriedly called Daji and the Fire Phoenix. "Daji, Fire Phoenix, I discovered a treasure. Come over here and watch."

Cultivator Junjun and the Jade Emperor held their breaths. They stared at it without blinking. Every cell in their bodies was leaping with excitement. They had goosebumps.

'This is the Fortune Disk that contains the Three Thousand Wisdom. What will the television play?'

They had a feeling that they were about to witness a Godly miracle. They were about to witness a life-changing opportunity!

Finally, the visuals slowly appeared.

Everything was jet-black.

"This...this is..."

The darkness grew and covered everything. It became the endless Chaos.

Stars swirled and the galaxy moved. Time was non-existent in a place like that. It was as if a moment had passed, or perhaps several billion years had passed. 𝓁𝒾𝘣𝑟𝑒𝘢𝘥.𝘤𝘰𝑚

They sensed a hint of aura from the silent universe.

They thought they would see life from the movement of the aura. However... It was not.

It was the aura of Wisdom.

The aura was weak at first. It drifted in the Chaos with nowhere to go.

Suddenly, the aura grew larger and expanded. A sound was born.

Drip drop! Drip drop!

It was the sound of water. A single drop of water contained the possibility of every living being ever. The aura of Wisdom was extremely intense.

Then, there were thunderstorms, flames, and frost...

The aura of Wisdom swirled in the Chaos. It gave birth, destroyed, annihilated...

Everything repeated itself. Wisdom kept improving itself.

The Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun were mesmerized. They had forgotten everything. They were immersed in the universe. They felt the power of the world wash over them like a baptism.

However, they were too puny. They felt like a drop of water amidst a huge sea. Any wave could drown them, forcing them to return to the sea.

Just when they were mesmerized, the feeling suddenly stopped out of nowhere. They snapped back to reality. Their backs were drenched with cold sweat.

'Thank God, I almost lost myself in the endless Wisdom. I almost merged into Wisdom.'

The Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun sighed in relief. Their hair stood on ends and they were still terrified.

'Did the expert save us from the verge of death?'

"Come on. Isn't this the Evolution of the Universe? This is so boring!"

Li Nianfan held the disk. He shook his head. "It's a shame. I was quite curious. I got excited for nothing."

'Bo—Boring?'

Cultivator Junjun and the Jade Emperor had to twitch their mouths. They could not describe how they felt at the moment.

'That's the Three Thousand Wisdom, man!'

The expert projected the Three Thousand Wisdom with the Fortune Disk and the television. He thought it was... Boring?!

Any hint of Wisdom in there would make cultivators go nuts!

'Is this the difference between me and a bigshot?'

Cultivator Junjun was irrecoverably shocked. He was mentally prepared to visit the expert but he still could not handle it. The expert was too powerful beyond his understanding.

He spent all his years of effort on the Fortune Disk but could only achieve a tiny bit of Wisdom.

He was also pleased with every hint of Wisdom he achieved. In recollection, he was so ashamed that he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

They called the Fortune Disk a cheating item for cultivators. However, it was not only a cheating item when it was used by the expert. It became an invincible hacking item.

For example, Cultivator Junjun wanted Wisdom like a thirsty person wanted water. However, he spent a whole lot of time squeezing out a drop of water. Li Nianfan casually tossed out an entire sea.

It was not the issue of quenching his thirst. It was simply too much to handle. He almost drowned in the intensity.

Cultivator Junjun looked at Li Nianfan with gratitude. He heavily sighed and thought to himself, 'The expert immersed me in a sea of Wisdom, then pulled me out at a crucial moment. This had surpassed my gratefulness for resurrection. I can't repay his kindness at all!'

The Jade Emperor was more than confused.

He blinked.

'Did I just...have a breakthrough?'

He looked at the disk. 'Am I a certified Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal?'

It was an once-in-a-lifetime blessing. It was unimaginable.

'The Empress will cry from envious regret if she knows about this when I get back...'

"Oh yeah. I haven't served tea for you guys yet."

Li Nianfan told Daji, "Daji, serve some tea and fruit platters."

Daji softly nodded. "Yes."

Cultivator Junjun hurriedly said, "Lord Saint, no need to be so courteous."

He meant it.

They were already blessed by the expert with one visit. Even his shameless self was too embarrassed to gain more benefits.

He gave him the Fortune Disk. However, the expert gave him something more. It was overloaded.

The expert was so generous that they were ashamed!

The Jade Emperor asked curiously, "Lord Saint, what's Xiao Bai doing?"

From the moment they entered the four-part architecture, Xiao Bai had been busy. There was a lot of rare and weird equipment in the yard. The oil pot was bubbling away, too. Xiao Bai was distractingly busy.

"Making some snacks and candy."

Li Nianfan smiled. Then, he casually said, "Actually, we're planning a trip. We're going to bring some snacks for the road."

Li Nianfan had been planning for a honeymoon trip after the wedding. However, it was postponed because of bad timing. He planned to continue with the honeymoon trip when he felt like things were more under control.

As for the snacks and candy, it was purely made for Daji and Fire Phoenix.

He did not have high standards for snacks. So, he was too lazy to make it himself.

However, he started to make snacks for Daji and the Fire Phoenix. He wanted to let them taste something new and different. After all, he was the type to spoil his wives.

The Jade Emperor asked, "Lord Saint, you're going out?"

Li Nianfan nodded. He smiled and said, "You guys came at the right time. I was just about to ask about the situation outside."

"The Eldritch World changed drastically. There are a lot of powerful cultivators coming in from the Chaos. The Eldritch World is now known as the Area of the Gods."

The Jade Emperor groaned for a moment. He continued to say, "Now, a lot of forces are rooting in the Area of the Gods. They had set up cultivation sects and clans. At the same time, there are a lot of troubles. Lord Saint, if you want to know more about that, I'll order someone to gather all related information in the shortest time possible."

Li Nianfan did not try to be courteous. He saluted and said, "Thanks for the help then, Emperor."

The Jade Emperor hurriedly waved it off, "You're too kind, Lord Saint. It's nothing much."

Li Nianfan said, "Oh yeah. I have another question. I hope you can answer me honestly, Emperor."

The Jade Emperor instantly straightened up. "Feel free to ask, Lord Saint."

"I want to confirm something. Now that the world has shifted, is my Deluxe Merit Flesh getting stronger, too? I wonder if I still have my self-defense powers?"

Li Nianfan cared about that a lot. After all, it was one of his most important powers. He would be more at ease during the trip if he could confirm it.

'Self-defense?'

The Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun had to look at the half-charred black Elephant at the same time.

'Are you serious?

'You even have a Chaos Thunderbolt. The Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal that was electrocuted to death is still peacefully lying there!

'Isn't your self-defense powers too over the top?'

The Jade Emperor and Cultivator Junjun finally knew why the black Elephant existed. The Elephant existed just so they could answer that question of the expert!

Chapter 529

Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

The Jade Emperor used the entire workforce of the Heavenly Palace and finally listed out a descriptive Area of the Gods situation.

A map was also attached but it was very messy. Big forces and cities were marked, along with information on the cities.

With the information, Li Nianfan had a clearer understanding of the Area of the Gods. It was quite helpful.

At the same time, he was sentimental about the changes of the Eldritch World.

"I can't believe so many forces joined us. It's getting crowded."

'The Legendary Demon Sect that cultivates with the Demons. The Witchcraft Sect in the South Hill Maze. The Empaths that cultivate Human Emotions, and all sorts of Demons and Magical Beasts...'

Of course, there was a lot of havoc, too.

As the old saying went, 'There's little common ground between people with different principles.' There was also another saying, 'Hundreds of flowers that bloom together, die together.'

Whether the battles were between good and evil, or battles between their own kind, battles were bound to happen at any given moment in the Area of the Gods. It would definitely be interesting.

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Good. Everything's ready. We're good to go."

The Jade Emperor said, "Lord Saint, if you run into any trouble, just say the word. Someone from the Heavenly Palace will get there as soon as possible."

"Alright. I won't be courteous then," Li Nianfan laughed and casually said.

Deep down, he knew that he would not run into any trouble.

Daji and Fire Phoenix were with him. No one would dare get close to them.

Also, he had the defense Immortal Item on. His life was insured. Moreover, he could activate his Deluxe Merit Flesh. He did not think he was invincible, but no one would dare mess with him.

He had to check out the bustling Area of the Gods.

When he arrived at the Eldritch World, he wanted to check out the different worlds. The Eldritch World once again shifted and changed. He had also improved. It was a waste not to travel and experience different cultures.

The Jade Emperor followed Li Nianfan to the door of the four-part architecture.

As they almost said their farewells, Li Nianfan suddenly asked with curiosity, "Oh yeah. Emperor, you guys must be busy lately?"

"Sigh. Don't even mention it."

The Jade Emperor looked troubled and worried. They were not only busy, they were busier than ever.

Various forces had risen in the realms. They had Ghost troubles, Demon troubles, and evil forces. In a short amount of time, havoc rained down on them and peaked like crazy. Various powerful forces were dying to make a move. Some were also scheming in secrecy.

Most importantly, no powerful sects cared about the Heavenly Palace.

The Jade Emperor felt like it was déjà vu.

It was just like when the Heavenly Palace first started. The religious sects, Humans, Dragons, Demons, and all the others ignored the Heavenly Palace.

Of course, things were much more complex than before because there were too many sects and Orthodoxies.

The Heavenly Palace was responsible for managing the three realms. Even the Jade Emperor wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it was.

They could never manage the Area of the Gods with their capabilities. It was the Area of the Gods. They could only try to do their best.

The Jade Emperor thought of something. He said, "To be honest, Lord Saint. The Heavenly Palace set up a new Orthodoxy, called the White Jade Capital. Lady Luo Shiyu suggested the name. She was inspired by one of your poems, Lord Saint."

"Majestic White Jade Capital. Twelve towers and five city gates. I'm not ordinary. I leadeth an Immortal life. It was an old poem. I can't believe that Luo Shiyu still remembers that." Li Nianfan had to chuckle. He sounded like he missed the old times.

Back then, Nanan insisted on cultivating. He gave her a poem to encourage her. The girl was an extraordinary cultivator. She was probably exploring in the Area of the Gods.

The Jade Emperor spoke from the heart, "The poem's fantastic. Only you can recite it well, Lord Saint. It's unforgettable."

"I was just following the artistic culture. Alright. It's time to say farewell."

Li Nianfan saluted the Jade Emperor and said, "Emperor, this is our farewell. If you don't mind, you can tell Xiao Bai to hand you some candy. We have a lot of candy at home. Think of it as my wedding candy. I hope everyone can try it."

The Jade Emperor was overjoyed. He hurriedly said with excitement, "Hey, of course, I don't mind. I don't mind at all. Thanks, Lord Saint!"

It was super nice to work for the expert. Every visit and occasional help would end up with huge rewards. It was unimaginable.

The powerful forces in the Area of the Gods would fight. They fought hard for the occasional opportunities. The Jade Emperor wanted to laugh.

'You guys are at the starting line, but I'm already at the finish line.

'Why aren't we the same? It's because the bigshots we bootlick aren't the same.'

The Jade Emperor merrily went off to take some candy from Xiao Bai. Li Nianfan walked down the mountain with Daji and Fire Phoenix.

Just like usual, Fire Phoenix turned into a little red bird and rested on his shoulder.

The trip truly felt convenient.

The mountains were much higher. The nearby Fallen Town was far away from the Fallen Immortal Mountain. He wondered where it was.

Li Nianfan picked an estimated direction for Fallen Town and rode on clouds.

They were flying fast, but they still flew for an hour. There was no sight of any cities. They saw a Passageway at the bottom of their feet. So, they landed on the Passageway and walked.

It was clear that they went off in the wrong direction. They flew to a further area.

However, the three of them were out for a trip. They did not have a goal, so they did not mind it that much.𝓁𝘪𝘣𝘳ℯ𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝑜𝓂

Since there was a Passageway, it meant that there was a village or a town nearby. There would at least be some residents. Li Nianfan was about to ask someone for directions.

Clop! Clop!

Soon, they heard horses galloping. Then, they saw a leisure horse carriage.

The horse rider was an old man. He had a horsewhip in hand, occasionally whipping the two horses that pulled the carriage. They stumbled forward on the uneven Passageway.

He did not expect to see people on the Passageway, so he naturally looked at Li Nianfan with curiosity. His eyes almost popped out from his skull as he stared. He almost fell from the horse carriage. The old man hurriedly shook his head and looked away. He did not dare to look anymore.

'She's too pretty. Is she a Goddess from Heaven?'

The horse carriage got closer. Li Nianfan saluted and asked, "Sir, can you stop the horse carriage for a moment?"

Neigh!

The old man tugged on the ropes, but he had his head down. He asked, "Young man, are you trying to hitchhike?"

"Sir, what are you...?"

The old man hurriedly said, "Young man, your lady's too pretty to look at. I can't live peacefully anymore if I keep looking at her."

Li Nianfan had to laugh awkwardly.

Truthfully, he already tried to tone it down. He told Fire Phoenix to transform into a little red bird, and he told Daji to dress more plainly. She also used makeup to look more approachable, but she was still intimidatingly gorgeous. It could not be helped.

Li Nianfan asked, "Sir, I want to ask. How do we get to Fallen Town?"

"Fallen Town? That's so far away."

The old man was taken aback. He said, "I've been to Fallen Town multiple times before the Area of the Gods. But now, a lot of locations have shifted. The distance between places has also become further. You can't reach there without spending half a month."

"I see..."

Li Nianfan mumbled to himself. Then, he said in an indifferent tone, "Can you give us a ride to the nearest town? Money isn't a problem."

The old man smiled earnestly, "Of course. Hop in, young man."

Li Nianfan and Daji got on the carriage. The horses kept going.

'This young man's so lucky. He married a lady as beautiful as a Goddess', the old man thought to himself as he steered the carriage. He was incredibly envious. He thought about his own wife and felt bitter.

'But, ordinary people can't handle such a pretty wife.'

He comforted himself. He felt internally stirred on the way. The horses kept going until they reached an intersection.

The elder used his whip. He was familiar with the place. His instinct was to head into one of the roads. Suddenly, he tugged on the ropes. He stopped the carriage on a whim.

After a short moment, he made some sort of decision. He pulled the ropes and steered the carriage onto the other road...

#

Chapter 530

"The road he chose has Ghost energy."

Daji gave Li Nianfan a shoulder massage in the horse carriage. She said, "He seems to be struggling and frightened."

"Ghost energy?"

Li Nianfan slightly arched his eyebrow. He asked curiously, "Is the rider going to hurt us? Can you girls defeat this Ghost energy?"

Daji replied, "It's a puny Ghost. Don't worry, Sister Fire Phoenix and I are here. No one can put you in danger."𝘭𝑖𝘣𝓇ℯ𝘢𝒹.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Li Nianfan smiled with relief. He thought it was interesting. "Whatever then. Let's see it as an adventure."

He was not ashamed of being protected by his wives at all. 'Only youngsters don't understand the benefits of having dominant wives.'

Moreover, his dominant wives were truly beautiful. It was all-around beneficial...

Clop! Clop!

The horses kept going. There were no other sounds on the way. Soon, they reached a milestone. The milestone was engraved with two words, 'Qingshan Village'.

There were always towns near villages. A city would always be built in the center, while villages were built around the city. Most of the Immortal Realm was constructed like that. It was popularized by the Xia Kingdom. After all, Humans were social beings. They lived in a community, especially in the Immortal Realm. There were not a lot of villages that were on their own.

The horse carriage stopped in front of the milestone. The old man was a bit dazed. He fell into some sort of hesitation. He shouted at the horse carriage, "Young man, Qingshan Village is upfront. Shall we head inside?"

Li Nianfan replied, "Continue onward."

"Alright."

The old man instantly looked less troubled. He sighed in relief and felt less guilty.

'You're the one who said we should head in. Don't blame me if anything happens.'

The horse carriage moved past the milestone.

Li Nianfan opened the curtains and looked outside. He saw a lively river with green mossy grass along the way. There were a lot of trees, too. The environment looked quite nice.

They could see rows of houses in the direction that they were moving. There were a lot of shadowy figures, too. It looked like a cursed village.

Li Nianfan thought something was creepy. There were a lot of people gathering in front of the village gates.

Moreover, they were mostly ladies.

They all looked beautiful.

The ladies all looked up like they were searching for their husbands.

Someone was guarding the village gates, too, but the guards ignored the passersby. Li Nianfan wondered what they were there for.

The old man had a slightly trembling voice as he said, "Young... Young man, we're here."

Li Nianfan got off the carriage with Daji. He casually said, "Thanks, how much?"

"Ah! So pretty!"

The crowd at the village gates suddenly squealed and screamed, especially the ladies. Previously, they looked troubled and worried.

However, they were suddenly cheerful. They were flushed with excitement. They stared at Daji without blinking as if they were obsessed.

If the ladies were reacting like that toward Li Nianfan, he would be very pleased. However, they were reacting like that toward Daji. It was very odd.

Li Nianfan had to frown. He silently hid Daji behind him. 'Compliment me instead.'

"No, no need to pay!"

The old man still had his head down. This time, it was because he did not dare to look at Li Nianfan.

He went to the guards at the gates and was mysteriously rewarded with an expensive sack of silver.

"Farewell, young man."

The old man hurriedly left on the horse carriage before Li Nianfan could ask him anything.

Li Nianfan and Daji walked to the guards. He asked curiously, "Did that old man just accept a sack of rewards?"

The leader of the guards was a middle-aged man. He looked at the two of them with mixed emotions. He nodded and replied, "That's right. It's the reward for bringing you guys here."

The nearby ladies looked at Daji with excitement, but the nearby guys looked at Daji with sympathy.

A man came up to them and said, "Pal, bring your wife to our village for a good meal. Feel free to eat. It's free."

Li Nianfan frowned. He thought it was out of the blue. Suddenly, he heard a lady's voice coming from behind—

"I heard that there's a reward of ten silvers if we bring a beautiful woman here, and we can eat for free. Is it true?"

He turned around. He saw a lady in a pastel green chiffon dress. She had shoulder-length hair. There was a Huadian on her forehead which made her more attractive.

She had very few clothes on. A breeze went by and blew her chiffon dress up. Her long, snow-white legs were revealed. She also had a red silk belt tied on her skinny waist.

A young man stood behind the lady. He was troubled and disturbed by what the lady said.

The siblings walked to the guards. The lady said, "Give me the silver then."

The guard was kind of dumbfounded. He gave her the sack of silver. "Here."

The lady took the sack of silver and inspected it. She satisfyingly chuckled.

Li Nianfan was weirded out. "Free money for beautiful ladies? Really?"

That was discrimination in looks and discrimination in gender.

"What? This is life-risking money!"

The lady pouted. The ordinary Li Nianfan was not as attractive as Daji. The lady was instantly distracted by Daji.

She smirked and mysteriously said, "I don't mind telling you this. In Qingshan Village, the most beautiful woman in the village will die every three days!"

Li Nianfan was slightly taken aback. "The most beautiful woman will die?"

"Yikes. Scary, right?"

The lady shook her head. She smiled and said, "That bunch of women all felt like they were beautiful. So, they were worried that they'd be the next one to die. But, when they saw this lady over here, they naturally sighed in relief. They were cheering because at least someone's more beautiful than them."

"I see."

Li Nianfan nodded. No wonder the ladies were so excited but the men looked sympathetic.

'As long as beautiful women keep coming into the village, the women villagers don't have to die. No wonder they rather give out free money.

'In other words, Daji and I have been swindled by the old man? How treacherous.'

The lady continued, "But it's fine now because I'm here. Her curse naturally transferred to me."

The young man said without a second thought, "Sis, I don't think the curse transferred at all."

Bam!

The young man instantly had a swollen head. He felt dizzy from the bruises.

The lady stopped. She said calmly, "Excuse me, my little brother likes to talk nonsense. Please, forgive him."

'Is that nonsense?

'It's clearly the truth!

Everyone looked at her fists and swallowed their words. 'Forget it. The truth is in our hearts. There's no use saying it out loud.'

"Guys, let's have a meal together. I'm buying," the lady laughed. She acted generously, but in reality, it was a free meal anyway.

The four of them went to eat at a restaurant.

The villagers knew what would happen to Daji, so they were very friendly and polite toward her. They served her the best wine and food.

It was a promise of the entire village, together with the sympathy and guilt toward the dead.

Through conversation, Li Nianfan found out the names of the siblings, Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun. He also found out some information on Qingshan Village.

It used to be an ordinary village until a month ago. They had Ghosts after the death of one lady.

Qin Yun looked serious. He said, "According to what we know, this dead lady was naturally ugly, which was why she was rejected and bullied by everyone. No man would like her. She had a lot of loneliness, pain, grief, and hatred in her heart.

"She committed suicide a month ago! According to someone who saw the body, the lady died horrifically. She used a knife to carve her chin into a V-shaped face while she was alive. She also sliced her eyes and nose. It was a horrifying sight!"

Li Nianfan sighed heavily. "So, she turned into a Ghost to seek revenge?"

Qin Yun nodded. "Apparently. Otherwise, she wouldn't target the pretty ones."

Qin Chuyue smiled and said, "She'll strike tonight. I carefully compared our looks, this lady and I are equally as beautiful. For safety measures, you guys should stay close to me. I'll fight this Ghost! Leave it to me!"

Li Nianfan and Daji looked at each other. They smiled and said, "No problem."

The night was dead silent.

The villagers generously let them stay at a spacious and luxurious villa.

Li Nianfan and the others did not sleep. They all waited in the living room with the candles on.

Qin Chuyue was the only one who was busy. She had a Bi disk and a bell. She also stuck stickers of ritual runes everywhere. From the looks of it, she seemed to be a professional. Li Nianfan felt that it was very interesting to see something that looked like it was from a horror movie.

He had never seen anything like that before in the Immortal Realm. 'Perhaps the siblings are outsiders?'

The night gradually turned dark.

Whoosh—

The wind blew.

Candlelight started to sway with the wind. Lights flickered like they could go out at any moment.

The yard door that was shut suddenly shook. Then, there was a loud creak sound! The door was wide open!

It was pitch-black outside. Nothing was there. A sudden strong wind blew out the candlelight. The room was fully dark. The moonlight could not reach them.

"Being ugly is a sin!

"I'll kill you.

"Your eyes are mine.

"Your nose is mine.

"Your whole face is mine!"

The voice was as chilling as the cold wind. It echoed and sent shivers down their spines.

Qin Chuyue cast a spell.

Flames instantly appeared. She ignited the rune papers and cast away the darkness.

A white shadowy figure suddenly appeared outside the yard door. She slowly floated inside.

"She came to look for me!"

Qin Chuyue looked serious. She instantly ran out. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝒐𝙢

However, the white shadowy figure did not look at her at all. She floated right past her.

Qin Chuyue blocked her again.

"Tell me now. Am I the prettiest lady in the village?"

The white shadowy figure steered away from her. She coldly said, "Clearly not."

#

Chapter 531

Qin Chuyue did not look happy at all. She continued to block her path.

"I'll give you another chance. Look closely again. Do you want me to kill you?"

"I came here to kill the prettiest lady today. For those who don't want to die, scream!"

The white shadowy figure was impatient. She looked at Qin Chuyue and said coldly, "You, back of the line!"

Qin Chuyue's hair stood on end from being pissed. She was trembling from anger. "I'll kill you!"

She raised her hand. Her fingers were entangled with invisible strands. She pulled—

Ring!

The surrounding bells rang. Then, the strands were pulled in like a spider's web. The white shadowy figure was wrapped in a cocoon.

"Hmph," Qin Chuyue softly sneered. She smiled victoriously, "Say it. Who's the prettiest now?"

The white shadowy figure looked at her. She struggled as she said, "You...you're...not."

"Sis, she's such an honest Ghost. So rare nowadays."

Qin Yun burst out laughing. He walked out from the living room with Li Nianfan and Daji.

He focused on something as soon as he saw it. It was stunning.

'Yikes—such a big weapon!'

Her breasts were pushed up because her body was wrapped by strands. Her clothes might rip if her breasts were slightly bigger.

Qin Chuyue slightly frowned. She had to look down. She easily saw her own feet without any obstructions.

She was instantly jealous. She released the strands on the chest of the Ghost.

However, her breasts were still plump...

Li Nianfan finally saw what the Ghost looked like. She had a long white dress that covered her arms and legs. Her body looked boneless. Her long hair was messy.

Her face was not as ugly as he expected. She had big eyes, skinny brows, a small button nose, and small cherry lips. Her facial features were very delicate and refined. She was a beauty for sure.

However, her face was generally creepy. It was as if her facial features were put together.

The female Ghost saw Daji. She instantly shivered like she saw the best scenery. She was obsessed.

She was drunk on her beauty like a drunkard looking at the most beautiful wine.

She stared at Daji without moving or blinking. Her powers were activated and visibly growing!

Ring! Ring!

The bells shook like crazy. The strands became tighter but it was quite useless.

"Such a pretty face! Too pretty. I can't believe there's a face that looks pretty." 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝓂

The Ghost was deranged from excitement. "Perfect! It's mine! It's mine! Once I have this face, no man can endure my charm! I'll rise, I'll be reborn!

"Haha! Beauty, here I come!"

"Oh no, she saw her deepest desire! Back up!"

Qin Chuyue reached into her sack. She took out some silver and tossed it into the Bi disk.

"Silver for fire!"

Fume—

The disk instantly shined. She pointed it at the female Ghost.

The strands on the Ghost ignited in flames. Fire engulfed her in the blink of an eye.

"My face! My face!"

The female Ghost finally moved amidst the flames. She was indifferent to the flames. She tore off the strands that tied her up. Black energy appeared around her and extinguished the flames.

The Ghost energy was more intense than ever. Her Ghost body seemed to grow more opaque. She stared at Daji with greed and obsession. Her eyes were livelier than ever.

"Damn, is that girl so pretty? This Ghost is fully obsessed. She improved so much."

Qin Chuyue clenched her jaw and pointed at the disk. She looked pained. "Wasting money again. What a waste!"

Then, she took out five silvers from her sack.

"Five silvers for lightning!"

Click-clack!

The torn strands instantly sparked with electricity at the female Ghost.

Electricity danced like crazy in an instant. There were lightning bolts and thunder in the yard. The yard lit up as the lightning attacked the Ghost. She found it hard to move.

"Money...for spells?" Li Nianfan was utterly surprised. He could not believe how interesting it was.

'Lost, tricked, ran into Ghost, and magical spells...

'What an experience.

'This trip's so worth it.'

Qin Yun smiled and said, "My sister's a little money fanatic. She uses silver as cultivation. But...she's still as stingy as ever. She only used five silvers to buy lightning, but it's far from enough."

Li Nianfan looked at Daji. He wanted Daji to help them.

Suddenly, Qin Yun had a foldable fan in his hand. He suddenly had the vibe of an invincible handsome warrior. He said slowly, "An emotionally wounded girl needs to be tamed with my romance.

"After all, I'm the famous guide for lost girls!

"Sis, back down!"

He yelled with confidence. He stepped forward and asked with a deep voice, "Ruhua, is that you? Ruhua."

The female Ghost slightly jolted. She turned to look at Qin Yun with confusion. She asked, "Do you know me?"

"No, but I heard about your story."

Qin Yun stared into her eyes. He flapped the fan open in a cool way. "Why are you obsessed with other girls' faces? Are you still with another face? What about the people who love you?"

Ruhua had a stronger resentment. She said in a tragic tone, "Nobody loves me. No one will ever love me. I'm too ugly."

"Silly girl, I'm here for you. Right?"

Qin Yun smiled gracefully. He slowly walked toward Ruhua, "Beauty and ugliness are subjective. You're the prettiest in my eyes. Every smile of yours is mesmerizing."

No one talked to Ruhua while she was alive, much less flirted with her. She instantly blushed as her heart started beating faster. Her resentment stopped. She backed away like a little girl when she saw the incoming Qin Yun.

She was backed to the wall. Qin Yun lifted his hand and pressed her against it. He perfectly pinned her against the wall.

He said in a bossy yet soft voice, "Listen to me, you're the prettiest. Be brave to be yourself, Ruhua."

Li Nianfan stood there like a fool. He saw the entire thing. 'Awesome.'

"But... I really am ugly. I don't want to disappoint you." Ruhua was hesitant.

Qin Yun shook his head. "No, don't say that. Let me see what you look like without makeup, sweetie."

Ruhua was touched. She nodded with tears in her eyes. "Alright, here I go."

Then, she buried her head. Her long hair covered her face. She lifted her head after a while.

Her long hair slowly moved aside and revealed her face.

Qin Yun froze up like a statue.

Ruhua moaned, "Hmph, why are you staring at me like that? I'm shy, you know."

Even her voice changed...

Blergh—

Qin Yun gagged. His face went green and he almost cried. He covered his mouth and backed off frantically. "Oh—"

Ruhua instantly looked pissed. Her Ghost energy started to roll out like a tsunami. She stared at Qin Yun with crazy red eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Excuse me, I... Blergh! I wasn't trying to insult you or anything."

Qin Yun frantically backed away. "What I'm trying to say is, you should look at your positive attributes. You aren't pretty, but you're... busty!"

"It's not mine either!"

Ruhua shrieked, "You scum! I'll kill you!"

Qin Chuyue instantly bent over from laughing. "Yo, my dearest brother. The guide for lost girls. This is your sweetie now. Why are you running?"

"No, I was wrong. I can't guide this one."

#

Chapter 532

"Don't go!"

Ruhua was clearly deranged. She was full of resentful energy. Her black Ghost energy had turned to tentacles. Qin Yun was grabbed by the ankle. It started to drag him toward her.

"You let me down, but I still choose to forgive you. After all, you're the first man to make my heart beat. Come on, baby. Come into my arms."

"No, no! Let go of me, you ugly resentful Ghost!"

Qin Yun had overflowing tears. It looked like waves. He held on to a nearby tree for dear life.

However, Ruhua pulled so hard that the tree was uprooted from the ground. Qin Yun was slowly dragged toward her.

"Ha. You called me sweetie, but now you call me a resentful Ghost once I take off my makeup. Men..."

Qin Yun yelled tragically, "Sis, my own sister, save me! Help!"

"Yikes, so noisy. I got it!"

Qin Chuyue waved. She looked serious. She tossed out another 10 pieces of silver. Her powers were activated. She swiped out a longsword out of thin air. "Ten silver for a sword!"

The longsword had a white halo's shine. The aura of the sword was similar to cultivation powers, but not quite. It contained a hint of Insights.

"Chop!"

The sword soared and slashed through the horizon. It chopped through the intense Ghost energy. It looked like the sword was about to behead Ruhua. However, Ruhua gently raised her hand and blocked the attack.

"Sis, sister!"

Qin Yun cried like a helpless child. He panicked, "Can you stop saving money at this point?! I'm your little brother. Can't you spend more money?"

"No!"

Qin Chuyue had the longsword in her hand. She scolded him, "Who asked you to flirt with her? You made the Ghost more resentful. Do you know that? I lost six silvers this time! If I have to keep spending money because of your foolishness. I don't want you as a brother anymore!"

Qin Chuyue felt hurt.

She came to the village to defeat a Ghost and for the free silver.

She thought it was a fantastic deal. However, she did expect to run into the gorgeous Daji. The female Ghost became much more powerful. Then, her brother made things worse by being a flirt. The Ghost was more resentful than ever.

She did not earn money and she lost an extra six silvers. Her eyes were teary from her losses. 'My money!'

Fire Phoenix watched the show from Li Nianfan's shoulder. She lifted her claw and scratched her feathers. One golden feather trembled with her body.

She said, "The siblings have Wisdom Veins in them."

Daji nodded, "I felt that, too. But it's weird. The girl's only a cultivator from the Yuan Ying realm while the guy isn't a cultivator at all. However, they can manipulate Insights. It's either a rare miracle or they downgraded. Perhaps they have the cultivation but lost their powers."

Cultivators trained their powers before they trained their Wisdom.

It was an unchanging rule.

Wisdom would be faint if the cultivators were weak. They could not gain Wisdom overnight. Therefore, weak cultivators usually have poor Wisdom.

There were a lot of new outsider cultivators, but the basic rule would not change!

Li Nianfan spoke up. "Daji, hurry up and help them."

"Yes."

Daji nodded and slowly walked toward the battlefield.

Qin Yun was horrified. He was less than a meter away from the female Ghost. Qin Chuyue tried her best to interfere. She struggled and hesitated. She was unsure whether she should spend more money.

The three of them suddenly noticed the incoming Daji. They were all surprised.

"My face! My beautiful face is walking toward me!"

Ruhua was interested and excited. She cast Qin Yun aside. Her creepy Ghost energy started to slither toward Daji.

"Lady Daji, watch out, you..."

Qin Chuyue choked on her words as her eyes widened at the incredible sight.

The Ghost energy started to freeze as it got close to Daji!

Finally, it froze completely.

Then, the ice started to spread toward the Ghost. It easily froze Ruhua without a warning!

"How's this possible?!"

Ruhua shuddered and looked at Daji with horror. She could not accept it. More so, she was jealous. "You're already so beautiful, so why are you also powerful? Why? Why? This is so unfair!"

Her resentment poured out, but it was no use. She could not stop the ice at all.

All her resentment, anger, and hatred were meaningless.

It was cold!

A stinging cold started to wrap around her body.

She recalled a moment from many years ago when she was still young. Someone poured a bucket of cold water on her. Her clothes were drenched. She felt so cold.

Nobody pitied her. Some would not even look at her. She was forever accompanied by mockery and contempt.

Her resentment was through the roof.

One day, a voice whispered in her ear. The voice told her that she could start over if she died. She could be the most beautiful woman in the world.

She did it. She could not believe that it was true.

The first thing she did as a Resentful Spirit was to kill the girl who kept making fun of her. The girl was always proud of her beautiful eyes, so she took them and put them on herself. Then, she changed her nose. She also changed her mouth...

Soon, everybody knew her story. Humanity was indeed corrupted.

They would invite all the beautiful girls to their village to avoid death. They tricked them, stole from them, abducted them, and bought them. They used all sorts of ways.

'Haha, but isn't that better?

'This will make me beautiful soon.

'I finally found the most beautiful face in the world. This face is perfect, but... This face is toxic.

'That pretty face won't be mine...'

In the yard.

The Ghost energy froze. Ruhua was at the center of the ice statue. It looked like a frozen lotus flower.

Clang!

The lotus flower shattered into ice crystals. It shimmered under the moonlight.

All was peaceful in the silent night. The moonlight stayed the same, as if it was only an ordinary night.

The siblings looked at Daji with slightly hanging jaws. They said tremblingly, "You...you...you...

"You're a cultivator!"

They were completely shocked. Li Nianfan and the others were too alike ordinary people. Cultivators were somewhat different from ordinary people. Even if cultivators hid their auras, other people could still sense their extraordinary manner.

The siblings did doubt her identity because she was too beautiful. However... After close observations, they knew she was not a cultivator.

They were wrong. She was not only a cultivator, she was a super-powerful expert.

"Phew—"

Qin Chuyue sighed in relief. "Good riddance. I saved a lot of unnecessary expenses."

Qin Yun looked at Li Nianfan. He questioned him, "Mr. Li, are you really an ordinary man?"

"In the flesh."

Qin Yun widened his eyes. "And you married a super beautiful Goddess as your wife?"

Daji cuddled his arm. She said softly, "My Master's indeed an ordinary man."

"No! I'm not an ordinary man! I'm a Master of romance!"

Qin Yun was in awe. "Master of romance, please take me in as your student!"

Li Nianfan felt proud of his beautiful wife. He shook his head. He smiled and said, "I just got lucky."

He did not want to acknowledge the playboy. He yawned and said, "Daji, it's getting late. Let's go rest."

"Master of romance! The real-life Master of romance!"

Qin Yun watched as they left. He sighed and said, "I had studied and practiced hard on flirting. I can't believe Mr. Li's a hundred times better than me at romance."

"Ha. You aren't too shabby yourself. After all, you're the man who dared to guide Ruhua. I salute you, brave man."

Qin Yun exclaimed with anger, "Sis, you're too mean! Blood's thicker than water. Is your own brother not worth the money?"

"I can't spend more than ten silvers." 𝙡𝙞𝒃𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝒎

...

The next day.

There were a lot of people gathering outside the yard. They all peeked inside.

Creak.

Li Nianfan and the others walked out from the yard.

The crowd instantly became noisy when they saw that Li Nianfan and the others were fine.

Daji said, "We took care of the female Ghost. You can relax, everyone. She won't come up to hurt anyone again."

"Really?"

They could not believe it, but it was probably true since Daji was fine. They instantly cheered. They all knelt to the floor and thanked them.

Qin Chuyue scoffed. She said, "You should thank all those poor girls that died before you!"

They walked out from Qingshan Village. Qin Chuyue asked curiously, "Mr. Li, where are you heading next?"

"Where am I heading next?"

Li Nianfan thought about it. He shook his head and said, "I don't have a clear goal. I just married Daji, so we came out for a short sightseeing trip."

"Wow, so romantic!"

Qin Chuyue looked envious. "A trip after the wedding. That's an excellent idea!"

"Well, since you don't have a goal, how about you come with us to defeat Ghosts?" Qin Chuyue looked excited.

Li Nianfan asked curiously, "Sure, I don't see why not. Where are you going to defeat Ghosts?"

"The Xia Kingdom, of course!"

Qin Chuyue smiled and said, "According to my knowledge, the Emperor of the Xia Kingdom fell into a deep slumber. He cannot wake up. I think it must be the work of a Resentful Spirit!"

Li Nianfan was slightly taken aback. He asked in a weird tone, "Emperor of the Xia Kingdom? Zhou Yunwu?"

Qin Chuyue kept nodding, "Yes, yes, that's him."

Li Nianfan asked, "How do you know it's the work of a Resentful Spirit?"

"It's just a guess but it's probably true."

Qin Chuyue analyzed, "The Xia Kingdom's blessed with Luck. Ghosts don't dare to get close to them. However, there has been a surge of Resentful Spirits. That means that the Luck of the Xia Kingdom has weakened.

"Plus, the Emperor fell into a coma. It can't be a coincidence."

Li Nianfan nodded. He asked curiously, "You aren't from the Area of the Gods, why do you care about the Xia Kingdom?"

"Duh? Since the beginning of time, heroes and villains don't see eye-to-eye. If I let Resentful Spirits take over the Xia Kingdom, they'll take over the Area of the Gods sooner or later. How can I claim to be righteous by then?"

Qin Chuyue looked prideful. She paused, then she exclaimed, "Moreover... The rewards are great!"

Qin Yun pouted. "Sis, you purely want to earn money."

"Shut up, stinky brother. I won't let you insult money!"

Qin Chuyue slapped Qin Yun on the back of his head. She said angrily, "Silver money defines the value of items. Everything makes sense because of money. Money carries the emotions of living beings. It relates to the life and death of living beings. It allows me to buy whatever I want!

"Do you know how it is to earn money?"

#

Chapter 533

Qin Yun said, "All that can't change the fact that you're money-obsessed."

Qin Chuyue said out of the blue, "Give me your money."

"Impossible! No way! Over my dead body!"

"Ha..."

Li Nianfan was ashamed to say he did not know the directions as a local in the Area of the Gods. He needed Qin Chuyue to lead the way.

Inside an abandoned temple.

The campfire slowly burned.

"Delicious, so delicious..."

Qin Yun chewed on a huge piece of donkey meat as he watched Daji serve Li Nianfan. He cried, "So delicious that I'm crying."

Qin Chuyue asked, "How delicious is it? What does it taste like?"

"Tastes like jealousy." Qin Yun bit on the donkey meat and instantly cried harder.

It was truly delicious, but it also tasted like jealousy. He cried from envy.

He thought Li Nianfan was already a successful man because he had a beautiful wife like Daji, but that was not all.

He had another wife as beautiful as Daji. More importantly, they cooked for Li Nianfan and would feed him.

Moreover, the meal was delicious. He had never eaten anything that delicious in his life.

'Such amazing wives! How can any man deserve them?!"

Daji picked up the best donkey meat with chopsticks. She fed Li Nianfan and asked, "How's the taste?"

"Yeah, it's good. It's a huge improvement." Li Nianfan nodded. Then, he said, "But it's clear that the donkey meat wasn't evenly heated. Don't overlook this detail as it affects the quality of the meat. Take note of this in the future."

Daji and the Fire Phoenix nodded at the same time. "Yeah, we understand."

Qin Yun instantly felt like the meat was not delicious. He felt full watching Li Nianfan show off.

'Such beautiful and caring Goddesses are your wives, and they made you such delicious food. How can you still be picky?

'This is too much!

'Is he trying to hurt my feelings? Boohoo...

'What's your cheat code for life?'

Li Nianfan looked at Qin Chuyue as he ate. He asked, "Oh yeah, what cultivation sect are you guys from?"

Qin Chuyue smiled and replied, "We're from the Empath Sect."

"Em...path Sect?" Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow. 'There's a sect like that? Or maybe it's only a title?'

"Yeah, our cultivation is related to emotions, so we're the Empath Sect."

Qin Yun nodded and said, "Humans have various emotions in life. We're bound to have emotions. Like my sister, she can actualize her cultivation through common people's emotions for silver."

"Yeah," Qin Chuyue nodded. She said proudly, "Money can buy anything. Do you think my powers are awesome? If I can't buy it, it means I can't afford it."

Li Nianfan nodded. "It's awesome."

Fire Phoenix smiled and asked, "But why call it the Empath Sect?"

Qin Yun smiled and said, "There's a lot of suffering in emotions. Emotional cultivation can only be completed through suffering and empathy."

Then, he lowered his head. He had a subtle pained flash in his eye.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Li, I have something from the Empath Sect."

Qin Chuyue suddenly spoke up. She flicked her wrist and out came a wooden washbasin.

Inside the washbasin was clear water. The water was slightly greenish. The water's surface was oddly calm. 𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

"There's a special sea in the Empath Sect, named the Suffering Sea. This is the water of the Suffering Sea."

Qin Chuyue smiled. She introduced it to them, "This water's slightly bitter, but there's an effect if you drink it."

"What effect?"

"If you drink this water with your lover of the opposite sex, the Suffering Sea will bless your relationship."

"Yo, so magical? The world's indeed big and wondrous." Li Nianfan thought it was marvelous.

Qin Chuyue looked at Li Nianfan and the others. She suddenly changed her statement, "Of course, sometimes it's not accurate."

Li Nianfan instantly liked Qin Chuyue.

She said that to help Li Nianfan. If any accidents happened, he could backtrack.

After all, if Li Nianfan and the others drank the water but were not blessed by the Suffering Sea, it would be awkward. That would affect their relationship.

If only one girl got the blessing, it would be even more awkward...

He said, "Let's try it."

He had two wives but he liked them both. He felt like he had no biases.

Li Nianfan and the two wives drank a bit of the Suffering Seawater.

It was slightly bitter to the taste as if it was bitter tea. Perhaps it was a conditioned response, but he instantly thought of the word 'emotion' in his mind.

Then, the faces of Li Nianfan, Daji, and Fire Phoenix were reflected in the water in the washbasin.

Ding dong!

The calm water of the Suffering Sea rippled when the three faces appeared. Then, the clear seawater started to glimmer.

Qin Yun was slightly taken aback. "A reaction so soon?"

Then, there was a shine that came out from the washbasin. It was a neon rainbow that was blinding. The siblings felt pain in their eyes.

The rainbow finally formed a rainbow heart figure in thin air. It flew toward Li Nianfan and the others. Then, it popped like rainbow fireworks. It exploded around the three of them.

Qin Yun twitched his mouth. "Sis, what's going on? What's the Suffering Sea doing? Why do I feel like it's trying to perform?"

"I don't know why but the ever calm and subtle Suffering Sea seems to be very excited right now..." Qin Chuyue looked at the merry Li Nianfan. She mumbled, "Even lovers who went through romantic struggles won't get a reaction like that. Right?"

"Haha, awesome. Awesome."

Li Nianfan laughed, "Lady Qin, the Suffering Sea's indeed magical. I can't believe we got a magical moment like that. This is the best and most meaningful wedding gift we've received."

It was the ultimate symbol for the lovers. It would be very wonderful for couples in the past realm.

Li Nianfan suddenly suggested, "Lady Qin, don't you like money? I think you can make a business out of the Suffering Sea. I believe a lot of couples will want to try it. You can earn until your washbasin is full of money."

Qin Chuyue smiled awkwardly. She would indeed earn a lot of money, but she would probably be beaten to death.

She did not know about other couples, but the couples who came to the Empath Sect to be blessed all broke up...

Moreover, some of them started to split their property on the spot. They even calculated how many sips of water they had. They even tore each other's pants.

They came holding hands but left trying to fight each other.

The Empath Sect almost became a divorce center.

Because of that, the Suffering Sea unknowingly became a forbidden land. It was crowned with the title of being cruel and merciless. It would tear love apart.

Qin Chuyue smiled awkwardly and said, "Mr. Li, to be honest, your magical moment is...one in a million."

"I'm instantly happier now that you said that," Li Nianfan laughed. Then, he said, "You let us try your water of the Suffering Sea. There's sweetness where there's bitterness. We have something nice, too. It's called Lollipop. It's very sweet."

Qin Yun and Qin Chuyue were both curious. "Lol... Lollipop?"

Li Nianfan flicked his wrist. Several colorful Lollipops appeared in his hand.

It seemed... Delicious.

Meanwhile,

Somewhere in a world.

On the calm sea's surface.

The sea was beautifully blue. The seawater did not seem to be moving. There were no waves or ripples, not even wind.

An elder with an Asian conical hat sat on a wooden raft. He was covered with a mino. He was still on the sea's surface. He was fishing at that moment.

His eyes were shut. He had wrinkles all over his face like a dried old man. He was unmoving like a statue.

People without knowing the context would probably think that was a scene from a painting. It was forever still.

Suddenly, the still scene moved without a warning. Waves appeared. A subtle light slowly shined through the horizon in the color of a rainbow.

The elder had to open his eyes. He was shocked.

"This...this is..."

#

Chapter 534

The Empath Sect.

Also known as a cultivation sect.

The cultivation sect was too ancient, but it was still successful. It existed for generations. It was because of one important factor—the Suffering Sea.

The world of the Empath Sect was probably birthed by the Chaos, or maybe some Realm Cultivator created it. There were no clear records of its history.

However, it was without a doubt a powerful world.

At least... The Suffering Sea was full of unflawed Emotional Wisdom!

It was terrifying. Once cultivators understood Emotional Wisdom, they could become Realm Cultivators!

Once they enter the Suffering Sea, their cultivation of Emotional Wisdom would greatly improve. However... There was a huge con!

"What's love?" one asked. Love made people say 'till death do us part'.

Any honorable legends or invincible heroes faced the hardest battles...in love!

It was how the Empath Sect came to be.

The Suffering Sea was a magical existence. It was a sea made from Emotional Wisdom. It was prideful, calm, and broad.

Somebody once tried to attack the Suffering Sea. The powerful attack hit the water, but it could not cause a single ripple.

The water of the Suffering Sea was always calm. It did not move at all. It was like a mirror.

Unless it could resonate with emotion, it would not move for anyone.

However, the Suffering Sea moved that day!

"Is this... A blessing?"

The elder widened his eyes. He looked at the restless Suffering Sea in disbelief. He was unbelievably shocked.

He watched as the Suffering Sea grew restless.

'Who could it be? Why did the Suffering Sea bless them?'

The rainbow light shone as the sea waves tumbled. The usually calm Suffering Sea was unrecognizable. It was too different.

"I remember back when I went through romantic troubles. I caused the Suffering Sea to flow and spiral. The sky had a sunset halo back then. It was such a majestic sight. People say that was a sincere blessing from the Suffering Sea."

'Nonsense!

'Compared to this blessing, my blessing was nothing more but a pastime.'

The elder was always pleased with his blessing. It instantly fell apart, he became insecure.

"Is it because of a touching true love? Or is it because of someone special?"

The elder gulped. He shut his eyes and started to sense it. However... Something weird happened.

He did not sense anything from the Empath Sect.

Which meant that person was not even at the Empath Sect yet!

'Seriously?

'Are you this excited before he shows up? What is the meaning of this?

'It appears the Suffering Sea can move, but it won't move without the right person. It automatically moves when it meets the right person.

'And it moves fast.'

"If this person cultivates Emotional Wisdom, I'm afraid he'll be a prodigy! He might be a Realm Cultivator someday!" 𝒍𝙞𝙗𝓻𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝙢

The elder mumbled to himself, "But... What exactly caused the Suffering Sea to move? Perhaps it resonates with the water of the Suffering Sea?"

Boom!

The explosion made the elder jump. He snapped out of it.

'Waves, huge waves!'

The waves of the Suffering Sea rose like a huge curtain in the sky!

The elder stood on his bamboo raft. He looked up at the sight and shivered!

"This...this..."

He said with a trembling voice. His eyes suddenly dilated. He raised his palms out at the sight and emitted an aura. He resonated with the Suffering Sea.

Then, two shadows slowly appeared in the huge waves...

They were also sitting on bamboo rafts. They were like projections from an endless time. They were only figures.

However, the two shadowy figures made the elder tear up.

'How many years has it been?'

He walked the path of Emotional Wisdom. His emotions were as calm as the Suffering Sea. However, he was too shocked and surprised. His emotions were through the roof like the huge waves.

"Chuyue, Yun!"

The elder yelled at the two figures. He was utterly excited, "I found you. I finally found your tracks!"

He called on the two figures. "Come back. Return from the Suffering Sea, my children!"

On the other side of the Suffering Sea.

Everyone gathered at the Empath Sect.

They also saw the changes of the Suffering Sea. They were shocked. They even thought that they were hallucinating.

The leader was a middle-aged man. He had a full blue robe on. He looked very approachable and soft. He had a pair of sentimental eyes.

"Sect... Sect Master. The water of the Suffering Sea, it..."

One of the disciples suddenly spoke up with shock. His voice was trembling as he said, "It's sweet!"

Everyone gasped and exclaimed when he said that. They were in disbelief.

The Suffering Sea was forever bitter. It could never be sweet. 'What happened exactly?'

Suddenly, the elder stepped on water and walked toward them. He looked serious. He did not look like he was going fast, but he was extremely fast.

His first sentence was, "Where's Chuyue and Yun?"

No one could handle his question.

An elder hesitated and replied, "They...they... They followed Elder Shiye to the Area of the Gods."

"What?!" exclaimed the middle-aged leader. His face sank. "Nonsense! This is reckless!"

The elder awkwardly said, "Elder She wants to go to the Area of the Gods to revive the Young Master and the lady."

The middle-aged man was about to rage but he was shocked by what the elder said. He felt thunderstruck!

"They... I'm afraid they met someone who helped them. They found the way to reverse the irreversible curse!"

"They...can be saved!"

...

"So sweet. This is so sweet."

Qin Yun sucked on the Lollipop. The tip of his tongue flicked and wagged along with the stick.

"Yeah, it's so delicious," Qin Chuyue nodded. She squinted from enjoying the wonderful sweetness.

She was much more polite than Qin Yun. She carefully licked the Lollipop and occasionally put it in her mouth.

She placed it halfway in and bit with her red lips. She held the stick and turned the Lollipop inside her mouth.

The siblings felt like it was dreamy when they ran into Li Nianfan and his wives.

'Are the men in the Area of the Gods living so lavishly?

'He has beautiful Goddesses around him that are willing to serve him. The food's unimaginably delicious, too.'

To be honest, they were knowledgeable people, too. However... They never had anything so delicious before. They instantly felt like their lives were too lowly.𝒍𝙞𝙗𝓻𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝙢

Qin Chuyue had to ask curiously, "Mr. Li, how did you think of making this Lollipop?"

"I was bored."

Li Nianfan casually laughed and said, "I'm just an ordinary man. I'm always bored. Life's so dull and boring. I naturally wanted to make something special.

"You cultivators have a much more interesting life. I'm so envious."

'You crossed the line.

'This has been a nice chat. Why did you suddenly attack us with words?

'Come again? Who's envious of who?

'You have beautiful women that want to accompany you, delicious food that you can eat anytime and anywhere, your life's free and harmonious. What else do you want? Do you want to rule the world, too?'

Qin Yun said with jealousy, "Mr. Li, I'm not a cultivator either, but I'm not envious of cultivators. I'm envious of you..."

"Haha, alright." Li Nianfan snickered proudly. He said, "Let's continue with the topic just now. You said cultivators can plant the Emotional Seed in their hearts once they enter the Suffering Sea. It's beneficial to cultivate Emotional Wisdom. So, what are the cons?"

Qin Yun exhaled. He sighed and said, "They'll suffer. They'll go through Emotional Tribulations! Unavoidable Emotional Tribulations! Human emotions are complex and fragile. It's easy to enter Emotional Wisdom, but it's hard to get out. You'll be damned if you slip up."

Li Nianfan nodded in agreement.

However, it proved that everything in life had pros and cons.

'If you want to gain the Emotional Seed, you have to go through the test of Emotional Tribulations. There's no turning back.'

The sky gradually went dark. They did not rush anywhere. They chose to rest at the abandoned temple instead.

Time passed. It was soon midnight. The moon hung high in the sky.

Qin Chuyue was a cultivator, so she did not need to sleep. However, perhaps she was delusional, she had a strange feeling tumbling inside her ever since she ate the Lollipop. She felt warm.

She unintentionally fell into a deep sleep.

She had a dream.

In her dream, she was sitting on a wooden raft, floating on the Suffering Sea.

She was very familiar with the scenario. That was when she decided to cultivate Emotional Wisdom. She was floating on the Suffering Sea.

However... She felt like it was unfamiliar too because there were a lot of things that did not belong in her memory.

She was doing the Namaste gesture on the raft. There was a penny in the middle of her palms. She told the endless Suffering Sea, "Suffering Sea, money contains the emotions of all living beings. Can money buy feelings, too? I'll give you a penny to buy my one true love. Is that okay?"

She tossed the penny. The penny gently dropped into the Suffering Sea. There was no ripple or sound. It slowly sank into the Suffering Sea...

Then, a painful heartache overwhelmed her. It almost broke her.

A hand pierced through her chest. A cold and indifferent voice echoed near her ear. "You stupid woman. Your Emotional Seed's mine!"

#

Chapter 535

Xia Kingdom

This was the Kingdom that materialized many things in the Eldritch World. It gathered the Luck of humans. It was facing its impending danger now.

It was a nice morning.

A court lady was waking up Zhou Yunwu from his bedroom as usual. However, she waited for a long while without him getting up to get changed.

Seeing that it was getting late, the court lady could only pass this on to Meng Junliang.

In the main hall, when many ministers heard about this, they did not blame him. In fact, they smiled understandingly.

"Lord's finally sleeping in."

"He's been working hard for so long. He relies on medications to keep up his health, this shouldn't be the way." 𝓁𝒾𝘣𝑟𝑒𝘢𝘥.𝘤𝘰𝑚

"Sigh, the world's changing, Lord must be under pressure."

"Let him sleep more. We'll wait for him here."

The atmosphere inside the palace was peaceful and relaxed.

And yet, as time passed, this peacefulness started to turn into doubt and heaviness.

This did not make sense.

The crowd did not waste any time and rushed into his bedroom. They made a quick decision and called for a doctor.

They realized that their Lord did not wake up. And yet, his body showed no changes. He was very peaceful. His breathing was normal, he had no wounds. It just looked as if he was sleeping.

The doctor was clueless, even the cultivators could do nothing.

Luckily, he was in a stable state, so the crowd had time to think.

However, this became worse.

The second person who could not wake up was Meng Junliang. The third was Huo Da the General, the fourth, the fifth...

All the key figures fell asleep. The originally prosperous formation of the kingdom body instantly lost control. They were at a dead-end.

Everyone felt heavy. They could feel that this was not going well. With a small mistake, the kingdom might collapse!

Dong...

Inside the palace, nonchalant music was heard. The music went from gentle to a peak, as if a mother was calling. It was coming from further away to closeby, very awakening.

Inside the room, with Zhou Yunwu leading, there was a row of fainted ministers. They were peacefully baptized by the sound of music.

The music was played by the Linxian Palace's disciples. Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun were taking the lead. They all looked heavy.

They were trying to wake the crowd up with the sound of music.

They had run out of ways. This matter was too strange, they even thought of waking them up by force.

Among the fainted ministers, some had been used as specimens. Their heads were beaten up like pigs and yet they were still sleeping.

Crack!

Suddenly, a sharp sound was heard. Everyone's strings broke with a loud sound and they spat out a mouthful of blood.

Their Qi was weakening and becoming unstable.

Qin Manyun had a look of fear in her eyes. She said weakly, "A powerful ritual. This group of men must've been trapped in the same dream!"

"Hah! How ignorant! A bunch of nobodies trying to ruin my dream? I didn't even bother fighting you, if not...you would've all died!"

From a nameless mountain's peak, a Resentful Ghost in black robes gradually landed. Although he was standing there, he looked as if he was formless. He looked unreal.

He looked down at the dell with a satisfactory smile. "This place is beautiful, the Qi is full of good spirits. This is a good hiding place. I'll choose this place to enter my dreams."

With that said and a flash, he appeared within the dell.

Now was the key time to enter the dream. To prevent any accident, he chose to hide. He did not want his core body to be discovered, so nobody could pull him out of the dream!

Not even a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!

Ha-ha-ha!

Suddenly, his eyes jolted and he scoffed, "Hmm? Who's here? Get out!"

"Immortal, don't get excited, we're harmless!"𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Demon King led the worn-out army of demons, slowly walking out of the dell. Their faces were bitter and twisted.

They followed the Lord Demon, and the Lord Demon mysteriously died. Then, the God Demon finally came back, but he woke up for less than two days and was gone.

Now that the world was changing with everything moving, King Demon felt the world was scary. He did not want to think of anything. Staying alive was already a blessing.

And yet... Damn!

He was ready to start hiding and found a suitable dell. They moved in for a few days and this stranger suddenly showed up?

Were they under attack?

No, it should not be!

The Resentful Ghost said with an evil tone, "Demons? What are you all doing here?"

"Immortal, to be honest with you, we were quite powerful but somehow we kept going downhill. We don't have a place in this world anymore, so we simply found a place to start hiding away from the scary world outside."

Demon King said sincerely with tears in his eyes, "Since you like this deal, we'll leave. We're harmless."

"You're scared, just like that?" The Resentful Ghost smiled. "You're all too weak!"

Demon King smiled, "Immortal, we're not weak, this world's too dangerous!"

"Ha-ha, dangerous? You can hide from the danger? I tell you what, bootlicking the right person's the best way to hide!" The Resentful Ghost said proudly, "Whatever, since we're on a similar path, I'll lead you! You all follow me from now on, you won't be scared anymore."

The Demon King was clever. He knew there was no other choice. He bowed and said, "Demon King greets our Lord."

"Ha-ha-ha, wise choice, with you joining us, we'll achieve great things!" the Resentful Ghost curled his lips and said. "My name's Yan Zu, I'm an assistant of the Ghastly Ghost King. The Ghastly Ghost King's ready to reach the Realm Cultivator. Becoming the Emperor of this world's just a small matter."

Demon King was shocked and excited.

Was this the turning point of his life?

As expected, a demon with potential like himself was valuable wherever he went!

"Alright, you'll all guard this dell. Don't let anyone disturb me unless it's super urgent!"

Demon King said and patted his chest, "Don't worry, I guarantee that even a fly won't get in!"

"Good!"

Yan Zu nodded and said, "Following this, what I'm about to do will turn this Area of Gods upside down! Just open your eyes and watch! Ha-ha-ha..."

On the road.

Li Nianfan and the group rushed toward the Xia Kingdom. On the way there, there were many resentful spirits but they were easily sorted out. These strange incidents were new to Li Nianfan.

Qin Chuyue looked at Li Nianfan blankly. She said with an embarrassed tone, "Mr. Li, do you still have the lollipop? I want some."

Li Nianfan said, "Yes, have more. Do eat fewer lollipops, control yourself."

Qin Chuyue nodded. "Yeah, I'll try not to bite, just lick."

She received Li Nianfan's lollipop and treated it like a treasure.

Since that night, she realized she had some strange memories in her head from time to time. These memories were either forgotten by her or fake. However, she could feel that these memories were very important to her.

Furthermore, as her memories appeared, her cultivation grew in a very terrifyingly shocking way. When she woke up, she did not have to cultivate and already went from Yuan Ying realm to Out of Aperture!

"Mr. Li's lollipop..."

She looked at the lollipop in hand. She had too many thoughts. Too many questions and doubts. However, she kept them all to herself. "How magical."

"Waa..."

As the four of them were walking, a wailing was heard coming from the front. The sound went from far away to close by as if countless people were crying like zombies. They were all anxious.

A gust of eerie wind blew by. Suddenly, a group of people appeared at the flat land ahead.

They were all dressed in white robes, their faces pale like papers. The person in front lifted a white flag that flew in the wind. It was during the day but there was a chill. The group did not feel safe, they looked very suspicious.

On two sides of the army, someone was playing suonas. In the middle was a coffin, moving forward.

Under the sunlight, the space in front of them seemed twisted and blurry. It looked as if they were traveling very slowly but somehow, they were already right in front of the group.

Qin Chuyue's face sank. She took in a deep breath and said in a serious tone, "What a thick Ghost Qi! The day's bright and they walk with coffins. We shouldn't attack them!"

Meanwhile, a flash of light suddenly shone down from the sky. A sacred golden circle lit up. "How ignorant of you, Resentful Ghosts! You're nothing and yet you try to threaten people? Take my dragons!"

#

Chapter 536

Along with a loud sound, the howling of a dragon was heard from the sky. The dragon had golden scales on its body and it looked powerful.

The golden dragon had golden eyes and had a golden glow! It came out from the clouds and arrived from the sky!

With a look, there were three dragons in the sky!

With yet another look, they reflected light on their bodies very brightly.

They turned out to be bald. They had a golden Buddha glow, looking very majestic.

The gigantic dragons arrived from the sky like tigers entering the herd. Chaos followed.

The dragons were already big and thick. With three of them appearing all at once, there was no warm-up. They instantly messed up the originally delicate and orderly army, causing chaos as Ghost Qi leaked.

Who could have stopped them?

If they were ruined...

In the blink of an eye, the queue was engulfed by the Buddha glow and everything vanished!

The wailing abruptly stopped.

"Amitabha."

The three monks did not let down their guards. They chanted 'Buddha' at the same time while standing in the formation of a triangle to surround the coffin. They had a cautious look on their faces.

Although they were wearing shawls, they did not look at the coffin directly. They looked at it sideways with half of their bodies naked. They were tall and muscular. They had full Qi, they were the martial monks!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Suddenly, a burst of mocking laughter was heard. The only source it could be coming from was the coffin. A gust of red Qi started to ooze out from the coffin. It was an eerie sight.

"Resentful Ghosts are dangerous! Please, everyone, don't move! Watch us as we demolish these ghosts!"

The leading monk said to Li Nianfan and the other three seriously. He lifted his hand and smacked the coffin in the air. "How daring of you! Show yourself!"

Vroom!

The lid of the coffin was instantly smacked open.

Instantly, a thick bloody light rushed to the sky. The crowd watched the coffin as if looking at a wall of blood. The blood was everywhere. It was very scary.

In the next instance, a black iron chain shot out abruptly from the coffin. It rushed toward the leading monk!

The monk's face straightened up. With a loud scoff, he said, "Buddha Shine!"

The Buddha glow enlarged into a shield and crashed against the iron chain to absorb the blow.

"Stupid monk! Are you here for trouble?"

From the coffin, a black-armored soldier suddenly stood up. It had a green face with fangs. It looked as scary as a ghost mask.

And yet, this was not a mask, this was his real face. He was a zombie!

He was tied up by chains, held down by them. There was an eerie chill coming from his hand.

"Buddha has no limits, weigh him down!"

The three monks scoffed out loud at the same time. Their surrounding Buddha glow rushed toward the sky as they clapped together.

Instantly, above the head of the zombie, a gigantic golden symbol arrived from the sky and crashed right into his head!

The zombie widened his eyes and growled. He then put down the chains in hand. He lifted his bare hands to block the Buddha symbol!

Bam!

The symbol and his hands crashed into one another. Instantly, ripples of golden light dispersed into the surrounding. The thick golden light was like a cage, locking up the zombie. Under the light, the Qi burned on the zombie's skin and his scary zombie face was now covered in a layer of gold.

His long red-haired hands started to give out green smoke as if he could vanish anytime.

The leading monk said coldly, "Ghosts are stupid! How dare he touch our Buddha symbol directly!" 𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The three monks intensified the power. They were determined to succeed.

And yet, suddenly, things changed.

Whoosh!

From within the coffin, the chains rose again. This time, there were three of them and they formed the shape of a dragon. In the blink of an eye, they had tied up the three originally arrogant monks.

This change was too abrupt, so abrupt that the three monks were still confused.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Another mocking sound came from within the coffin. The voice scoffed, "Monks are stupid!"

So it turned out that there was more than one zombie inside the coffin. There was another ghost in red. This was a double coffin!

"Three healthy monks, come in and play with me."

Even though this was a flirtatious sentence, it came with a chill and softened one's soul. One dared not play with her.

The three monks were tied up. No matter how hard they struggled, they were still gradually pulled toward the coffin.

One did not have to imagine what it would be like inside the coffin.

Li Nianfan thought the three monks were going to succeed since they came with an arrogant temperament as if they were already winning.

As he was excited to see how the monks would kill the ghost, who would have thought that the situation had abruptly changed and they were now losing!

They did not look like they were acting either. Li Nianfan could not help saying, "Three masters, may we move now?"

The leading monk's face had already turned green. His mouth widened as he said with difficulty, "Save...save us!"

Li Nianfan said, "Daji, you might need to step in."

"Mr. Li, don't worry. I know."

Daji smiled gently and raised her fine hands. On her palms, a crystal appeared with a glow coming from the inside. It was very chilly and beautiful.

To her, Li Nianfan's so-called trip was to tour the Area of Gods. He wanted to watch the exciting fights between the cultivators. Therefore, without Li Nianfan indicating, she would not step in.

Seeing that the three monks were about to get inside the coffin, the iced crystal shot out.

It went through the chains with a loud crack and went into the coffin.

Layers of ice started to appear in the surrounding area!

"What's this?"

Inside the coffin, the ghost in red and the zombie felt a terrifying chill. They felt trapped.

However, before they could make sense of it, they had been turned into iced sculptures.

"So...powerful!"

Qin Chuyue and her brother watched it with their eyes. They felt that this was way more shocking than the last time. As for the three monks, they were panting heavily and were very scared. They looked at Daji in shock.

Meanwhile, they were complaining.

She was so clever, she could have killed the opponents within a second. And yet, she had been enjoying the show from the side. She watched them fight for so long?

Whatever, a powerful being like herself must have wanted to train them. She wanted them to know the danger of fighting ghosts. She had good intentions and was not to be blamed.

"Thank you, Immortal, for saving us."

The leading monk bowed at Daji with both his palms clasped. He said, "I'm a disciple of Buddhism. My name's Minghui. These are two of my disciples, Mingli and Mingde."

The three of them said in unison, "Amitabha."

Daji said, "Don't thank me, my husband asked me to help out."

"Husband?"

Minghui halted and looked at Li Nianfan. He said quickly, "Sorry to be rude, thank you senior for helping."

"I'm not a senior, I'm just an ordinary man." Li Nianfan smiled and waved it off, "Just call me Li Nianfan."

"Ordinary man?" Minghui was surprised, but he was smart. He said instantly, "It seems that you've found your true love. How lucky!"

By the side, Qin Chuyue pouted. Why bother making such a fuss!

This man had more than one wife, she was just as amazing. She was now looking at them from his shoulder!

This was more than true love. This was not true love, this was a very deep love, a very unscientific love.

Minghui said, "You're all heading to the Xia Kingdom?"𝓵𝓲𝓫𝒓𝓮𝙖𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Li Nianfan nodded. "Exactly, do you know what's happening to the Xia Kingdom?"

"It's not going well. Not only the Lord, but even the ministers have also fallen asleep," Minghui said with a troubled look. He sighed. "This is a bad one. We're led by our Buddhist Abbot, we can only hope that we can do something to resolve this catastrophe."

Li Nianfan was intrigued. He asked, "May I ask, who's your Buddhist abbot?"

Minghui answered, "Our Buddhist Abbot's Jiechi."

The young monk!

Li Nianfan could not help smiling. He did not find that surprising.

Qin Yun asked, "What about the others?"

"The Resentful Ghosts are furious. They have dark forces. When the monks were rushing over, they were blocked by some powerful spirits. This was so the monks could not get to the Xia Kingdom on time!"

Minghui paused for a while. "Not just our Buddhism, other sects were disturbed as well. We left our group to rush over and we got lucky."

"This is so serious." Li Nianfan found it weird.. Who would have thought that the world would become so chaotic after the changes? "Let's waste no time. We're not far from the Xia Kingdom, let's hurry!"

#

Chapter 537

Knowing how severe the issue was, Li Nianfan and the others increased their speed, heading straight for the Xia Kingdom.

They did not allow for any delays, and would quickly eliminate any Resentful Spirits they met on the way, helping the commoners.

Not long later, they arrived inside the Xia Kingdom's imperial city.

Compared to how prosperous it was the last time they came, there was a visible atmosphere of panic in the city, everyone had worried looks on their faces.

There were Resentful Spirits everywhere, and all the important figures in Xia Kingdom had fallen into a deep sleep, so they commoners were naturally uneasy.

Li Nianfan looked up, looking at the flashes of light that flew by in the sky, saying, "There are quite a few cultivators."

"That's natural, the Xia Kingdom is still a prosperous land for humans in the end. It's not only for the commoners, they work with a lot of Cultivating Sects as well."

Minghui waved his arms around, an anxious look appearing on his face, "If the Xia Kingdom falls, the situation will turn very dire. I'm afraid the situation will turn chaotic, and various evil cultivators will run rampant."

Li Nianfan nodded, "Let's hurry up then"

He had watched as Xia Kingdom rose, so it had some form of relationship with him. Furthermore, it involved the human race, so there was no way he could ignore the matter.

He wondered if Daji would be able to help.

Walking past the city streets, with how severe things were, there were not many people who dared to venture out, and there were only a few empty stalls.

When they walked past a wooden three-storey building, the dark atmosphere suddenly changed.

On each balcony of the building, they saw many young women with their skirts fluttering in the wind, their slender figures a picture of beauty as they casually ate fruits and snacks.

Pleasant laughter could be heard from time to time, and they would raise their heads, waving at the limited number of pedestrians, enhancing the scenery.

Ladies of the night really had a way of beautifying themselves, enchanting any men.

It was a pity, the scene might have looked good, but they had no time to properly indulge in it.

"Despicable, this is too much!"

Qin Yun had a look full of sympathy as he angrily said, "The Resentful Spirits are really despicable, they caused so many sisters to have nothing to do, idling their days away. It really causes my heart to ache."

Qin Chuyue looked at him scornfully, "What could you possibly do for them?"

Qin Yun said seriously, "I might have any cultivation, but as long as they want to, I won't even bat an eye if they want me to turn my yin and yang upside down."

Mingli could not stand the boasting, and said, "Benefactor, you can't even cultivate, how could you turn your yin and yang upside down? It's best if you don't speak any nonsense."𝓁𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐ℴ𝘮

Mingli said, "You might not know this, but you just need to give me a crowbar, and I can flip over the whole world."

Qin Chuyue said, "My brother has cultivated his mind to mush, and regularly speaks nonsense, I hope all of you can forgive him."

As they spoke, the Xia Kingdom's palace appeared in front of them, and a woman in a white dress sat on the steps of the palace.

She tilted her head, her hand scratching her head and her eyebrows were furrowed slightly, she seemed to be in a predicament.

A gust of wind caused her hair to flutter, and blew up her skirt at the same time, revealing rarely seen flesh that was white as snow, a true sight to behold.

Li Nianfan paused for a moment, "Lady Manyun?"

Qin Manyun turned around, her eyes brightening when she saw Li Nianfan. She stood up and quickly walked over, politely saying, "Manyun greets M. Li and Lady Daji."

She was in a bit of disbelief. Her little heart was beating rapidly, unprepared for the fact that the expert had appeared.

She had worked hard in her training, and was already at the Mahayala stage. She was just waiting to reach the immortal stage, all so she could do even more for the expert, and get closer to the expert. It would be fine if she could occasionally listen to some of the expert's words.

They had not visited the expert in a long time, not because they did not want to, but because they did not have the right to.

The expert was like a star in the sky, while she was just a grain of sand in the deep sea. Just being able to meet him once was already an unbelievable privilege, so she did not even dare to wish for it.

She could not treat the expert's friendliness casually.

She never expected to meet the expert so suddenly again, it was an incredibly happy occasion.

It was just like a crazed fangirl suddenly meeting her idol, her head was dizzy, and she was so emotional she could not compose herself.

Since the expert was here, this matter would definitely be handled.

Qin Yun was dumbfounded as he looked on.

He looked at Li Nianfan, a gigantic question mark appearing over Qin Yun's head.

Yet another beautiful fangirl? Was he even normal?

Qin Yun could not help but ask himself, 'Where do I lose out to him?'

Li Nianfan asked, "Lady Manyun, what's the current situation like?"

Qin Manyun said, "My master and I wanted to use the power of our zithers to wake up the masses, but it was absolutely useless. Currently, the members of the White Cloud Sect are in the palace, but I'm not sure if they'll be able to do anything."

"The White Cloud Sect?"

Li Nianfan had heard of them from the Jade Emperor before, they were a large sect, and were taoist as well, so he had a deep impression of them. 𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Boom!

At that moment, the closed door suddenly exploded, and a few figures flew out from inside. There was a trail of blood in the sky, which splattered on the ground.

Li Nianfan and the others did not hesitate, and entered the palace immediately.

They saw a gray robed old taoist who sported a goatee standing in the middle of the palace, a Taiji diagram printed behind him, his expression was not great.

Not far away, a group of unconscious people lay there while the others shrank in a corner, silently looking at the old taoist with a challenging expression.

The old man fell in an awkward silence for a long time, before coldly and arrogantly saying, "What paltry tricks, they only dare to hide in the dreamscape! If I could find their body, I would be able to exterminate them in less than three breaths!"

"It's a pity, the Resentful Spirits are sly, I will still need a bit of time."

"However, you don't need to worry, the White Cloud Sect is very capable."

Qin Manyun said, "Master, Mr Li is here."

Yao Menji had been agitated, but when he saw Li Nianfan, his old eyes brightened as he quickly approached with trembling lips.

He respectfully said, "Mr. Li, Lady Daji, it's been a long time."

Li Nianfan laughed as he waved his hand, "You're still the same as always, bring me to King Zhou."

"Mr Li, follow me."

Li Nianfan quickly saw Zhou Yunwu. On the surface, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when he checked Zhou Yunwu's pulse, he raised his eyebrow, expressing a look of shock.

Daji curiously asked, "Did you find anything?"

Li Niangfan nodded his head with a heavy expression, "Yes, King Zhou's pulse might seem like it's normal, but in truth, it's the pulse of an eighty year old person."

Everyone was shocked, "Eight... Eighty?"

Zhou Yunwu was less than thirty years old.

"To be able to find that out without using any mana, your medical skills must be very impressive."

The old man from the White Cloud Sect looked at Li Nianfan in shock before continuing, "If I'm not mistaken, they've been trapped by a Nightmare. It might have only been a month in the outside world, but it's been decades there. If this group dies of old age in that world, they would really die!"

Yao Mengji's face fell, "What an impressive dreamscape!"

"It's already something that has been calculated."

The old man curled his mustache, continuing, "The Nightmares are scary in that they are impossible to find. There's no way to defend against it, for a normal person, they might die in an instant if they were pulled into the dream world!

"However, King Zhou has the protection of the Luck of the human race, so the Nightmare would not dare to kill him directly. So he's trying to use growing old to kill King Zhou in his own dreams!"

The important part was how fast time moved in the dream world. King Zhou was eighty at that moment, so it might not be long until he died of old age.

"Remarkable, it really is remarkable! If they're using a tactic like this, then we should just give up on locating the actual body of the Nightmare, they've definitely kept it well hidden!"

"Then what can we do?!" Some of the officers cried out in sorrow.

Qin Yun said, "Don't worry, we came to wake them up."

"You?"

The White Cloud Sect's old taoist paused for a moment, shaking his head, "This Nightmare's cultivation is no lower than mine. If you want to interfere, you really should evaluate yourselves first, and don't get too cocky."

"Senior, it's true that we can't deal with the Nightmare, but no matter how high one's cultivation is, it's completely different when you're in the dream world. However, I walk the Dao of Emotion of the Empath Sect, and I can enter their dreamscape based on their emotions!"

Qin Chuyue smiled slightly, continuing, "As long as we can enter their dreams, waking them up will become much easier."

"The Empath Sect? I can't believe there are actually people who cultivate in the Dao of Emotion."

The old man was shocked, but could not help but warn them, "Resentful Spirits are formed due to hatred, so it's tied to emotions. The Dao of Emotion harms yourself as much as others, so you need to make sure to take care of yourself and not to make any mistakes."

Qin Chuyue nodded, "Don't worry, we will be careful."

The old taoist nodded, "That's good, I am Cultivator Yunqiu, if you can really get me into their dreams, then the White Cloud Sect will owe you a favor, let's hurry up and try."

Qin Chuyue did not bother to hold back, and loudly declared, "Let's put aside any favors first, Cultivator Yunqiu, your cultivation is deep, if you want me to bring you into the dream... you'll need to give me money!"

#

Chapter 538

Qin Chuyue quickly finished all her preparations to enter the dream.

Li Nianfan was quite happy that Qin Chuyue had given him a discount, and did not ask for any money.

The fact that the money crazed girl was willing to do something like that meant Qin Chuyue was quite satisfied with his lollipop.

Cultivator Yunqiu was sitting upright and still, and he seemed to have lost quite a bit of blood, even his mustache was crooked. The disciples of the White Cloud Sect also sat in a similar manner.

Qin Manyun and Yao Menqi naturally decided to follow when they saw Li Nianfan entering the dreamscape. There were not many chances to be close to the expert and fight alongside him.

"Everyone, get ready. Shut your eyes and sit still.

.

Qin Chuyue's expression was serious, she then took out a hundred taels of silver, reluctantly looking at it before taking a deep breath, "A hundred taels, buying emotions, enter the dream!"

At that moment, a torrent of energy appeared, the rhythm of emotion formed a bond with the unconscious men, enveloping everyone else and immediately emptying their minds, like ripples on the water.

When they opened their eyes again, they were already in someone else's dream.

It was still the same palace, and the objects were the same, but the scenery was completely different.

They were like spectators that had barged into someone else's dream, and had no way of entering or interacting with anyone in the dream.

"We've been separated." Cultivator Yunqiu sighed as he furrowed his eyebrows, "I knew it would not be so simple. He's afraid that we'll interact with those within the dream and wake them up, so he built a shield."

Minghui asked, "Senior, do you have any ideas?"

"Ah, little monk, is your question asking me to prove myself?"

Cultivator Yunqiu smiled proudly, "I was out of ideas in the outside world, but now that we're in the dream, I'll easily be able to wake everyone up."

Li Nianfan looked around, feeling like something was missing. After some thought, he suddenly realized a very important problem.

"Hey, Lady Chuyue, where's my little Daji? Where's Fire Phoenix?!"

"That..." Chuyue paused as well, blinking as she said with some uncertainty, "They seemed to have encountered some restriction by the dream world, and have been excluded."

It should have been a restriction placed by the secret mastermind.

Their cultivation was probably too high to enter the dreamscape. It was probably a way for Yan Zu to protect himself, so that was not too strange.

However...

Qin Chuyue could not help but glance at Cultivator Yunqiu. If that cultivator managed to follow everyone in, did that mean Lady Daji and Fairy Fire Phoenix had higher cultivation levels than Cultivator Yunqiu?

Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals?

If that were the case, then who were Mr. Li and the other two?

"Repelled out?" Li Nianfan's heart sank, he could not help but say, "I suddenly feel like my safety is being threatened."

"A man needing the protection of women, what's next?!"

Yunqiu coldly sighed before saying, "Furthermore, I'm here, why would you worry about your safety? Do you not trust me? Let's go, we'll find King Zhou!"

'I naturally don't trust you.'

Li Nianfan signed miserably.

'What do I do now?'

'I'll have to take it a step at a time.'

'If the situation is really off, then I'll have to open up my Deluxe Merit Saint and expose my identity. I'll make sure we survive and think about the consequences after.'

Everyone walked out of the palace, and investigated everywhere. Even after visiting all of the buildings, they still could not find any trace of Zhou Yunwu. They could not even find Meng Junliang or the other officials.

None of them were commoners and they immediately felt like something was off.

Cultivator Yunqiu's expression sank, he said seriously, "We must have entered a different dream world. I'm afraid... things won't be so easy now."

"Hahaha, you're right, this is my world!"

A vicious laughter could be heard in the air, and the next thing that happened was the entire dream world changing.

The palace immediately disappeared, and those busy palace maids and the commoners around them turned into black smoke, condensing in the air to reveal a black and monstrous face.

"You see whatever I want you to see! Everyone avoids my Nightmares, and it's been so many years since someone dared to intrude upon my Nightmare. I don't know if I should respect your boldness or laugh at your ignorance."

"Shameless, you think a rat who only dares to hide in dreams can trap me?"

Cultivator Yunqiu surged forward, mana condensing around his body. He might seem arrogant, but his skills were extremely strong. He was already at the Quasi Saint rank, and his skills were all incredibly effective against demons and monsters.

His face was solemn as he raised his hand. A large compass appeared in his hand. As he wiped his hand on the compass, a sudden bolt of lightning fell from the sky, and striked right at the face.

The face immediately dispersed.

"Oh, how painful, I'm going to die, I'm going to die."

The demon's exaggerated laughter could be heard as he mocked, "I was just feeling bored. Let me play along with you, I'll show you what lightning is!"

Boom!

A white light suddenly lit up the sky as terrifying electricity started to condense in the air. Dark clouds started to gather and the weather changed completely.

"Set up, Five Elements Array!"

Cultivator Yunqiu shouted and the compass hit his hand shot up into the air as a five colored light fell from it, enveloping everyone inside, forming a five colored barrier. The light flowed around and looked incredibly mystical.

"Condense... Spirit Array!"

Yunqiu dashed directly under the compass while the other White Cloud Sect disciples sat crossed legged on the edges of the array, their eyes closed as their mana flowed like the sea, starting to move the compass.

Whoosh!

Bright rays of light suddenly shot out of the compass, the fight colors were vibrant, and started to glow in the air like a lighttower.

The rays of light contained the power of the five elements, and each of them had incredibly strong power. Each ray of light was enough to kill a Daluo Golden Immortal!

In a flash, the rays of light became thinner, but the numbers greatly increased. From a distance, the barrier that protected everyone seemed like a five colored sun, emitting an unlimited light that covered the sky!

The strong rays of light were like a hurricane, ravaging through the land and dispersing those thunder clouds in the sky. Not only that, the rays of light were like knives, cutting apart the sky one slash at a time, destroying the Nightmare!

"You stinky White Cloud Sect daoists were quite good. If it was in the outside world, I wouldn't be able to do anything to you. However, in the dream world, you're just laughably struggling."

Yan Zu laughed coldly, "Let me see how long you can hold on." 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

After those words, the ground started to split apart, slowly disappearing and turning into a sea of flames!

It was not just the ground, even the air around them and the skies above had turned to fire!

It was a deep red fire, and was hot to the limits.

It was truly a sea of flames.

Only the little barrier in the middle was not submerged within, and the five colored lights were still shining vibrantly.

However, it seemed helpless, no matter where the light shone, the flames would rise again after being extinguished. It seemed endless and limitless!

It was a dreamscape that Yan Zu had created himself. In that place, he could not die, and had unlimited power. Instead, it was Cultivator YunQiu who was forced to expend his energy without being able to fight back.

Bluntly putting it, at the same level of cultivation, there was no way to win when in a Nightmare.

Yunqiu's expression was heavy, he seemed to use up more and more of his power. If that continued on, everyone would eventually be swallowed by the flames.

He pursed his lips, saying, "Everyone, put all your mana into this compass. The more power we put into it, the more possibilities we will have.

Someone as strong as him putting down his dignity to say those words was enough to show how precarious their situation was.

Compared to the power of a Quasi Saint, Yao Mengji and the others did not have any noticeable power to speak of.

However, everyone knew it was not the time to think of that. Not saying anything else, they threw all their mana into that compass.

"Hahaha, you can't defeat me, I'm just that strong!"

Yan Zu smiled happily as explosions erupted everywhere. The limitless sea of flames formed another face, looking at everyone gleefully as he smiled, "Controlling the fates of others like this is too wonderful. In this dream, I am god!"

"That's right, that king should be at the end of his life soon, let me see which of you will fall first."

"When the human king dies, the Luck of the human race will disappear in a flash, that would be a glorious profit! The Resentful Spirits will only grow more and more, hahaha..."

Puff!

Cultivator Yunqiu's face reddened as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He slowly raised a hand, condensing mana into his hand as a glowing silver blade materialized from his chest.

Strings of mana condensed around it, just the sharpness that it exuded alone was enough to move everyone, it seemed to be able to pierce space itself.

He said seriously, "I'll use this blade to cut through a hole in the Nightmare. You don't have to care about me, you need to flee!"

"Elder Yunqiu!"

The expressions of the White Cloud Sect disciples changed suddenly, their eyes full of tears as they said in determination, "White Cloud Sect disciples don't back down when facing evil!"

Cultivator Yunqiu shouted, "Stop! Don't sacrifice yourselves meaninglessly! I said that I would protect all of you before, are you trying to make me a liar?"

"Sigh..."

A sigh could be heard at that inappropriate moment.

Li Nianfan slowly stood up, having been sitting down and watching the show prior.

Naturally, everyone looked toward him.

Yao Menhji and Chu Manyun's faces reddened, looking at Li Nianfan's back was like looking right at a saint. They trembled with emotion.

Was the expert about to make a move himself?

At the same time, they felt a deep sense of regret. They were not able to share the expert's burden. His sigh earlier... must have been one of disappointment.

The others looked at Li Nianfan's back in shock.

That commoner... was preparing to do something, and none of them could figure out what.

Under their gazes, Li Nianfan slowly walked to the edge of the barrier.

Stopping at the edge of the barrier, he looked at the intense fire outside before measuring himself.

He had a black robe on that day, and his sleeves were embroidered with silver hibiscus flowers. Both the material and craftsmanship were excellent, and were inspired by the heavenly palace, even containing traces of immortal power.

He was really reluctant to burn it.

Silently cursing, Li Nianfan carefully ripped out a corner. After making sure he would not get injured, he threw the cloth out into the sea of flames...

Chapter 539

"He's... burning his clothes?"

Everyone was stunned as they stared at Li Nianfan with dumbfounded expressions.

The main thing was that he was just a commoner.

The atmosphere that had been tense and hopeless suddenly dispersed, turning unbelievably strange.

Chu Yun could not help but say, "Mr. Li, were you burning your clothes to test the temperature of the fire?"

Yan Zu laughed, "Hahaha, it seems like my hell-like dreamscape has finally caused someone to go crazy. Don't you feel hopeless? Don't you feel helpless and just want to die earlier?"

He merely quietly looked on as the cloth fell into the flames and... disappeared into ashes.

The White Cloud Sect disciples had held onto an unreasonable sliver of hope, thinking that those robes were some immense treasure, and had been hopefully waiting for it to erupt in power, yet, "That's... that's it?"

"No... Impossible!"

Cultivator Yunqiu's eyes widened, in that brief moment, he seemed to see a sliver of golden light.

That man was just a commoner, how could his body emit golden light?

That golden light did not have any offensive properties, but it caused him to feel a strong wave of power.

"That... that is!"

Yunqiuy's mouth widened as his eyes narrowed to the size of a needle. He felt incredibly agitated, and his face was trembling.

Yunqiu starred as Li Nianfan slowly raised his hand, a golden glow started to appear and condense into his palm, hurting the eyes of everyone as their hearts beated crazily.

Finally, a golden lotus was condensed, slowly rotating.

Li Nianfan had the lotus in hand, and his entire body emitted a golden glow, rapidly turning into a golden man as he said, "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, I am the Deluxe Merit Saint!"

With his clothes burnt and the situation settled, Li Nianfan did not mind showing off a little and making himself feel better.

"The Deluxe... Merit Saint?!"

Other than Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji, everyone else widened their jaws, as if they had heard something unbelievable, their faces freezing in shock.

As for Yan Zu that had turned into a body of flames, he started to tremble anxiously, his pupils widening as an immense amount of terror could be felt on his entire body, causing his body to freeze and shiver.

"I... just burnt the Deluxe Merit Saint's clothes?!"

His voice trembled, looking at his hands as his mind thumped. At that moment, all the hairs on his body stood straight, and he was completely submerged in a horrifying power.

That was the power of a Chaos Thunderbolt!

Everyone in the Area of the Gods knew of the Deluxe Merit Saint's name. Just the name was enough to cause countless people to shiver, and they did not even dare to speak ill of him behind his back.

He was a legend!

He was a taboo!

Yet, without a sliver of preparations, Yan Zu had put himself right in the firing line!

"I, I... It's my fault, I didn't mean to!"

Boom!

A streak of lightning came down from the sky, it seemed to cover half the sky as it fell like a waterfall. The glow was beautiful, and it turned both the sky and the earth blue. It had been a world of flames, but they were extinguished by the lightning in a flash. That flaming figure seemed to disappear on the spot, leaving nothing behind.

Qin Yun stared wide eyed at the lightning, saying, "Oh my, he said he wanted to show us what lightning was, he definitely did it."

Qin Chuyue nodded, "Sacrificing himself to enlighten us, he was a great man."

At the same time.

At a concealed valley. 𝒍𝙞𝙗𝒓𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The Demon Lord was leading a group of demons and surveying the area.

Their expressions were heavy, and were extremely respectful.

At that moment, a demon hastily flew in from afar, his face full of excitement, saying, "Great Demon Lord, I received some news, Yan Zu is really impressive! We can finally end our struggles!"

The Demon Lord's eyes brightened, "Oh? What do you mean?"

That disciple said, "Yan Zu's ability is controlling the dreams of others. He's practically unbeatable in the dream world. The most important thing is, he doesn't need to physically be present at all. Even if he meets an opponent that is hard to deal with, his physical body won't be harmed, he practically can't lose."

The Demon Lord smiled, "It's no wonder he can still stir up so much trouble while he's hiding here. Hahaha, it seems like we're in a really good position this time."

"Not only that, the Ghastly Ghost King seems to be behind Yan Zu, and he's the real boss. He's a tyrant in the Area of the Gods that no one dares to provoke."

"Hahaha, good, very good! It'll be easy for us to move in the future, the path to our rise is right in front of us! Everyone, be careful, don't let anyone disturb Yan Zu!"

The Demon Lord laughed wildly, with God's favor, he had finally found a pillar to support him, it was a happy matter.

Living without a master was a lonely life.

Yet, at that moment, an intense white light shot out from the temple in the valley.

The light was brilliant, and it formed into a horrible whirlpool, causing a sense of awe. IT was like God's eyes had opened by a sliver, and it caused them to go numb, even feeling the urge to worship it.

"Huh? What is that?"

Boom!

Before the Demon Lord and the others could even snap back to reality, a terrifying lightning broke through, and fell from the sky with absolute accuracy in a "Z" shape.

The intense light dispersed throughout, causing the entire valley to disappear in a flash, turning into black ash.

The intense light had stunned everyone, blinding their eyes and forcing them shut.

Then, the light dissipated, and silence returned.

The Demon Lord looked at the valley. It was empty, nothing remained.

"Where is Yan Zu? Yan Zu has disappeared."

"Great Yan Zu, are you still there? Cry out if you are."

"Yan Zu was just sitting there, why was he struck by lightning?"

The Demon Lord and the others looked at the sight in front of them, and fell into a deep silence.

Just like that, another master of his was wiped away, not even able to leave behind any last words...

Why?

Someone pursed his lips, suggesting, "Demon Lord, as Yan Zu's underlings, I think he can submit to the Ghastly Ghost King."

"You're right.

The Demon Lord's expression turned serious, and his voice was even a little raspy as he felt a sense of determination he never had before.

At that moment, he felt his heart go up a level. He seemed to have encountered a challenge in his life. It seemed like there was a pair of unseen hands targeting him behind his back.

'I refuse to submit to my fate and the Heavens, I will go against the Heavens!'

'I will prove that I am a Lord!'

He was silent for a moment, before he said heavily, "The Ghastly Ghost King dominates one side, on our end, we have to support him. Tell him all the important information, and ask him to be careful. I refuse to believe that our foes won't make a mistake.

...

In Xia Kingdom.

Everyone started to wake up from the Nightmare.

Cultivator Yunqiu and the others looked at Li Nianfan with a complicated expression, especially Qin Chuyue and her brother, they looked like they had only met Li Nianfan for the first time.

Deluxe Merit Saint!

He was actually that legendary and unbelievably scary Deluxe Merit Saint!𝑙𝘪𝒷𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝑚

They never would have expected that the Deluxe Merit Saint was just a common person.

How did he end up being the Deluxe Merit Saint? They could not figure it out, but they did not question it. They could not afford to nor did they dare to question him.

Yunqiu immediately shouted at his disciples, "Control your mana, don't let it leak out. Those who can't control it, get lost and seclude yourself!"

They were all injured, and their mana was unstable, constantly fluctuating.

He was terrified that someone would accidentally step on Li Nianfan, the consequences... he did not even dare to think of it.

Dajji and Fire Phoenix stood by Li Nianfan's side. When Li Nianfan opened his eyes, they hurriedly rushed over, their gazes full of concern as they tenderly massaged him.

"Nianfan, how are you?"

Daji looked at Li Nianfan, blaming herself, "Fire Phoenix and I are too shallow with our cultivation, we were actually blocked by that Nightmare."

They were a stage higher than Yan Zu, but because they were, the Nightmare would naturally not allow them inside. In the end, they did not know how to enter dreams, and relied on Qin Chuyue to bring them inside.

If they could be more like their master, and their cultivation levels could be too high for the Nightmare to distinguish their power, they would naturally have been able to enter themselves.

Li Nianfan laughed, waving it off, "Ah, it's fine, there was no danger. It was a very good experience."

Fire Phoenix suddenly shouted, her heart aching, "Oh, your clothes were ripped! How could you say there was no danger?"

Daji had tears in her eyes,saying, "So it was so serious. It's all Fire Phoenix and my fault, we've burdened you."

#

Chapter 540

"Burp." 𝘭𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Qin Yun let out a burp, the corner of his lips twitching, indicating that he's already had his fill of that sickly sight in front of him.

The others were not much better, on the surface, they seemed to be immersed in their own world, licking their own rooms.

In truth, their hearts were hurting, sustaining many internal injuries.

'That's enough!'

'Do you need to do that?'

'It's just a sleeve, we are the ones who were actually injured!'

'Don't you see the blood coming out of my mouth? Don't you see my burnt flesh?'

'Boohoo... It's fine if you don't console us, you're even rubbing it in our faces.'

'My heart is broken, life is not worth living anymore.'

'Can you do anything you want just because you're the Deluxe Merit Saint? I'm really looking down on you in my heart!'

On the other side, Zhou Yunwu and the others were slowly waking up.

He broke out in cold sweat when he heard of the situation, and felt an intense horror.

In his dreams, Zhou Yunwu had managed Xia Kingdom very well, and it prospered greatly. He lived until he was eighty five, and had been lying on his deathbed, quietly waiting for the end of his life.

If he died in his dreams, then he would naturally die in real life.

It really was something that could not have been expected.

Zhou Yunwu and the other officials walked over, sincerely saying, "Thank you for all your help, everyone. The Xia Kingdom is eternally grateful. Please stay for a few days and allow me to show you my hospitality."

Qin Chuyue did not hold back, smiling as she said, "sure, please prepare some good food and drinks. Oh, and don't skimp on the reward money."

"Fairy, don't worry, I'll do it."

Zhou Yunwu smiled and nodded before looking at Li Nianfan, respectfully bowing before he sighed, "It's all due to my lack of willpower, resulting in me being trapped in the Nightmare. I even forced you to take action, I'm so ashamed."

Li Nianfan raised his hand, casually saying, "It's fine, it only happened because you cared too much about the Xia Kingdom and worked too hard. You should take care of your fatigue in the future and sleep well. After all, you're carrying the weight of millions of humans, your health is the most important thing."

"I will take your teachings to heart." Zhou Yunwu bowed again. He could not help but remark in his heart, the expert was always the expert, just his casual words were enough to send one deep into thought, warming up one's heart.

Zhou Yunwu bid everyone farewell before hurrying off to deal with the Xia Kingdom's problems.

After being unconscious for so long, many problems accumulated. In order to settle the populace down, he would naturally be very busy.

Li Nianfan and the others instead had a much better time. They naturally enjoyed the treatment by the Xia Kingdom. The scope did not need to be explained, sumptuous banquets, song and dance, lakes of wine and meat.

With Zhou Yunwu's awakening and many officials recovering, the Xia Kingdom slowly stabilized from their frantic state.

The night slowly fell.

Those who had not dared to venture out due to the unrest had started to appear on the familiar streets. The houses started to be lit up, and the night market once once again returned to its bustling state.

Furthermore, since they had just survived a crisis, everyone was naturally more emotional. Commoners could be seen happily singing and playing around, making for a bustling sight.

It had naturally been encouraged by the king.

After all, it was rare that the expert was there. If they did not celebrate it wildly, then he would be a failure of a king, and would be cast aside by the expert.

Li Nianfan and the others were actually browsing the streets. After all, they were here on vacation. They might have experienced quite a bit on the way, but it was nowhere near as bustling and prosperous as the main city of the Xia Kingdom. Furthermore, they were in a hurry before, and never had the chance to calmly shop around.

They naturally took the chance to relax and enjoy their lives.

It had been completely quiet during the day, but the main gates had been opened now, and carriages entered and exited.

A group of enchanting girls with smiles on their faces enthusiastically called out to the passersby, and many of the men naturally paid a lot of attention to them. Danger had just passed, so they were impatient to get their business going again.

Rain after a long drought was always welcomed.

Looking at the scene, Qin Yun's face brightened as he walked over with a proud smile, emotional tears in his eyes, "Little sisters, come here quick. It's me, I allowed you to work again! No need to thank me."

In an instant, the little ladies from both in and out of the building looked over before they passionately ran over, even the old ladies made a move.

"Really, is that true? Then you really are a hero."

Qin Yun said proudly, "Would I lie? It's me... us, who woke King Zhou up."

"Then you warriors must be incredibly strong."

Thanks to Daji, Li Nianfan easily pulled himself away from the crowd, and looked at the sight.

Minghui and the monks were a step slow, and had been surrounded, they were even incredibly welcomed.

"Masters, I remember a monk also came here last year. He would come to our door every day, claiming he wanted to train his heart. His bald head was too nice to touch. Could you let me touch your head as well?"

"Master, don't be shy, I have a skill that will send you straight to a sagely state. Under that state, you'll definitely be able to comprehend the Dharma better."

Minghui and the others could not even speak, and their heads broke out in cold sweat as they chanted Buddhist scriptures.

"Minghui, you monks are too boring."

Qin Yun had one girl in each hand, turning into a life instructor, "I've been enlightened by the Dao of Emotion. Brothers might help you once in the world, but... those who would be willing to constantly help you are these ladies."

Mingli's eyebrows furrowed, "Qin Yun, your words are incomprehensible! These women have no sense of cultivation, how could they help me?"

Qin Yun suddenly laughed, "Then who do you think would help?"

"Asking of yourself is better than asking of others, I naturally would choose to help myself!"

"Then which hand would you use?"

"Why would I need to choose, aren't both hands better?"

On the side, Daji furrowed her eyebrows as she looked on, leaning against Li Nianfan as she said curiously, "Sir, what are they saying? I feel they're talking about something, but yet they aren't,m I don't understand."

Li Nianfan coughed lightly, saying, "This is called a cross-server chat. It's not convenient here, I'll tell you in detail when we get back."

Qin Yun's voice could suddenly be heard, "Mr Li, please tell my sister later that I need to discuss the Dao of Emotion in great detail tonight, so I won't be going back."

"Okay."

As for Minghui and the other monks, they had chosen an empty spot and fled the circle, it was like they had let a heavy burden go.

...

The night was even heavy.

In a cave not far away from the Xia Kingdom's central city.

A shriveled old man had a green taoist robe on, his half-white hair fell as he closed his eyes, sitting cross-legged.

He had both his hands in front, holding a bug that looked similar to a caterpillar. However, the bug's body was snow-white, and it only had one mouth on its face that was filled with teeth, making for a hideous sight.

Waves of golden energy flowed in like water, slowing coursing in and entering the mouth of the bug.

Very quickly, the golden energy no longer appeared, suddenly stopping.

The old man opened his eyes suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing, "Has luck stopped flowing?"

He hurriedly raised his hand and calculated, and his expression sank, "Yan Zu that piece of trash, his Nightmare was actually broken! I was only a sliver away, it affected my grand plan!"

He stood up, looking toward the Xia Kingdom as his eyes twinkled.

Based on his calculations, Zhou Yunwu should not have lived past that night. At that moment, the Xia Kingdom's luck would burst out like a broken dam, and he would be able to have his fill, sucking in all the Luck!

Yet, he did not even get a sliver of that gigantic feast he had been hoping for. That failure caused him to go furious.

Yet, at that moment, his expression shifted as he kept the bug in his hand, looking coldly at a direction.

There, a green robed, middle-aged man dressed like a scribe slowly floated over.

The man looked at the old man, his eyes like a clear pool, unmoving and unemotional, yet there was a profound deepness to it. The man clenched his teeth, "I felt a disgusting energy from far away, it really is you, Junior Tian Yu!"

"Ah, Senior Shi Ye, are you well?"

Tian Yu smiled saying, "Ah, I almost forgot, the two most talented disciples in the history of the Empath Sect have been crippled, I guess you haven't been well."

The aura around Shi Ye quickly rose and he coldly declared, "Since you're here, the Human Sovereign falling asleep must have something to do with you, what are you planning on doing?"

After that, his eyes closed, his killing intent undisguised.

"Oh, from this aura, I don't think your skill has improved at all in this hundred years, senior, in fact, it's regressed by quite a bit!"

Tian Yu let out a mocking smile, shaking his head and saying, "I told you early on, emotion is just a burden. The first person you will harm is yourself. Forgetting about emotion is the true Dao. Reality proves that I am right!"

"It's still enough to suppress you!"

Shi Ye's eyes turned serious as he raised his hand, a yellow flame shooting out. It was like a dragon's attack, and immediately enveloped the whole cave.

The flames were intense, and were incredibly horrifying, yet they did not seem to damage the surroundings at all.

"Godly Fire of Seven Emotions?"

Tian Yu looked at the flames, not dodging or avoiding it as he stood still calmly.

The next moment, a huge black sword appeared behind him, slicing through the air and completely extinguishing the flames in a flash.

The sword aura contained the power of mana, and surprised the flames completely.

A slight footstep was heard coming out from the cave.

It was a young man with a cold face holding a large sword on his back.

His eyes were large, and the darkness glinted. It should have been incredibly pretty, but it had been filled with coldness and emotionlessness.

It did not look like the eyes of a human, but a killing machine, it caused one to shiver just looking at it.

Shi Ye's pupils shrunk, he felt more emotional looking at that young man than the old man, his fists clenched as he said, "Ye Shuanghan! How is that possible?!"

"Senior, you've been trapped by your emotions, and your cultivation is constantly deteriorating. You no longer have the right to face me, so you can only fight my disciple.

Tian Yu smiled lightly, continuing, "You don't have to be surprised, he's swallowed up Qin Chuyue's Emotional Seed completely. Killing his wife to prove his Dao, he devoured my Loveless Dao completely. His skills obviously soared!"

On the other side, Ye Shuanghan said emotionlessly and coldly, "No women in my heart, my sword is naturally godly!"

#

Chapter 541

The next day.

The weather was chilly.

The morning fog had yet to completely disperse. Morning dew still sat atop the tree leaves, sparkling.

Qin Yun walked out of the building with a satisfied expression.

A lady was on each side of him.

"Mr Qin, come again, my sister and I are the best when it comes to the Dao of Emotion."

"Don't worry, I'm not a heartless person, we had such an intimate exchange, I would naturally not forget about it."

He was smiling and was about to loudly declare something when his gaze shifted to a figure under a tree not far away. He had a sudden change in emotion as his smile disappeared.

The lady consoled, "Mr. Qin, what's wrong?"

"Who's Mr Qin? I don't know who you are!"

Qin Yun quickly ran off, pulling up his pants with a serious expression, "I'm a serious person, don't come near me, I would advise you to retire earlier."

After that, he immediately turned around and left, acting like a proper gentleman.

When he arrived at that tree, he exclaimed, "Uncle Shi, what a coincidence, you're here as well?"

It was Shi Ye, who had just fought the last night.

Unmovingly, he said plainly, "Stop pretending, do you think your little tricks can fill you Uncle... "

Shi Ye started coughing.

Qin Yun's expression changed in a flash as he said with some concern, "Uncle Shi, you're injured?"

Shi Ye pat Qin Yun on the head, smiling warmly, "I met Tian Yu and Ye Shuanghan last night! We exchanged a few moves, but I can't believe their cultivation improved by so much in just a hundred years, I... was no match for them."

As he spoke, his face turned red, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Qin Yun quickly supported Shi Ye, his carefree attitude from earlier disappearing as he said tearfully, "Uncle Shi, nothing will happen to you."

He knew how Uncle Shi's temperament was, and because of that, he was anxious and uneasy.

Uncle Shi's had a fiery temper, even if he lost, he would be shouting about, especially since he had met an enemy. Before, he wouldn't have stopped screaming and shouting.

His calm demeanor that day could only mean one thing.

His injury... was very heavy! It was severe enough that Uncle Shi could lose his life.

"It's fine, I've lived for countless years, I've already come to terms with dying. The only thing I can't let go of right now is the two of you."

Shi Ye breathed in, saying, "When you meet your father, tell him to be wary of Tian Yu and his disciple, their cultivation has greatly improved. They definitely have some plot in the works if they've appeared at the Xia Kingdom."

He was already giving his last words.

Qin Yun cried like a child who did not know what to do, "Uncle Shi, nothing will happen to you. Let's go back to the Empath Sect, they will know what to do!"

"Hahaha, my Primordial Spirit has been extinguished, how could there be a way to treat me?"

Shi Ye smiled, waving it off, "I've already notified the Empath Sect, asking them to send some people over to protect the two of you as soon as possible. Don't cry, it's already enough for me that I get to talk with you siblings before I die.

"Tell me, how did you awaken the Human Sovereign with just the two of you?"

Qin Yun wiped away his tears, supporting Shi Ye as he said, "Uncle Shi, the situation was like this..."

The two of them walked and talked, and quickly arrived at the courtyard.

Shi Ye was surprised, laughing as he said, "I can't believe the Deluxe Merit Saint really is as imperious as they say, interesting, how interesting."

Qin Yun nodded, "I never expected that the man who came with us, a common person at that, was actually the Deluxe Merit Saint, I can't believe it."

"However..."

Shi Ye's eyes had a look of doubt, "Those two wives of the Deluxe Merit Saint didn't enter the dream, that's very strange, are they Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals? Only... how is that possible?"

Qin un lowered his voice, saying, "That's right, Uncle Shi, my sister seems to be a little different. She sleeps very early every night, and her temperament has changed as well. I keep feeling like... she seems to have recovered her memories."

"How is that possible? Her Emotional Seed has been stolen, the portion of memories related to love should have disappeared as well. I..."

Shi Ye started to cough again, his expression turned more serious as he let out a long sigh, "I couldn't properly protect the two of you. Even in my dreams I wish that the two of you will recover. If that day really comes, I'll die without regrets."

"All of us are hoping that your sister can recover her memories, only... It's too hard. You definitely have the wrong idea.

Qin Yun nodded, falling quiet. He obviously understood.

"Oh my."

At that moment, a door opened and Qin Chuyue emerged from within.

She looked at Shi Ye, feeling the injuries on his body as she exclaimed in shock, "Uncle Shi, you..."

Shi Ye sighed, "I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you anymore."

Qin Chuyue pursed her lips, tears falling as she slowly walked to Shi Ye's side, suddenly saying, "It's the aura of the Forgotten Love Sword, was the one who hurt you Ye Shuanghan?"

"That's right, it was Ye..."

Shi Ye suddenly looked up in disbelief in the middle of his sentence, staring at Qin Chuyue with his emotions roaring in his heart.

"Sister, you, you..."

Qin Yun was stunned as well, he pointed at Qin Chuyue as he said in disbelief, "How do you know Ye Shuanghan?"

"Not only do I know Ye Shuanghan, I even know of a stupid girl whose lover stole her Emotional Seed, shattering her dao and putting her life at risk! It was her brother who transferred his cultivation to his sister, causing the brother to not be able to cultivate anymore."

Qin Chuyue looked at Qin Yun, sobbing as she said, "Isn't that you, brat?"

"It's me, I just hope that you won't prioritize your money over me anymore..."

In the courtyard, the three of them were silent as they let the tears flow.

Shi Ye's body trembled, coughing as he spat out more blood, "Chu... Chuyue, have you really regained your memories?"

"That's right, Uncle Shi, I've recovered." Qin Chuyue nodded.

Shi Ye exclaimed, "Good, good, very good! Hahaha... The Heavens have blessed you!"

Qin Yun said curiously, "Sister, how did you do that?"

"It was Mr Li's lollipop."

Qin Chuyue said with some surprise, "After I ate Mr Li's lollipop, I kept on having some strange dreams. Initially, I couldn't tell if it was real, but as I saw more and more dreams, my cultivation increased rapidly. Slowly, I realized that those dreams were the part of me that I was missing."

"Now that I think about it, the candies contained the power of love, it's not something regular candy can do."

"Loli... pops?" Shi Ye suddenly breathed in a cold breath, his pupils trembling.

"If it recovers your memory, then it's definitely an immortal candy. Could Mr Li really be the Deluxe Merit Saint?"

He was absolutely an important person!

Qin Chuyue told Shi Ye, "Uncle Shi, don't die. Wait and see, I'll definitely take my revenge on Ye Shuanghan, and find out what happened back then!"

"Stupid child, I'm not unbeatable, do you think I won't die just because I don't want to?"

Shi Ye shook his head with a wry smile, "I'm already satisfied after seeing you recover. Ye Shuang Han has lost all his emotion after cultivating the Loveless Dao, even though I can't beat him anymore. If you want revenge, you need to be careful."

Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun stayed by Shi Ye's side, their hearts aching. 𝘭𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Shi Ye patted their heads lovingly, smiling as he said, "It's alright, is that Deluxe Merit Saint still around? Bring me for a visit, he's your great benefactor, before I die, I have to win some favor for the two of you!"

After that, with the help of Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun, the three of them walked towards where Li Nianfan was staying.

On the way there, they met Cultivator Yunqiu of the White Cloud Sect, he had the same goal as them.

If the Deluxe Merit Saint had not sacrificed one of his sleeves in the Nightmare, then the White Cloud Sect's forces would have been wiped out. Furthermore, it was hard to meet a saint of legend, so he naturally needed to pay a visit.

For mythical figures like that, being friendly with them might not always be beneficial, but they absolutely could not afford to have a bad relationship.

When both sides met, they merely nodded in acknowledgement instead of a greeting. They did not bother with pleasantries, and moved forward together.

Chapter 542

Cultivator Yunqiu and Shi Ye both had thoughts in their minds. When they looked up at the courtyard not far away, both of their hearts started to leap, their hearts started to palpitate.

It was as if there was an unrivaled existence within.

Cultivator Yunqiu shook his head, feeling strange as he could not help but discard all his unneeded thoughts from his head. Even though the Deluxe Merit Saint was scary, as long as he controlled his mana, held his breath, maintained the distance, spoke softly and ensured that he did not harm a single hair on the Deluxe Merit Saint's body, he would be fine.

What was so scary about that?

As for Shi Ye, his thoughts were even more complicated than Cultivator Yunqiu's. He had a feeling that he was about to meet a monstrous figure!

The Deluxe Merit Saint, with two of his wives that are suspected to be at the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal stage. The most important thing was, he had completely overturned the memory loss that had before then been incurable. That was something that had already been set in stone, and the entire Empath Sect could not do anything about it, but a little lollipop had fixed everything.

Thinking about that, the door to the courtyard suddenly opened.

After that, Daji walked out slowly with a white dress on, her eyebrows were light like water, and her jade skin was accompanied by a light breeze. She looked like a scene from a painting, separate from the outside world.

Only, she had a different aura from when she was disguised as a commoner. At that moment, Daji seemed to have a faint glow about her, and no one would dare to underestimate her.

The aura caused Shi Ye's heart to race, and even breathing was hard.

Qin Yun and Qin Chuyue had been prepared to greet her, but were forced to swallow their words.

Qin Chuyue composed herself before saying, "Lady... Lady Daji, we were lucky enough to be saved by Mr Li yesterday, and came to visit him today."

Daji nodded, smiling as she said, "Mr Qin, Lady Qin, we've known each other for some time, but there's something I never told both of you. Since you're visiting, let me give you a kind reminder.

"My master is walking the world as a commoner, no matter what you see later, remember to not make a big deal of it, since it would affect the master's commoner's heart."

Qin Yun paused, saying in surprise, "Master? Aren't you his wife?"

Daji said, "That's a status that the master gave us because he thinks we're worthy. In my heart, he will always be my master."

Cultivator Yunqiu was shaken, "Feeling the commoner's heart? So Mr Li is not a commoner?"

He remembered very clearly, Mr Li had no mana fluctuations on his body at all, and even cried out for the protection of his wives in the dream world, which was what made his status as the Deluxe Merit Saint even more shocking.

On the surface, he should be a complete commoner, it did not seem like an act.

Daji's face was cold as she said, "Basically, remember my words! If any of you expose anything to my master... you won't be able to handle the results!"

After that, her pupils turned blue, and a torrent of energy shot out from her body!

Buzz! 𝓁𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐ℴ𝘮

The surrounding scenery suddenly changed, the house was filled with ice, and even the skies and the Earth were covered in a layer of ice. In a flash everyone fell into a world of ice.

The energy did not seem threatening at all, only... all of them felt a deep sense of respect in their hearts.

It was like a commoner standing on the beach, looking out at the limitless sea. The only feeling that would appear in their hearts would be respect and helplessness.

"Chaos... Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal!"

Shi Ye was also a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, which was why he was even more shocked.

That power exceeded his by way too much, it was even more powerful than Ye Shuanghan and Tian Yu's from last night!

It was already closing in on the peak of that realm!

Someone on that level actually had a master, that, that...

Daji showed her power quickly, and took it back quickly as well. Everything returned to normal in a flash, as if nothing had happened.

Daji merely tilted her head and entered the building, her figure disappearing.

Everyone exchanged glances, and all of them saw a thick sense of surprise in each other's eyes. After all, with Daji's skills, she would stand at the top of each of their sexts.

Cultivator Yunqiu gulped, saying, "Mr Li... Just what sort of a saint is he!"

At that moment, he looked at the courtyard like he was staring at the head of a beast, and had the urge to run away.

Shi Ye had another coughing fit, spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood. His gaze was fixed, and his heart beated rapidly.

He had already prepared himself, when he realized the expert was even more powerful than he thought, he was even more determined to seize another chance for Qin Chuyue and her brother!

"When you go in later, remember Fairy Faji's words."

Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun nodded at the same time, their eyes widened like little chicks asking for food. It was like they just realized they had a huge figure right next to them.

Shi ye used the last amounts of his energy to compose himself before bringing Qin Yun and Qin Chuyue inside.

Cultivator Yunqiu saw the situation and clenched his teeth before walking it.

'The White Cloud Sect is a holy place in this world, and we have a name even in the Chaos. With my knowledge, I don't think anything can scare me!'

At the door, they heard a conversation inside.

"Little Daji, do we have guests?"

"Yes, Qin Chuyue and the others are here."

"So it's them. Why are they here so early in the morning? Hurry up and let them in."

The next moment, Daji looked out again, her eyes curled up in a smile as she greeted everyone with a friendly expression, "Everyone, please come in."

All of them felt their hearts jump, feeling like an illusion appeared in front of was hard for them to consolidate the warm and gentle Daji in front of them with the cold and proud one from earlier.

She was already so powerful, but she was willing to stay by someone's side in such a humble manner, why was that?

All of them thickened their skins and said, "Thank you, Lady Daji. Sorry for the disturbance."

Entering the place, Cultivator Yunqiu appraised the surroundings, and his eyebrows twitched, there was nothing magical about the place at all.

Looking at the center, Fire Phoenix was clad in a red dress with a bowl of water in front of Li Nianfan, helping him wash his face.

Next to it was a small desk with a few bowls and chopsticks on them, obviously in preparation for breakfast.

Everything was a very normal sight meant for normal husbands and wives.

What was so cool about it?

Li Nianfan greeted, "Everyone, make yourself at home, please sit down."

"Ah, sorry for disturbing you."

Everyone slowly walked forward, Yunqiu smiled as he greeted, "Mr Li, I came today because..."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the bowl Li Nianfan was using to wash his face.

His first reaction was, 'Oh, that water is very clear.'

His second reaction was, 'Wait, the water seems to have spiritual fluctuations.'

The Third reaction was, 'What, the water is exuding Chaos energy.'

His earlier act turned into a breath of cold air.

Yunqiu's lips started to tremble.

Chaos Spiritual Water!

It was absolutely Chaos Spiritual Water!

He was using Chaos Spiritual Water to wash his face?!

'Ah, my eyes hurt!'

Li Nianfan looked at him strangely, and could not help but say, "Cultivator Yunqiu, what is it?"

He did not understand why Cultivator Yunqiu was so surprised at the water he used to wash his face.

"I, I, this is..."

Yunqiu realized his misdemeanor, and could not help but remember Daji's words from earlier. He immediately felt his head go numb as his heart frantically leaped.

At the same time, he felt two unbelievably horrifying energies focusing on him.𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝙤𝙢

They were from Daji and Fire Phoenix.

It was obvious that, the moment his acting failed, he would be turned to ash immediately, and not even a hair would remain.

At that moment, his mind raced, and he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and he clutched his chest, adopting a hurt stance.

"My heart... is suddenly very painful!"

Yunqiu's pale face could not be faked, he really was that scared, he raspilly said, "Mr Li, don't worry, it's probably my injury from yesterday."

At that moment, Shi ye started coughing from the shock as well, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Li Nianfan looked at Shi Ye and asked curiously, "Are you injured as well?"

"It's only a light injury, I am Shi Ye, Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun's uncle. Thank you for taking care of them."

Shi Ye said that as he politely and respectfully bowed to Li Nianfan before bending down, "Please accept my bow!"

Cultivator Yunqiu was immediately anxious upon seeing that, 'Damn, I can't have my thunder stolen by this sick man.'

He then bowed as well, "Mr Li, I came to thank you for saving me yesterday, please accept a bow from me as well!"

Li Nianfan waved it off, smiling, "You're too polite. In truth, I was just lucky yesterday, I'm very limited in my strength as a commoner."

As he said that, they could not help but glance over at that face washing water, their hearts trembling.

It was Chaos Spiritual Water!

Even after drifting in the Chaos for a countless amount of them, just a fistful of Chaos Spiritual Water was enough for a very long time of happiness, but he was using such a large bowl of it to... wash his face?!

How well off was he?

Yet, they heard Li Nianfan casually saying to Fire Phoenix, "I'm done, pour it away."

After that, they stared at Fire. Phoenix raised her hand, the Chaos Spiritual Water forming a beautiful line in the air, flowing in the sun.

With a splash, along with their hearts, the water fell on the ground.

The pain!

Li Nianfan motioned to Daji, "Little Daji, bring some fruits over."

He said with a sheepish look," I didn't bring that much with me, so please don't blame me for the poor hospitality."

Other than bringing some junk food, he really did not bring much.

The main reason was that he had spent a lot of food and drink entertaining the guests during the wedding, so he was very frugal this time, and only took out his stuff for special occasions.

Cultivator Yunqiu smiled and said, "Mr Li, it's fine, there's no need to be too polite."

They could see how out of the ordinary Li Nianfan was from both Daji's warnings and the Chaos Spiritual water, and he was even the Deluxe Merit Saint.

Even if he were to sweep them out of his home at the moment, they would not dare to make a sound, and would even leave while playing along.

Just as they thought that way, Daji brought a plate of fruits out.

There were some apples and tangerines on it, but for some reason, they seemed to be glowing, and had faint wisps of immortal energy.

That, that, that was...

As the fruits got closer, their breaths were even more erratic as their eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets.

Chaos Spiritual Roots?

Those actually were Chaos Spiritual Roots!

They screamed in their hearts, and almost lost their composure. They had goosebumps all over their bodies as they shuddered.

Chaos Spiritual Water to wash his face and Chaos Spiritual Roots as fruits.

Did he own the world?

No wonder Daji had warned all of them at the door.

No, that was not a warning!

That was a kind reminder, she was saving all of them!

If it was not for their reminders, all of them would have exploded. If they provoked the expert, the results...

Scary, way too scary!

That was called poor hospitality?

It seemed their qualifications were too low...

#

Chapter 543

Gulp!

The platter was the focus of everyone, and was slowly placed in front of them.

The strong feeling of a rich person almost suffocated them. The shining light almost caused tears to fall from their eyes.

Li Nianfan looked at everyone, and smiled as he said, "Everyone, the fruits might look very ordinary, and can't compare to immortal fruits, but the taste is definitely very good. Even the cultivators in the Eldritch World like them."

An ordinary looking Chaos Spiritual Root. 𝓵𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙚𝒂𝙙.𝓬𝒐𝒎

'I'm sorry for being ignorant, it's the first time I've heard about that...'

'Please give me one of these 'ordinary' looking fruits!'

'Could the cultivators in the Eldritch afford to not like it? Damn, I'm so envious my eyes are turning red.'

.

Undergoing a commoner's life, not looking like someone with any cultivation at all. At the same time, using Chaos Spiritual Water as regular water, and Chaos Spiritual Roots as fruits. Everything around him were monstrous existences that were turned to normal!

An expert, and absolute expert!

Even in all of Chaos, he would still be an extraordinary existence!

All of them were deeply shaken, their world views turned upside down. It was like a commoner that knew nothing about immortals suddenly stumbling upon an immortal one day, realizing that those extraordinary existences were around in the world.

Xin Ye's heart beat rapidly, no wonder he could use a lollipop to recover Qin Chuyue's memory, he was an existence that one would not even dare to dream about!

Li Nianfan looked on at their stunned expressions, and could not help but raise his hand, "What is it? Do you not like it?"

He could not help but sigh inside, of course, these cultivators would look down on regular fruits most of the time.

They all jumped in surprise, and immediately shuddered, thinking that they had offended the expert.

Cultivator Yunqiu said, "I like it, of course we like it! We were just attracted by the colors of the fruit, it really is pretty."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Hahaha, your eyes are sharp! I've carefully planted all these fruits, no matter the shape or the color, they are all perfect. Quickly give it a try!"

"Oh, ah, alright!"

Everyone carefully reached out their hands, slowly moving closer to the fruits.

They were getting closer, much closer...

They were about to touch it...

Ah... They touched it!

It felt so nice to touch, so comfortable and so satisfying.

Their hearts were rapidly beating, and their bodies were trembling. They were excited yet uneasy, and full of disbelief.

'Since I was young, I've never seen Chaos Spiritual Roots before. Now, they're in my hands, is this the peak of life from legends?'

'I've done it.'

After appraising the fruit in their hands, they suppressed their nerves and anxiously opened their mouths, biting into it.

Crunch!

With that crisp sound, the juices within the apple exploded out, the sour and sweet flavors spurred their taste buds, completely enveloping their senses with flavor.

The juices flowed through their throats, and were not only absorbed into their bodies, but also their souls, causing their entire beings to shudder.

"Very... Very tasty!"

Qin Chuyue could not help but exclaim, her eyes full of disbelief.

Chaos Spiritual Roots were hard to find, but fruits that tasted as good as that were just as hard to find. It was so juicy as well, it was definitely an amazing fruit.

Li Nianfan smiled in self satisfaction, "Hahaha, I wasn't lying to you, right, you definitely won't be able to find something as good as this."

Shi Ye suddenly felt his expended Primordial Spirit start to recover a little. Even though it did not completely recover, it had at least stabilized, and his life was no longer at risk.

It really was an incredible fortune among all his misfortune, the Chaos Spiritual Root was impressive.

He sincerely said, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Li."

Li Nianfan waved it off, saying, "There's nothing to thank, I should be the one thanking all of you. The fact that all of you came from so far to help Xia Kingdom in the name of justice is really admirable."

Cultivator Yunqiu said, "You're praising us too much, justice can't exist with evil. With the rise of evil, we naturally can't look on."

Li Nianfan could not help but lament, "I saw many evil beings on the way here, and many commoners have died, it's really regrettable."

Shi Ye said, "Evil beings come from hatred, and can't be anticipated. No matter how fast we move, we can only know of anything after the worst has happened. Even if we exterminate the evil beings, it's only after the evil has been done. It really can't be prevented."

Li Nianfan said curiously, "Do you know how these Resentful Spirits are created?"

He remembered there were also spirits and monsters in the Eldritch World, but they had been managed well by hell, so there were not that many Resentful Spirits.

Shi Ye answered, "Mr Li, all of this comes from the Ghastly Ghost King, he uses his cultivation to past down his ghosts from the Area of the Gods, causing this phenomenon."

Cultivator Yunqiu said, "You might not know this, but if it was just the Ghastly Ghost King, even if he's strong, the White Cloud Sect can suppress him. However, the White Cloud Sect's main focus is still the stupidly moving Ministry, otherwise, how could he let him run so rampant."

It was obvious that Cultivator Yunqiu had a lot of pride, and whenever he spoke, he acted quite conceited.

"The Ghastly Ghost King? The Ministry?"

Just as Li Nianfan wanted to understand more about the Area of the Gods, In the same cave near the city.

Tian Yu looked at Xia Kingdom front he gave, his gaze downcast and sinister.

Behind him, Ye Shuanghan stood there emotionlessly. He seemed to have truly stepped into the realm of forgotten love, and had no emotions.

He would only mumble in his mouth, "No women in my heart, my sword is naturally godly!"

At that time, a black mist suddenly rose, condensing into a woman in black clothing.

On the woman's face was a red demon mask, her figure was slender, and she was voluptuous where it was important. Her legs were long, and even as she stood there, she was a perfect S-shaped figure.

When Tian Yu saw the woman, he immediately said respectfully, "Tian Yu greets the Left Messenger."

The woman's voice was hollow, "I already know of the situation, there's a change in the plans. Yan Zu has been attacked by the Deluxe Merit Saint, and his original body has probably disappeared."

Ye Hanshuang said, "No woman in my heart, my sword is naturally godly!"

Tian Yu had a trace of reluctance in his eyes as he said, "Left Messenger, what do we do? Are we going to abandon the plan?"

"Of course it won't end here." The woman smiled coldly, "Whenever the Ministry works, we will naturally leave many fall back plans... one of them will be suited to you."

Tian Yu was ecstatic, and said impatiently, "Please show me the way."

"For the next plan, I will give you..."

Ye Hanshuang continued, "No women in my heart, my sword is naturally godly!"

The woman could no longer hold back, and glared at Ye Han Shuang, "What is this thing behind you? Get him to shut up right now!"

"Woman, you've attracted my attention."

Ye Hanshuang finally said something else as he looked emotionlessly at the woman, "Because of that, you have to die!"

After that, his killing intent exploded, but before he could even pull out the sword on his back, a loud bang was heard.

Ye Hanshuang's body was hit by an unseen pressure, and he slammed into the wall, unable to move.

#

Chapter 544

The demon-masked woman showed a sliver of killing intent, and said, "With just you? You don't know your place. Even if I just stand here, you won't be able to touch me!"

"Left Messenger please have mercy, have mercy."

Tian Yu quickly stepped up to protect his beloved disciple, "He doesn't really want to kill you. The Heart Devouring Bugs that I asked you for were all fed to him, I still need to raise him so I can swallow him later on."

Has he said that, his heart burned, was that the strength of someone at the Heavenly Path? A Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal had no way of fighting back.

The Left Messenger coldly said, "Ah, ask him to get lost!"

"Don't worry, I will send him away right now!"

Tian Yu hurriedly placed Ye Shuanghan deep into the cave, and impatiently returned, saying, "As for what you were talking about just now..."

The Left Messenger calmly said, "Take out your Qi Swallowing Bug." 𝒍𝓲𝙗𝒓𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝙘𝒐𝓶

Tian Yu hesitated, saying, "That..."

The Left Messenger's tone froze, "What? I gave you the Heart Devouring Bugs, and I gave you the Qi Swallowing Bugs as well, do you think I wouldn't be able to take it back by force?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Tian Yu frantically shook his head, and raised his hand. That little bug that only had a mouth on its face that was full of teeth appeared on his hand.

"Not bad, the little bug has grown by so much."

The Left Messenger smiled coldly, "Shut your eyes, I'll teach you a way to perceive it."

Tian Yu immediately obeyed.

As his mana flowed, his body froze, opening a door to a new world.

At that time, he felt like he had entered the body of another person.

Then, he noticed that everyone in that group of people had a bug on them, and he even seemed to be able to control those bugs, turning up smaller or larger, even making them jump.

"Left Messenger, this is..."

Tian Yu looked at the Left Messenger with his eyes widened.

"Those are all children of the Qi Devouring Bug, they can transfer the Qi they gathered to the mother."

The Left Messenger paused, continuing, "According to reliable information, the Xia Kingdom has two treasures that preserve their Luck. One is a piece of calligraphy, and the other is a sword. Currently, my bugs have controlled the officials of the kingdom. We only need them to get close to those treasures, and you will naturally be able to absorb all the Luck!"

Tian Yu's eyes shone, "Thank you, Left Messenger! In the future, I will be willing to do anything for you, and listen to any order!"

That concerned him being able to break through to a different realm, he was naturally extremely happy.

The Qi Swallowing Bug swallowed Luck, and refined it into the dao!

He first planted the Heart Swallowing Bug into his own disciple, Ye Shuanghan, and the bug would devour Ye Shuanghan's dao for Tian Yu's own use. However, it was too imperious, which was why he needed to devour Luck to counteract it.

If the plan went well, if no accidents happened, he would quickly be able to step into the Heavenly Path Realm that he had dreamed of!

Tian Yu looked over at Ye Shuanghan deep in the grave, licking his own lips, 'My lovely disciple, wait for me!'

The Left Messenger urged, "Quickly set the plan in motion."

She was already impatient, since the Human Sovereign did not die, so they had to take the Luck directly. No matter what, if Luck disappears, the realm would be thrown into chaos, and the Ministry would be able to take advantage of it.

"Don't worry, Left Messenger, I will get to absorbing it."

Tian Yu sat down cross legged, his mana flowing out as his energy flowed.

At the same time, in the Xia Kingdom, the morning assembly had just ended, and the ministers were just leaving the place, heading back to their wives.

Suddenly, a few of the ministers froze, their eyes going into a daze as their faces showed signs of struggle.

Quickly, the struggle disappeared. They could not stop it, and ended up falling flat.

Those people were no ordinary ministers, and were very capable. They shouldered quite a bit of the Xia Kingdom's fortunes by themselves.

At that moment, all of them were no longer heading for their wives, and they all headed towards a secret room at the deepest parts of the Xia Kingdom.

Since they had been thrown into chaos not long ago, and finally regained some peace, the guards were a little more lax. Thanks to their high positions, and with them coming in as a group, they were naturally unimpeded on their journey. Entering the secret room, they found a basement and headed straight underground.

"Hahaha, I'm there, I'm almost there."

In the cave, Tian Yu was elated, and would constantly laugh in a strange manner. His entire body shivered, very obviously impatient.

"I see it! Ah, how bright, it hurts my eyes!"

He shouted in a low voice, he could see through the bugs as well.

It was an incredibly big underground location.

It was impossible to call it a room anymore, it was an empty plaza. All of it was because there was way too much Luck. If there was not enough space... it would leak out.

The density had even turned into a golden dragon, and was proudly flying around the plaza.

In the middle of the plaza was the calligraphy that Li Nianfan had given before. On it was written, 'Man Can Conquer Nature'. There was also the sword, it was the first sword that Li Nianfan had made for the Xia Kingdom.

"Man can conquer nature? Let me see how you do that!"

A satisfied laugh came from Tian Yu's mouth. There was much more Luck there than he had expected, he would have a good time absorbing it.

"Next, it's time for me to eat my fill."

The ministers moved forward, and all of them touched those two treasures.

"Absorb, absorb it now!"

Tian Yu shouted in his heart, he was so focused on it that even his mouth trembled.

Yet, after a long while, there was no reaction at all, he could not absorb anything.

'What?'

'This force is quite strong.'

Tian Yu was forced to use more strength, 'I will absorb it!'

However, it was a wasted effort again. It was fine if he merely failed, but he seemed to have been completely ignored, he could not feel anything at all.

Anyone would feel humiliated in that position.

'This is wrong, a situation like this shouldn't be happening with my abilities.'

'Am I doing it with the wrong posture?'

'He immediately corrected the postures of the officials and continued again.'

'This time, there was finally a reaction.'

He felt the exhilarating feeling of Luck exiting his body, and Tian Yu could not help but let out an elated cry.

His effort had paid off.

'Wait.'

'This is wrong!'

'Why is it exciting for me?!'

"This is bad, Luck is poisoned!"

Tian Yu rapidly paled, he never expected that he would not only fail to absorb it, but he would be absorbed himself.

His foe was strong, and already set precautions!

He opened his eyes, and looked at the bug in his hand shooting out Luck. His face went green with worry.

He was decisive, and immediately cut off his connection with the smaller bugs, but it was useless, the Qi Swallowing Bug was still outwardly spitting, and did not stop at all.

"Why is it like this? How could this be happening?!"

Tian Yu trembled, his face pale and he was even about to cry, "Stop it, stop spitting it out, please stop! You'll cripple yourself, who can stop this!"

All that luck, he had tried so hard to accumulate all that Luck, and suffered so much for it. He had gone to so many worlds for it, and used so many tricks for it to grow to this degree.

It was already about to mature, but who would have expected such an unbelievable twist?

His eyes reddened as he frantically looked at the Left Messenger, "Left Messenger, why did this happen?"

The Left Messenger furrowed her eyebrows, "Those two treasures are really strange. You actually couldn't absorb them, this is unexpected."

Tian Yu urged, "Left Messenger, if you delay anymore, it will all run dry. Didn't you say there was still a third and forth plan? Quickly tell me!"

The Left Messenger's eyes glinted, coldly saying, "Are you trying to teach me what to do?"

Tian Yu was sullen, and could not help but exclaim, "I wouldn't dare. Only, Left Messenger, shouldn't you give me an explanation of this situation?"

"I, the Left Messenger of the Ministry, have always done what I want, why would I need to explain myself to you?!"

The Left Messenger exploded angrily, unleashing her energy, shaking Tian Yu, rendering him unable to speak.

Her body started to sway, and she turned into black mist, "I still have things to handle, you should take care of matters yourself."

"Left Messenger? Left Messenger!" Tian Yu stood alone in the cave, panicking.

In just that short amount of time, the large worm had shrunken a lot, if it continued, it would dry up soon.

Tian Yu could not help but cry out in anguish, "I beg you, stop absorbing it, I can't take it anymore!"

...

In Xia Kingdom's courtyard, Li Nianfan sent Shi Ye and the others out.

Turning around, and looking at the empty table, he could not help but remark, "Wow, I never expected that, the higher one cultivated, the more prudent they would be. They even brought away the tangerine skins."

Outside the courtyard.

Shi Ye quickly caught up to Cultivator Yunqiu, his face serious, "Friend, you should be generous. We all have a part in this, split half of the tangerine skins with me!"

Yunqiu continued walking briskly, as if he did not hear anything.

Suddenly, he ran his fingers across his mustache, raising his hands and calculating something with his fingers.

Suddenly, his expression changed dramatically, exclaiming, "Not good, there's an emergency summons from the sect, I need to hurry back. Everyone, good bye, I will take my leave!"

As he spoke, he had already disappeared into the distance by the time he finished.

#

Chapter 545

The ghost of the Xia Dynasty had just passed.

Although the fear in people's hearts had gradually faded, a certain coldness still lingered on. Coupled with the blow of the cold wind, the coldness became even more biting.

Often at this time, those enthusiastic calls from the Red Brothel became the only comfort in people's hearts. Some of the people would be involuntarily drawn in just to experience some warmth in this cold, cold world.

However, after entering, the patrons would feel hot from the warm welcome so they had no choice but to take off their clothes.

Once their clothes were off, the coldness crept up on their bodies again. In the end, everyone decided to do horizontal exercises to circumvent this tricky situation.

Qin Yun massaged his overworked waist with one hand while holding a book in the other hand. Walking out of the Red Brothel, he felt desireless for the first time.

However, he barely walked a few steps before someone lifted him from the nape of his neck as if he was a kitten.

He was preparing to struggle when he heard a stern voice from behind.

"Yun, it's me!"

A shockwave surged through his body and he swallowed before asking, "Fa... Father! When did you come?"

"From the moment you made a fuss about the thunderstorm," Qin Zhongshan answered indifferently.

The color drained from Qin Yun's face. "Father, I..."

"Shut up. The rain has become lighter."𝒍𝙞𝙗𝒓𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Qin Zhongshan let out a little sigh. His expression showed just how much disregard he had for his son.

Suddenly, with a flash of movement, Qin Zhongshan and Qin Yun disappeared from the spot and reappeared at the courtyard that the Xia Kingdom had arranged for them.

Qin Zhongshan dumped his son on the ground.

Shi Ye looked at Qin Zhongshan and then turned to look at his companion.

"Master, Big Elder," he greeted them.

Qin Zhongshan looked at Shi Ye with a complicated feeling.

"I can sense that your injury is very serious. How are you feeling?" he asked.

Shi Ye shook his head.

"I won't die from this. I never expected you to come so fast."

"I was already on the way when I received your S.O.S.," said Qin Zhongshan faintly. Then, he glanced at Qin Chunyue and Qin Yun vaguely. "Taishang Elder said there's a chance for the love affair to turn around. Did something happen?" he asked with intention.

Shi Ye smiled and said, "Master, you don't have to be so oblique in your way of speaking. Chuyue already got all her memories back."

Qin Zhongshan's pupils widened, feeling a combination of surprise and happiness.

"Wh—what?!"

Qin Chuyue nodded. "I'm all okay now, father."

"Really?"

It all felt so surreal to Qin Zhongshan. He pursed his lips and asked. "How did it all happen?"

Shi Ye's voice was full of marvel when he explained. "Actually, I nearly died, Master. The only reason we're still standing here is thanks to an expert..."

"Oh?" Qin Zhongshan was shocked. The expert was probably really amazing to be able to get this kind of praise from Shi Ye.

"How does he compare to Taishang Elder?" asked Qin Zhongshan.

"Taishang Elder?" Shi Ye shook his head with a bittersweet smile on his face.

Shi Ye tirelessly told Qin Zhongshan all that had happened. Following his narration, Qin Zhongshan went from being shocked to being horrified and lastly to disbelief.

A miraculous Lollipop.

Two Chaos Daluo Immortals who were at their peaks were willing to serve—Chaos Spiritual Water washed the face while Chaos Spiritual Fruits provided all the meals.

Was this a fairy tale? A utopia like this could only be found in one's imagination. However, if this was true, the question that was asked before would seem stupid.

Taishang Elder was nothing compared to the expert. Hopelessly useless.

"Are you sure about that?" Taishang Elder's voice came from behind.

He found it hard to believe but had no choice when he looked at the recovered Qin Chuyue.

Shi Ye nodded seriously. "I'm sure."

Shhhh—

Both Qin Zhongshan and Big Elder took a deep breath at the same time to alleviate the shock in their hearts.

"Can you sense how deep his power goes?" asked Qin Zhongshan somberly.

"You overestimate me, Master. His powers are too deep for the likes of me to guess," said Shi Ye with a bitter smile.

Qin Zhongshan looked at Qin Yun and Qin Chuyue. "How about you two?"

Qin Yun scratched his head. "You're joking, right, father? I thought he was an ordinary man even though I journeyed with him. If even Uncle Shi Ye can't guess, then it'd be more than impossible for me to know."

Qin Zhongshan and Big Elder looked at each other and saw the deep concern reflected in both eyes.

Qin Zhongshang suddenly knitted his brows together. "Does this mean you all left without even expressing proper gratitude after eating the miraculous Lollipop and Chaos Spiritual Fruit?"

Qin Chuyue was stunned. "That...sounds about right."

"Father, the expert turned all his treasures into ordinary items. We didn't have the chance to say thanks," Qin Yun butted in.

"Foolish! Stupid!" Qin Zhongshan's shout was full of anger. "If he can do it, we can do it as well! Isn't it a simple matter of treating the treasures as ordinary gifts?" 𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝒎

"No way! We need to be respectful to him."

Qin Zhongshan let out a long sigh. "It's a good thing Taishang Elder predicted you'd all meet a noble savior and asked me to prepare a treasure. Come with me and quickly show me the way to the expert."

While all this was happening, Li Nianfan was lying on a chair in his courtyard with his eyes closed, enjoying his leisure time.

Daji was massaging his upper body while Fire Phoenix was massaging his lower body. It was truly a life fit for an Immortal God.

Suddenly, Daji said softly, "Master, it seems like Qin Chuyue and the group have come."

"Again?" Li Nianfan felt puzzled.

He was a very hospitable person but there had been a continuous stream of visitors lately. Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun came before to report on the recent happenings of the Linxian Palace.

After that, Zhou Yunwu and Meng Junliang came to discuss future developments with him. At the same time, Li Nianfan discovered that a few ministers fell victim to a plot yesterday and fainted beside the Dragon Vein. However, the weird thing was that the Dragon Vein's Qi flow was not only unharmed but increased manifold. It was truly miraculous.

In the end, the unknown culprit not only failed his mission, he accidentally did a good deed as well.

The local City God came, too. Li Nianfan predicted correctly that the Underworld recently grew very busy fighting off the ghosts.

In the span of two short days, visitors came one after another. They did not come empty-handed at all. They would always bring a gift more or less.

Li Nianfan finally understood what it felt like to have a home as busy as a market where he did not have to do anything to earn money.

"Do you want me to ask them to leave?" asked Daji softly.

Li Nianfan shook his head. "No. Ask them to come in. Remember to be polite."

After a while, a knock could be heard outside the courtyard's door.

"Is Mr. Li in?"

Creak.

Daji opened the door. "Please, come in."

Qin Chuyue and the rest of the group respectfully greeted them. "Greetings to Goddess Daji, we apologize for our intrusion."

They went into the courtyard and paid their respect to Li Nianfan. "Greetings, Mr. Li."

"Hello to you all. Please, take a seat," said Li Nianfan with a smile. "Serve the tea, Fire Phoenix."

"We're sorry to disturb you again and again, Mr. Li. I'd like to apologize on behalf of my immature son. You've saved their lives but they didn't return your kind deed. As their father, I'm very embarrassed." Qin Zhongshan did not beat around the bush. "So, I've come here to give you this as a show of our gratitude."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and turned it over. There was a red stone in his hand. He smiled and said, "This is the Double Flying Stone from our Empath Sect. I hope you'll like it."

#

Chapter 546

Double Flying Stone?

Li Nianfan turned his attention to the red stone. The appearance of this stone was indeed extraordinary. It was the size of half a palm, red, oval-shaped, smooth, flat, with an occasional flash of brilliance—it was definitely a strange stone.

He could not help but take the stone from Qin Zhongshan's hand. The stone was as smooth as jade and instead of the usual coolness, there was some warmth emitting from it. It also gave off the illusion of suppleness. Li Nianfan had the sudden urge to rub it between his fingers.

"And who may you be?" asked Li Nianfan.

"Sorry for not making the introductions first. I'm Qin Zhongshan, father of Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun."

So, their father personally came to express his gratitude with gifts. He's definitely a man of the world,' thought Li Nianfan. He was a little perturbed by Qin Zhongshan's extreme politeness.

Li Nianfan asked Fire Phoenix to serve tea only. He did not ask her to serve any fruits because he wanted to make them last as long as possible as their journey was long. Besides, this was already Qin Zhongshan's second visit.

However, if he were to serve the fruits now, it would be as good as admitting his previous faux pas.

As for Shi Ye and the rest of the group, they looked at the Double Flying Stone with inner turmoil. The stone was very special. If the Suffering Sea was likened to the sea of love then the stone was its faithful company. The stone had been in the sea for eons and there were only four stones in this world.

It did not take much to know just how rare the stone was. It was, after all, the number one priceless treasure of the Empath Sect.

Although, technically speaking, it was not a Spiritual Treasure. Its efficacy was extremely special, thus making it more precious than a Spiritual Treasure.

Up until now, the Sect had never given away the Double Flying Stone to any outsiders.

Qin Zhongshan's original intention of bringing the stone was for it to be a backup. He would give the stone only if Li Nianfan was truly as powerful as his children described. However, he ran into a roadblock of how to assess Li Nianfan's power.

It was not until he met Li Nianfan in person that he realized he was overthinking the whole situation. There was no need to assess his true power—the simplest course of action would be to just give him the stone.

"What a special stone," said Li Nianfan.

"What a pretty stone," said Daji.

"Mr. Li, this stone can do other things, too. It is, indeed, quite a useful thing to have," said Qin Zhongshang with a smile.

"Is that so? Do elaborate." Li Nianfan's curiosity was piqued.

"As the name implies, the stone can fly. It's actually a stone of true love!" He paused for effect. "The stone acts as an intermediary between lovers so they can use each other's spells."

Li Nianfan's heart skipped a beat and his eyes glowed with the faint feeling of how this stone could be useful to him.

"How does it work?" he asked.

"It can store the spells of one party and the spells can be unleashed by the other party."

"Can it do that?!" Li Nianfan grasped the stone tightly in his hand. To say he was happy was an understatement. He never expected the Empath Sect would surprise him with such a gift.

Casting spells had always been a sore spot for Li Nianfan. He always felt inferior about his own powers even though he could finally fly, had the protection of the Spirit Guardians, and was skilled in other ways.

However, he could seriously level himself up with this stone. He could ask Daji and Fire Phoenix to store their spells inside and he could unleash them whenever he wanted.

Give and take. Was that not what all relationships were about?

This treasure was definitely tailor-made for him. It perfectly remedied his flaws. His confidence was boosted just knowing the stone was in his possession, ready for him to use whenever, wherever.

In a blink of an eye, he had already decided all the spells he wanted Fire Phoenix and Daji to store inside the stone. The spells had to be powerful and awe-inducing.

"Yes. That's the special thing about this stone. It fully maximizes the potential between lovers."

Of course, there was a caveat. The couple had to be truly in love to get the stone's approval.

However, Qin Zhongshan was not worried about Li Nianfan not getting the stone's approval after how Qin Chuyue and the group had described him. So, he did not say much else.

"Does it really not need magic powers to unleash the spells?" Li Nianfan wanted to confirm.

"As long as the love is deep, the spells would be unleashed as soon as you think about it," said Qin Zhongshan.

Li Nianfan could not bear to part with the gift so he thanked Qin Zhongshan profusely.

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful! I must say this would be extremely useful to me. Therefore, I accept this gift with all the gratitude in my heart. Don't be a stranger. Have some tea." Then he turned to Daji and said, "Little Daji, go and get some snacks for us."

There was a slight change of expression on Qin Chinyue's face.

"Mr. Li, forgive me for asking, but do you still have the Lollipops?"

"Oh, it nearly slipped my mind that you liked the Lollipops. Of course, there are some," said Li Nianfan.

Everyone let out a big sigh of relief when they saw Li Nianfan's good mood. They secretly praised their Sect Master in their heart.

They picked up the teacup in front of them and suddenly felt a burst of tea fragrance, which lifted their spirits. Their brain waves—which were originally congested—seemed to be stimulated and they immediately started racing.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

One after another. They reached a hyped-up state with the free flow of brain waves causing them to believe they could do anything.

"Huh?"

"This tea...is brewed from Chaos Spiritual Root?"

Everyone looked at each other, their hearts beating wildly. The hands holding the teacups were trembling faintly.

They did not see any fruits being served. They thought it was because the Chaos Spiritual Root was precious and the expert was not willing to serve it again, but they did not expect the tea to be brewed from Chaos Spiritual Roots, too.

Logically speaking, this kind of enlightenment tea would be much more precious than ordinary Chaos Spiritual Root.

Suddenly, they were moved by mixed feelings.

'The expert must've wanted us to try the Chaos Spiritual Root differently from the last time.' The thought occurred to them.𝒍𝓲𝙗𝒓𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝙘𝒐𝓶

They were certain. If it was not for Li Nianfan's generosity, they would not get the chance to consume Chaos Spiritual Root, in any form, in this lifetime.

First, they had the Chaos Spiritual Fruit, and now, they had a taste of the Chaos Enlightenment Tea. They felt like their lives were complete and they could die happy.

'The expert's really good to us,' they thought. Never in their life would they have expected to meet a person who would treat their guests to Chaos Spiritual Root. Gifting the Double Flying Stone was definitely worth it if it meant making the expert happy.

Qin Zhongshan came out of his state of shock and licked his dry lips. He hurriedly drank all the tea that he thought he never had the chance to drink in this life.

There was an astringent sensation at the first sip of the tea and the fragrance of the tea immediately filled the mouth. As the tea traveled down his throat, it felt like his esophagus was gently massaging his whole body.

The rich tea fragrance formed an airwave, which rushed straight to his forehead, shocking his whole body. At this moment, his brain entered a state of clarity, as if he had reached nirvana. The neural pathways in his brain opened up from a single lane to multiple lanes while bursts of electric current shot around nonstop, numbing his scalp and causing his whole body to convulse involuntarily. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

This feeling was really wonderful. It seemed that life had reached the peak, as if he was the master of the universe. It made people forget themselves and it was addicting.

#

Chapter 547

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group sipped their tea carefully. They felt deep satisfaction with every sip. This was the closest they had ever come to true enlightenment.

In fact, whoever trained in the Empath Sect were definitely those that had run into problems concerning matters of the heart. There would be celebrations all around if they were able to reach enlightenment through their training. However, more often than not, that was not the case.

The Suffering Sea made them better empaths but correspondingly, once they experienced a failed love affair and lost their hearts, the worst-case scenario would be the death of the body and the best-case scenario was being forever trapped by sentimentalism.

Win some, lose some.

However, after a cup of enlightenment tea, they suddenly felt a sense of relief. Their emotional injuries were healed and their lost strength was restored a little bit. The little bit could not be underestimated. It made a huge difference for people at their levels.

"Is the tea to your liking?" asked Li Nianfan with a smile.

"I'll forever remember this fragrance. It's truly excellent tea!" said Qin Zhongshan without missing a beat.

"You can have as much as you want. Don't be shy to ask for unlimited refills,' said Li Nianfan happily.

"Thank you, Mr. Li," chorused the group in gratitude.

"You're too kind. It's a small matter," said Li Nianfan with a wave of his hand. "By the way, has the Empath Sect come to the Area of the Gods for further development? In any case, I'm a local here and could help you smooth things over."

He wanted to help them however he can to repay them for giving him the Double Flying Stone.

Qin Zhongshan pondered for a moment, then sighed lightly. "To be honest, Mr. Li, the Empath Sect originally didn't intend to come to the Area of the Gods, but... My two children were injured by sentimentalism so I brought them here to find a cure for them."

"So, that explains the Path Scar on their bodies which normally won't appear on people with their spiritual cultivation. It must be caused by cultivation backfiring," said Daji thoughtfully.

"Yes, Chuyue and Yun were the most talented followers of the Empath Sect in decades. At that time, even the Suffering Sea had a feeling they'd be able to transcend the suffering caused by sentimentalism and reach enlightenment. It's a pity..."

Qin Zhongshan's eyes darkened but he quickly pulled back his emotions and said, "They were lucky enough to have met Mr. Li who so ever graciously healed them." He turned to look at Li Nianfan with gratitude while saying that.

Li Nianfan believed that a good deed should go unnamed so he did not acknowledge Qin Zhongshan's words. This in turn raised his character more in the groups' eyes.

"They were injured by sentimentalism?" Li Nianfan looked at Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun with undisguised surprise. He never thought these two would fall victim to over-sentimentalism. Especially Qin Yun who spent his days in the opera theater.

Qin Chuyue let out a sudden sigh. "Qin Yun wanted to fight poison with poison and decrease the power of sentimentalism. Who would've thought he'd be unable to pass the final level. I blame myself for that."

Her tone was filled with sorrow and her eyes became red. "It was all because of that playboy's fault!" she said with gritted teeth.

Li Nianfan took out the television and passed it to Win Chuyue. "Here. Use this to tell your story."

He noticed that tears would fall from Qin Chuyue's eyes if she continued telling the story. The group was hanging onto her every word, wanting to know the whole story. So, out of kindness, he lent a helping hand.

It would be easier and more fun to watch the story on the television. It would also save Qin Chuyue the effort of telling it verbally.

"This is..."

Qin Chuyue looked at the television, slightly dazed.

An Ultimate Chaos Treasure?

'Isn't it blasphemy to use a treasure like this to tell my love story?' she asked herself.

The rest of the group was surprised as well. No wonder he was the expert—he had a Chaos Treasure for everything!

However, they were mentally prepared this time so they kept their cool. Besides, they were more interested in Qin Chuyue's love story.

"Daughter, do as Mr. Li says. Tell your story. As a father, I never showed any concern for your love story and that was my sin," said Qin Zhongshan compassionately.

Qin Yun's eyes shone brightly. "Quick, sister! Show us your love story so I can figure out where it went wrong. That way, you can die happily without any regrets."

"Chuyue, you'll feel better after sharing your story," chorused Shi Ye.

What else can Qin Chuyue do under their ardent gazes, especially that of the expert?

She bit her lip and nodded determinedly.

She accepted the television and in an instant, the screen displayed the first meeting between her and Ye Shuanghan. The opening scene showed Ye Shuanghan being chased by somebody and Qin Chuyue was the one who saved him from being killed.

After that, Qin Chuyue allowed him to follow her on the journey because of his adorableness. She would tease him from time to time. The two of them trained and killed demons together—rinse and repeat.

Finally, the scene changed. They were taking a boat ride on the lake, flying a kite, stargazing, and entering the woods... 𝑙𝑖𝘣𝓇𝑒𝒶𝘥.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Huh? Why did you skip over the woods?" asked someone.

"Sister, I need to know exactly what happened in the woods?" Qin Yun gently reminded her.

Qin Chuyue's face became beet red. "Nothing happened. I only skipped over a few minutes. I swear nothing important happened." She pretended to be calm while saying that.

"A...few minutes?" Qin Yun widened his eyes. His face changed from disbelief to one of schadenfreude, and finally to indescribable happiness. His effort to keep his laugh under wraps caused his shoulders to shake violently.

"It's understandable if it's the first time," consoled Big Elder. Then, he turned to the sides and his shoulders started to shake as well. "I've sparred with him before but I don't think I can ever look him in the eyes after this."

Shi Ye nodded solemnly, then immediately covered his mouth.

The only person who did not laugh was Qin Zhongshan.

His face was red with anger and his eyes were as big as cymbals. "You...you...you'll be the death of me! How could you make me lose face by getting pregnant before marriage?"

"You're using the wrong words, father," corrected Qin Yun. "It's tasting the forbidden fruit before marriage."

The rest of the group tried to appease Qin Zhongshan. "Please, don't be angry, Master. Times have changed."

Qin Chuyue's face was still red. She did not dare to look anyone in the eyes.

The scene on the television continued. The couple who was madly in love delayed their practice and so, their journey became something to watch.

It was a rotation on the lake, kiting, stargazing, and the woods.

Kiting, stargazing, and the woods.

Stargazing and the woods.

The woods.

Until one day, when their lives were disrupted.

On that fateful day, Ye Shuanghan discovered a tattered old book called 'The Art of Sword—Loveless'.

The essence of the book—if there was no woman in one's heart, one's swordsmanship would naturally be powerful.

The first page of the book read, 'How to forget the woman in your heart...'

#

Chapter 548

Ye Shuanghan entered sage mode ever since he had discovered the book. He never snapped out of it, so it was no wonder the two lovebirds never went into the woods anymore.

The love story playing out on the television entered the final scene in which Ye Shuanghan stole Qin Chuyue's Emotional Seed as proof of his determination to become a sword master. What started out as a love story eventually ended as an age old tale of hatred and revenge.

Qin Yun was surprised. "I never would've taken you for someone who'd go for the cute type."

Shi Ye nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he doesn't look very smart."

"I'm going to kill him!" shouted Qin Zhongshan.

Big Elder stroked his beard. "If my analysis is correct, a trap was set for Chuyue from the very beginning. The scene where Ye Shuanghan was chased was probably an act."

Shi Ye glanced at Big Elder and said flatly, "It's obvious isn't it? I knew things would've ended this way ever since Tian Yu came into the picture. I can't believe Ye Shuanghan's followers!

"It's just that..." He frowned slightly. "I ran into both of them some time ago and felt there was something off about Ye Shuanghan. As if he had forgotten all his memories and emotions, only to become Tian Yu's puppet. If this is the price to pay for practicing The Loveless Dao, why is Tian Yun immune to it?"

Qin Chuyue's flashed for a moment. "Uncle Shi, are you saying that Ye Shuanghan is being used by his Master?"

"This is very common. It's obvious he has become Tian Yu's cauldron pot!" said Qin Zhongshan with a professional air. "It's exactly because the price of forgetting love is too big that Tian Yu would make Ye Shuanghan into a puppet. He's only waiting for the right time to harvest the greatest result. I'm not sure how he did it but... if all goes to plan, this would be the end result."

"We have to go rescue him now, father!" said Qin Chuyue.

Qin Zhongshan shook his head. "It's too late for him," he said without hesitation.

After listening to their analysis, Li Nianfan already had a good understanding of all the going-ons. He never expected the two Qin siblings to have gone through so much. If it was not for the grounding aura of the Empath Sect, this would have definitely been a tear-jerking story.

Qin Chuyue passed the TV back to Li Nianfan and said, "Thank you, Mr. Li, for letting me use this."

Li Nianfan was about to accept the TV when he suddenly had a change of heart. He decided to do whatever he could for them since they had given him the Double Flying Stone.

He immediately waved her hands away. "Lady Qin, why don't you keep the TV for now. It might not be able to do much but it might jog Ye Shuanghan's memories if you show him the times you've spent together if you ever see him again in the future."

He suggested the idea because he had seen it worked in TV series.

"Oh...wow..." Qin Chuyue's face was red with excitement. She stood up and bowed towards him. "Thank you so much, Mr. Li!"

She could not believe her good luck for getting a Chaos Spiritual Treasure! She was awed and touched by the expert's generosity.

Besides, after thinking carefully about it, his idea could work out very well. No wonder he was the expert!

Li Nianfan smiled nonchalantly. "There's no need to make a fuss about it. It might not have worked out but if it did, all the better."𝒍𝒊𝙗𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝓶

Qin Zhongshan put his hands respectfully together. "Don't worry, Mr. Li. We would definitely return the TV back after all things are settled. We'll take our leave now. Goodbye."

"Goodbye and safe journey to you all."

After sending away the Empath Sect group, Li Nianfan quickly called for Daji and Fire Phoenix.

"Little Daji, Fire Phoenix. Let's quickly go to a place with no people and try out this Double Flying Stone."

'Ah, that's right. I've forgotten to ask them for the exact steps in using the Double Flying Stone. I wonder if there's a limit to the type of spell and the quantity that can be stored. Oh well, I'll find out in my own sweet time. All the more fun it would be."

...

The silence ticked by, bringing nightfall with it. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Somewhere in the Xia Palace, two shadows could be seen coming out of a dark corner. They were none other than Ye Shuanghan and Tian Yu.

Tian Yu was holding the Qi Swallowing Bug. In just two days, he seemingly aged a thousand times over. He stared at the caterpillar in his hand with sunken eyes, almost crying.

The caterpillar had shrunk a lot compared to the beginning and it had also changed from firm to limp. However, even till now, it was still stubbornly pumping out Luck.

"Why on earth is it so out of control? Will it only be satisfied after it has pumped out everything?" he asked out loud.

Tian Yu wanted to seal up the caterpillar's mouth but he was afraid of hurting it. He felt the past two days had been the darkest 48 hours in his life.

"And don't get me started about those Ministry rats! They only dare to work behind the scenes and not take responsibility for anything!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. So out of spite, he sneaked into the Xia Palace to look for the two Luck Treasures, hoping to turn things around.

Generally speaking, he would not have taken the risk without planning for all contingencies. He knew the benefits far outweighed the risks if he ever went head-to-head with anyone in the palace. They could suck away all his Luck in the blink of an eye. Then it would really be game over for him.

This could be likened to the villain going against the luckiest person in the world, the former would definitely be defeated by bad luck.

Of course he had considered it was not worth taking the risk to spite a few worthless people. But he was beyond reasoning, anger driving his every decision. So he had no choice but to bet all his chips on this.

With his power, he had no problem sneaking into the palace. However, just as he was about to enter the treasure room, he saw several dark figures appearing from afar.

"I sensed something was off this morning — I was right to guess the two of you didn't leave the palace at all!"

"Tian Yu!"

"Ye Shuanghan!"

The Empath Sect group looked at them with solemn and cold eyes. Although they did not release their full power, a barrier had already been erected around them.

"You're still alive, Brother Shiye?" Tian Yu was momentarily frozen but soon came out of it when he sensed that Shi Ye was still heavily injured. He turned his gaze toward Qin Zhongshan. "It sure didn't take long for the Empath Sect to appear."

Qin Zhongshan's power started to rise in momentum. "Tian Yu, I wouldn't have believed you not only quit the Empath Sect but have turned to Loveless Dao if I didn't see it with my own eyes. How ruthless can you be! It is forbidden for The Empath Sect to practice that!"

"You're too naive, Qin Zhongshan! The biggest lie in the world is love!" said Tian Yu with cold eyes. "Haven't you realized after all these years? Love only ever brought pain for everyone. They're also the greatest weakness of a monk. The only way to reach enlightenment is through the removal of all feelings."

"I see you've already been possessed by the devil," said Big Elder.

"Possessed by the devil? Don't be ridiculous!" Tian Yu laughed mockingly and his eyes were hard to fathom. "The three of us were so talented before. We wouldn't have ended up this way if we weren't not hurt by love."

His eyes started to have a crazy glint to them. "Qin Zhongshan, Shi Ye! I'll forget the day our Junior died! I held her quietly in my arms while she called out Shi Ye's name. And yet, Qin Zhongshan, you were the person she married!

"One of you managed to capture her heart and the other had her body. Only I got nothing!

"It was then I realized women were put on this world to play with men's hearts! And thus, I've become enlightened — there is no such thing as love."

#

Chapter 549

Qin Zhongshan and Shi Ye involuntarily exchanged glances with each other, their own embarrassment reflected back in the other's eyes.

It was precisely because of what happened with Junior that their Heart Dao was damaged causing them to not only be unable to progress in their training but regress a little day by day.

"Brother Tianyu, let's not bring up the past. Life is not a bed of roses, neither is it full of thorns." Shi Ye shook his head and let out a small sigh. "At least Junior is survived by her two kids. Even though they're not yours, how could you still do this to them?" 𝓵𝒊𝓫𝙧𝙚𝒂𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Brother Tianyu, as long as you're willing, the three of us can raise Yun and Chuyue together," said Qin Zhongshan. "I would even ask them to call you father."

Shi Ye's people-pleasing personality immediately grabbed hold of the suggestion. "Perfect! As long as Junior's the one who gave birth to them, who cares which of us is the father. I've always treated them as my own flesh and blood."

Qin Chuyue and Qin Yun were listening to all the gossip with enjoyment but became puzzled at the start of the event.

"Hahaha, hahaha. Raise them as my own? I refuse!" said Tian Yu. "Since ancient times, the person who loves the most has always lost out. The more you care the more you'll get taken advantage of. I'm going to be ruthless and unflappable by matters of the heart from now on!"

Tian Yu's eyes were as cold as ice. His face started twitching when he thought back to the past. "The ultimate destination for Love Dao is Loveless Dao! One can only be the strongest when they've become loveless."

He kept on looking at the caterpillar on his hand while talking. It was lying in the palm of his hand — spent — only dripping out the little Luck it has occasionally.

How could this continue on? It was definitely running out of Luck. This was too cruel.

He had no place to vent out his anger and the air around him cracked manically with a palpable tension.

"I have some business to attend to today so I have no time to fight with you all. Get out of my way now!"

Big Elder had been waiting for his turn to say something so he took a step forward. "You know we can't do that," he said coldly.

"If that's the case, you leave me no choice but to kill you all!" Tian Yu gave out a loud shout and activated a spell without any hesitation.

The spell opened up the laws of heaven and earth. It was intangible and unavoidable — like birth, old age, sickness and death. It represented the will of heaven and earth and could only be opposed by the power of law.

If Daluo Golden Immortal was the perceiver and user of the laws of heaven and earth then Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal was the creator of the laws of heaven and earth. The latter would be able to crush countless Daluo Golden Immortals by only lifting up his little pinky.

What's more, Tian Yu was a veteran Chaos Daluo Gold Immortal infamous for his strong cultivation.

"We haven't sparred for a long time so show me what you got now!" said Tian Yu.

Qin Zhongshan took a step forward and activated a spell too.

In an instant, the two attacks were intertwined but there was no sound of the collision. The spells canceled each other out. This is truly the fight of the century between each person's Dao.

The next moment, they took another step forward at the same time and disappeared from the palace in the blink of an eye. They had gone somewhere else to continue their fight.

At the same time, the Big Elder and Ye Shuanghan had also begun their own fight.

Ye Shuanghan's weapon was a big sword and every cut was enough to kill thousands of laws, split the entire sky, and destroy everything. The sword had already transcended the Laws of the Universe and imbued it with the power of Loveless Dao.

Generally speaking, the Laws of the Universe govern the rules of the world. But beyond that, it is Dao! The source of everything in the world.

As the saying goes, Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three and three begets everything.

As long as one completely masters a kind of Dao, one can detach from oneself and arrive in the Heavenly Realm.

The Big Elder's face was solemn, he could feel the power behind the sword's slashes. He raised his hand and immediately summoned a jet-black stone wall. The stone wall acted as a shield to protect his whole body.

He raised his hand again, took out a black feather fan, and waved it. Suddenly the Godly Fire of Seven Emotions rushed towards Ye Shuanghan.

However, Ye Shuanghan managed to slash the flame apart with his big sword. He then turned his sword to the jet-black stone shield, making the shield crumble under the attack.

His power was just too amazing, aggressive and unstoppable — as if nothing in the world could stop him.𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

He did not display any emotions at all but kept out chanting under his breath the same sentence over and over again — If there is no woman in one's heart, one's swordsmanship would naturally be powerful.

"Ye Shuanghan!" shouted Qin Chuyue. She took out the TV and activated her thoughts so it would start showing the scenes of them together. "Wake up! Do you remember how we were before? Do you still remember the vows we took together?

Tian Yu was shocked. "Is that an Ultimate Chaos Treasure?!" But soon, he relaxed. "It's only a treasure that's good for screening."

Tian Yu was amused by their naivety. "How naive could she be? This is absolutely a joke. Do you think we're playing house right now? Showing him those boring scenes would not change anything at all."

Sure enough, Ye Shuanghan was not moved at all. His attacks became more vicious instead.

At this moment, a very strange sight suddenly appeared in the sky.

The four Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals were fighting for their lives and their power was bursting everywhere with its might causing the sky to fall into disorder. It was indeed a fierce battle.

Next to the site, a romance show was screening. A man and a woman traveling in the mountains and rivers, whispering sweet-nothings, swimming in the lake, flying kites, stargazing, entering the woods...

All these were played in a loop.

Not only that, the scenes were accompanied by dialogues — making it even more cringey.

"Even when all the mountains have crumbled into dust and even when all the rivers have dried up..."

"I will still stay by your side."

...

"You sneaky b-tch!" Tian Yu's face was contorted with anger. "You're not doing this to help Ye Shuanghan recover his memories. You're doing it to disgust me so I would lose focus on my Heart Dao!"

"Bullsh*t! She is clearly indiscriminately attacking everyone, disgusting everyone!" retorted Qin Zhongshan.

The only person unaffected was Ye Shuanghan. His attacks continuously became more and more vicious with no gaps in between.

"This is not good," said Shi Ye with a frown. His eyes showed deep concern. "Master and Big Elder's Dao Path was cut off and their power has regressed but Tian Yu and Ye Shuanghan have taken the path of evil making their power increased by leaps and bounds. I don't think Master and Big Elder can last much longer."

Almost at the moment when Shi Ye had finished his sentence, Ye Shuanghan dealt out his eleventh blow! This blow was unprecedentedly overbearing. It unleashed the full power of Cutting Off Love Dao, making the sky darkened as if the blade had cut through the fabric of space. The sword was originally high up in the sky but came down hard on Big Elder's head in an instant.

Crash!

The black shield was blasted into smithereens causing the Big Elder to retreat hastily. He could taste the metallic taste streaming out of the corner of his mouth.

He took a deep breath and said in a raspy voice, "Chuyue, turn off the sound now. I don't think I can listen to it much longer."

"How did things turn out this way?" Chuyue's eyes dulled with shock. She found it hard to believe Ye Shuanghan could stay unmoved after watching the TV. "It's illogical to think that the expert would give something useless to us."

Qin Yun considered this for a moment. "It could be because the scene is not exciting enough. Why don't you show him what happened in the woods?" he suggested.

Bang!

Qin Chuyue landed a punch on Qin Yu's head. "Seriously? You still want to tease me in this situation?" Her face was as dark as a thunderstorm cloud.

Qin Yun rubbed on the spot on his head where a bump was forming. "Ow..."

"Thank you, stupid brother," said Qin Chuyue suddenly with a determination she had never heard before. "You were the one who saved my life, I should not gamble it away. But... you won't blame me right?"

Qin Yun's expression changed. "Don't do anything stupid, sister. We can always run away if you can't win the fight."

"I made a wish to the Suffering Sea, not knowing whether money can buy love. But now, I would like to find out," said Qin Chuyue. Then, she took a step forward. "I give all my worldly possessions in exchange for bringing me to my love's side."

As her voice fell, an Insights Circulation flowed down immediately, forming a Law, and she disappeared from where she was standing only to appear in front of Ye Shuanghan.

Ye Shuanghan was still unmoved. He raised up his sword and with a thrust, stabbed Qin Chuyue in the chest.

However, a lollipop was slowly delivered into his mouth by Qin Chuyue.

At this moment, a sudden sparkle returned to Ye Shuanghan's emotionless eyes. He kept his sword still. It was as if they were frozen in place.

Everyone was surprised by the scene before them.

Qin Yu stood motionless and pursed his lips. "How could you be so foolish, sister?" he asked softly.

They could have run away but he knew that Qin Chuyue would never abandon Ye Shuanghan.

Blood started to blossom on her clothes. "Ye Shuanghan, please answer me if you've recovered your memories — did you ever love me?"

"Fool!" laughed Tian Yu mockingly. "It's just as I've said — love is the biggest weakness, it would only make us weak. Finish her off, Ye Shuanghan, my beloved follower"

Ye Shuanghan kept still on the sword's handle, his expression did not change much.

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group were seething with anger. They wanted to save Qin Chuyue but it was impossible as she was too close to Ye Shuanghan. They could not risk making any sudden movement.

The fight came to an abrupt end at this point, and only the TV was still broadcasting their love story in a loop, which became the backdrop for this pair of young men and women.

"Finish her off now!"

The sword whistled through the air. Once again, the sky darkened and the glint of the black blade caused everyone's heart to beat crazily.

The sword found its way to Tian Yu's chest and a faint reply could be heard.

"I... did."

#

Chapter 550

The sudden attack caught Tian Yu off guard.

However, he reacted quickly. A shadow fell across his face and he raised a hand to slap the sword away. The two mighty forces collided and exploded in all directions.

The shock from the explosion was not the same as water canceling out fire. They were, after all, a collision of two Laws. The shock was enough to cause space distortion and destroy everything in its path.

Tian Yu let out an involuntary cry while staggering backwards. A hole had appeared in the middle of his palm. This was not surprising as Ye Shuanghan was the most powerful out of everyone present.

Although he was tricked and fell into Loveless Dao he nevertheless had consumed Qin Chuyue's Emotional Seed so it was no wonder he was more powerful than the three elders who got themselves tangled in a love triangle.

Coupled with the fact that Tian Yu was caught off guard, it was inevitable that he would be injured.

Tian Yu's eyes narrowed and stared daggers at Ye Shuanghan. It must be the lollipop. "It was careless of me to think you have no more cards to play," he said in a low voice.

Ye Shuanghan held on to Qin Chuyue and looked into her pale face. His eyes were red and wracked with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Chuyue."

"I know you weren't yourself, Shuanghan. You don't need to be sorry." She was just happy he had snapped out of whatever spell he was under.

Suddenly, Qin Yue coughed. "Sorry for cutting short your reunion but how about we save the sweet-nothing for later and defeat the enemies first. Not to mention, my sister is still bleeding so we should really do something about that."

The words achieved the intended effect and the two lovebirds turned their focus back to the urgent matters at hand.

Ye Shuanghan looked at Tian Yu with a steely fierceness. "You don't know the true meaning of love, Master! What you think is love is only your excuse to cover the ambition and guilt in your heart!

"True love brings out the best in all of us. It gives us unimaginable power and courage. Just like how Chuyue was willing to give up everything she had to save me."

"You don't know anything! I don't need you telling me what love is!" said Tian Yu with a rigid smile barely concealing his anger.

"Listen to him! He's right, you don't know the true meaning of love," said Qin Zhongshan.

"They're right. You don't know at all!" chorused Shi Ye.

"I think so too," added Big Elder.

"Hahaha, that's nonsense!" laughed Tian Yu. His eyes were bright red and it seemed like he had entered into a manic state. Suddenly, his laughter turned into sobs.

He felt there was a hidden meaning in their words but he did not know what...

The stabbing pain in his heart made him go crazy.

"Don't for a second even think this is the end of me!" Tian Yu's aura was chaotic like a torrential rain. His narrowed eyes sparkled manically as if he was very close to having a screw come loose. "Today will be the day you all die!" he said in a low voice.

He took out the caterpillar, opened his mouth, and slowly lowered down into this mouth. He remembered it was only two days ago he was worried about how fat the caterpillar was getting and that he would choke on it. Now it was the diameter of an earthworm so he did not have to worry about the risk of choking.

"I wasn't planning on doing this but you have incurred my wrath so prepare to reap what you sow!" He let out an angry roar before giving them a blood-lust smile. "My good discipline, it's time for you to repay me for all that I've done for you. Activating Heart Devouring Bug!"

Ah —

Ye Shuanghan's face suddenly changed while his blood vessels dilated with the sudden increased blood flow causing blue veins to pop up. His aura drastically weakened and he began wasting away. His eyes were bloodshot with the immense pain he was feeling.

At this moment, Tian Yu's aura became correspondingly elevated at this moment and a great Qi flowed around his body. The Qi was thickening moment by moment and manifested into mist making the surrounding hazy.

"So this is what being all-powerful feels like! I can't get enough of it."

Tian Yu's previous fury had been replaced by a deep calm. His simple and unfazed eyes looked towards everyone, as if he had completely transformed his life. It was a kind of lofty gaze, looking down from up above so high.

Qin Zhongshan's face sank. "I was right to think that you were only using Ye Shuanghan as a vessel."

"Yes, it's just as you've said," said Tian Yu unhurriedly. Then he gritted his teeth. "My original plan was to collect more Luck before swallowing his Dao but... It was you all! You all force me to do this."

Although Tian Yu's strength increased rapidly, he would have to suffer a painful backlash with each attack he gave out. This was all because he did not consume enough Luck.

"The plan I was carrying out for years was ruined because of you all! I'm going to kill you all!"

He raised his palm to face the group and although the movement was subtle, Qin Zhongshan and others found themselves shrouded in endless terror. The space they were in seemed to be separated from the rest of the world and there was a chance they could be annihilated any time.

"Hold on!" Qin Zhongshan's expression changed drastically. A raging wave surged through his whole body and he erected a protective barrier over the rest of the group.

Boom!

Tian Yu's palm print landed on top of the protective barrier like a mountain. The people underneath the barrier bounced around like a rubber ball before landing crushed on the ground. The ground outside the protective barrier split wide open, swallowing up all the mountain, river and trees.

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group came up from the ground. Looking down on this area from a high altitude, a chasm spanning thirty thousand miles and three thousand deep had opened up.

Bleh!

Qin Zhongshan and Big Elder received all the force from the blow. Their faces were as red as the blood they vomited out and their eyes were starting to lose their shine.

All anyone could feel right now was shock and despair. Tian Yu was strong, too strong!

At this moment, Tian Yu is infinitely close to the Heavenly Realm. If not for the fact the attack happened on the Area of the Gods, if it was another place like somewhere on the human world, the planet would have been completely destroyed.

"I'm strong, so strong! So this is how it feels like to be the master of the universe and control life and death with my own two hands. I'm... invincible now!"

Tian Yu hovered horizontally over the void. His hair was spread out all around him and his eyes shone with invincibility, knowing he could do anything to Qin Zhongshan and the group.

Qin Zhongshan's face was pale. "Shi Ye, quickly take Chuyue and Yun away from here!" he said hurriedly. 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝓂

"I'm not leaving without you," said Qin Chuyue. She was holding Ye Shuanghan's hand and she alternated her gaze between the Qin Zhongshan who was vomiting blood and Ye Shuanghan who was in immeasurable pain. One was her father, the other the love of her life. They were both dying — What's the point of her staying alive?

Her eyes shone with tears and she bit her lips with determination. "Uncle Shiye, take Qin Yun along with you."

"I'm not leaving too! If you're staying, I'm staying!" said Qin Yun without hesitation. "Uncle Shiye, you should go."

"Like h*ll I would!" said Shi Ye. He slowly got up and unleashed what little power he had from his heavily injured body. His face was full of determination. "Let me clear a path for all of you before I die."

"How naive for you all to think you can come out of this alive," mused Tian Yu with a smile on his face. His aura was still increasing and cracks were starting to appear at where he was standing, as if he was in a black hole, just like the embryonic form of a world.

This was the kind of power that was strong enough to open up the world!

"Love and feelings, what nonsense! I would grant you all a quick death for the fact we used to be in the same sect together. Goodbye forever!"

He raised up his hand again as if he was giving out his judgment and the second palm print appeared from high above them.

Gasp!

The space fabric around Qin Chuyue and the rest of the group started to split apart before the palm print even landed on them. Cracks started to appear and the force alone was enough to cause blood to spew from Qin Zhongshan, Shi Ye and Bid Elder's mouths. The protective barrier was beginning to dull from the damage!

The gap between their powers was too big.

Qin Chuyue looked at the scenes still being broadcasted in a loop around them. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Shuanghan, I'm not scared of dying as long as you're by my side and we are surrounded by scenes from our love story."

Ye Shuanghan held on tightly to her hands and watched the broadcast with her. "I love you, Chuyue," he said softly.

Everyone turned their gaze towards the impending giant palm print. They were strangely calm as if they were a small, lone boat waiting to be capsized by a freak wave. A deathly eerie silence surrounded them and they stayed frozen in place.

It was at exactly this moment, the TV set suddenly gave off a golden glow. The screen that was originally jumping around in static changed into an endless blue ocean. There was no ripple on the mirror-like surface.

It was the Suffering Sea.

"The TV... It..."

The unexpected change shocked everyone.

Suddenly, a lone boat appeared on the sea.

A young girl was sitting on the boat with her hands put together as if in prayer. "O Suffering Sea, it was said everything could be bought with money. How about love? Can you give me my true love if I give you a coin?"

She tossed the coin into the sea and a glint bounced off it.

However, the coin changed its course and shot out from the TV screen. Its speed was too fast and was able to cut through time and space. It had already surpassed the Laws of the Universe. It aimed straight for the giant palm print still in the air with great will.

There was no great collision, no loud sound, but only a soft hum when it pierced easily through the giant palm print. It did not stop until it shot through Tian Yu's palm.

Blood shot out from the space between his brows and cracks started to form on his face, traveling down to his whole body.

There was no movement from him except for the widening of his eyes. His face was full of disbelief.

"I'm splitting apart?"

#

Chapter 551

All the visions disappeared from the sky, as did the overpowering and scary fluctuations, leaving a cooling breeze in their wake.

It was nightfall again, a silent and chilly one.

Tian Yu was still hovering in the sky with the coin stuck in between his brows. He stayed motionless and unblinking. He could feel the cracks on his body getting wider and deeper. His body became so fragile that with a small movement, he could shatter completely and be carried off by the wind.

Naturally, he did not want to die yet. How did things end up like this? Victory was within his grasp, how did it end up like this? Also, what was up with the Ultimate Chaos Treasure? It was so weird. How could it change the channel without asking?

"That was the coin I used to make a wish." Qin Chuyue looked at the coin in a daze, her eyes full of disbelief. "Is the... Suffering Sea help us?"

"It's the expert who's helping us!" corrected Qin Zhongshan. He clearly knew the Suffering Sea had not changed for a thousand years. Nothing in the world could make a ripple on its surface so there was no way the sea was helping them.

But...it can choose not to entertain anyone except for the expert. The expert had not lent a helping hand from the very start except for lending them the TV which connected them to the Suffering Sea. The most important thing was the Suffering Sea was many worlds away from the Area of the Gods and yet it was able to cross over the endless chaos to reverse the law of karma. Tian Yu's life was bought with the coin Qin Chuyue tossed into the sea.

The life of Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, who was at the peak of his power and imbued with Heavenly power, could be bought with just a coin? No one would ever believe that.

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group stared at the motionless Tian Yu with mixed feelings. They were suddenly awed by the impermanence of everything — surprised could be found anywhere if one looked hard enough.

Tian Yu stared back at them. He wanted to ask them 'why' but found himself unable to open his mouth.

"Left Messenger asked me to come over for a good show. He delivered on his promise," said a voice coming out from the night sky. His giggle echoed through the air.

Afterwards, a black energy gathered in the air and transformed into a man in a black robe. He looked down condescendingly at the Empath Sect group and continued on in a mocking tone. "Using Tian Yu as a pawn to capture three Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals was totally worth it."

Misfortune never comes singly.

Everyone's heart sank with dread.

Qin Zhongshan looked at the man in a black robe. "Who are you?" he asked cautiously.

The man in a black robe giggled unsettlingly. "Me? I am your master from now on and you all will become my guinea pig."

Qin Zhongshan felt his mouth grow numb with coldness. "The Ministry?" he asked gravely.

The Ministry was infamous among the circle of Chaos. The word evoked an image of street rats — disgusting but there was nothing you could do about them.

They were active in Chaos and had a finger in all the worlds' trends. They could be found in every corner and plotted from behind the scenes. One had to be very careful not to fall into their traps.

What made them even more disgusting was everyone had come into an unspoken agreement that they would rather die by their own hands than be captured by the Ministry. They all knew that being captured alive would be a punishment worse than death.

Without saying anything further, all the people from the Empath Sect activated their magical aura with their thoughts at the same time — not to revolt but to end their own lives.

However, at the next moment, all their faces suddenly changed at the same time — as if their magical aura had frozen them in place and only silence could be heard.

"Don't even think about ending your own lives. Only I can decide if and when you stay alive," said the man in a black robe.

A black fog started to rise up from the ground beneath their feet and transformed into a cage, trapping everyone inside. This caused them to fall into despair.

The man in a black robe was certainly very strong, judging by his aura. Although he was not as strong as Tian Yu when he was at his peak, he was very close. There was no chance they could ever defeat him in the conditions they were in right now. Not to say they would have ever been able to defeat him even when all of them were in their peak condition.

If given the choice of getting killed by Tian Yu or being captured by the Ministry — they would have chosen the former.

The man in a black robe admired his handiwork. "The chance to capture three Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals in one go doesn't come by that often. The most important thing is..." He turned his gaze towards the TV and excitement danced around his face. He had to pinch himself to believe it was real. "What's this I see? An Ultimate Chaos Treasure? It doesn't look like any of you'll be using it anymore so it's mine now!"

He could not believe his luck at finding a rare Ultimate Chaos Treasure. It was hard to control his emotions even with his trained mental state. Lady Luck must be by his side to be favored by the Gods.

"You can't have it. It belongs to an expert. Heed my advice to control your greed," said Qin Zhong shan.

"I can't believe you would say something like this," said the man in a black robe mockingly. "You're in no position to tell me what to do. This belongs to me now!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps could be heard from afar as if the owner of the feet had no intention of keeping himself hidden. There was an air of nonchalance to it.

The man in a black robe's expression froze slightly and a sudden chill entered his heart. His divine consciousness did not detect the newcomer's presence, meaning to say the newcomer must be incredibly powerful.

A coldness flashed in his eyes, he straightened his figure, raised his hand and laid out a few tactics around him, quietly waiting for the arrival of the newcomer.

Under the gaze of everyone, three voices belonging to three long shadows could be seen appearing under the moonlight. Little by little, they became nearer.

Two women appeared. One as white as the moonlight, majestic and holy, emitting a faint glow. The other was as red as the flames, long hair flying, burning so bright that one had to avert one's eyes away.

Between them stood a man who looked as ordinary as one could be. It could be said he was nothing but a mere mortal.

The man in a black robe automatically ignored the man because he felt a threatening aura coming off the two women.

Gulp!

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group took a gulp at the same time. They looked at the three figures with shining hope in their eyes. 'It's the expert!' they cried in their hearts.

Li Nianfan was originally trying out the Double Flying Stone with Daji and Fire Phoenix. They were having lots of fun and even unleashed the spells stored inside the stone on a few low-level demons to test out its power.

He was quite satisfied with the result when he heard a big commotion here and out of curiosity, came to check it out.

Li Nianfan gripped the Double Flying Stone tighter, still feeling very excited. He explicitly instructed Daji and Fire Phoenix to not intervene if the situation got out of hand because he wanted to use the Double Flying Stone.

Eventually, the three of them found out what was going on as they got nearer to the scene. The Empath Sect had been trapped in a black cage and was signaling for help with their eyes. They would have shouted for help if they could.

Standing on top of the black age was a man in a black robe. It did not take much to guess correctly he was the villain in this situation.

The man in a black robe coldly stared at Li Nianfan which made him panic slightly. The villain must be very powerful if he could trapped the Empath Sect in a cage. Not to mention the black robe certainly added to his gravita. Li Nianfan would need to be careful when it came to dealing with him.

Suddenly, the man in a black robe pointed his finger at the three newcomers. "The three of you..."

Li Nianfan's heart jumped violently as he thought the man in a black robe was activating an attack. Acting according to the principles of taking the first strike, Li Nianfan activated the Double Flying Stone with his thought and a ball of flame appeared, illuminating the sky.

The flame transformed into a golden Fire Phoenix. It traveled through the night and aimed straight for the man in a black robe with a screech.

The man in a black robe was momentarily shocked by the overpowering flames. 'What in the world is happening? Is he seriously pulling out the big guns at the first attack?' he thought. 'What's more, I should have been more cautious towards the mere mortal instead of the two women."

He quickly reacted with a cold scoff. He raised his hand and his black robe swirled around his body and transformed into a protective wall.

'Wait a minute! There's something off about the flames,' he thought. His heartbeat became increasingly more and more violent. He sensed that an imminent disaster was about to befall on him.

All the hairs on his body stood up and the coldness surging up his heart made him break out with goosebumps.

'I won't make it. The flames are going to devour me!' he thought.

He wanted to run but it was too late. The fire phoenix became bigger under his horrified and helpless gaze. There was a very, very, very scary aura coming from the fire phoenix.

'How could this be possible? Isn't he a mere mortal?' he asked himself.

Whoosh!

The flames burned through his protective robe like it was made out of paper. But the fire phoenix did not stop there as it continued to fly around the man in a black robe.

Until there was nothing left in his place. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The man in a black robe did not even have the chance to scream before it evaporated into thin air. The air lingered with his thoughts of disbelief and fury.

'I have underestimated you!'

Chapter 552

Silence.

Everyone looked at the spot the black-robed man used to be. No one spoke for a long time.

How could a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, who was the best of their best, die just like this...

Daji and Fire Phoenix were perplexed as well because forget about instant kill, they knew their power — without the help of the Double Flying Stone — was much less than the black-robed man. However, Li Nianfan easily did that with the spells that were stored in the Double Flying Stone.

Was it because the power of the spells depend on the will of the caster? So the attack power dramatically increased this time?

However, they quickly shift their mentality. 'Why are we surprised? Shouldn't we be used to our master's power by now?' thought Daji and Fire Phoenix. They have both the intellectual and emotional knowledge.

All the people in the Empath Sect's jaws dropped in shock. The scene of the instant kill kept playing on repeat in their mind. They were unable to find the words to express their awe.

When did the Double Flying Stone gain the skill to increase the power of the spells?

Only those from the Heavenly Realm have the means to be able to easily take out a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, whose power was at the peak of the world, right?

As for Tian Yu, who was on the verge of completely shattering, the act of dropping his jaw caused it to completely detach from his face and fell on the ground. It was a good thing his eyes did not pop out too.

Every little movement could completely shatter his body. The wind was already blowing off the dusted bits off him and he was slowly becoming less and less.

'So that was how they were able to beat me! They had the help of the expert. The TV was probably given by the expert. It's not fair! They obviously had the upper hand.

'Wait a minute... the expert was probably the reason why I couldn't consume Luck and was quickly losing it. Oh no! I was tricked' thought Tian Yun.

Before he completely disappeared, he still held some mixed feelings and regrets but it could also be said he was completely content to be able to watch how the final scene all played out.

"So powerful," he said and was gone.

Li Nianfan was shocked too. "I thought the black-robed man was a powerful character but he couldn't even handle one attack from Fire Phoenix."

He had originally planned it all out — if his first attack was canceled out, he would continue to activate another spell. If the second attack was not enough, then a third spell would be activated. If that still was not enough, then he would leave it to Daji and Fire Phoenix.

At that moment, he felt somewhat let down by it all as if the game was over before it had even begun.

'Not a powerful character?' thought the rest of the Empath Sect group. They felt sorry for the black-robe man but since the expert already deemed him so, then let it be so.

"You're absolutely right. A small fry, indeed," they echoed his sentiment.

Fire Phoenix pressed her lips together. 'This has nothing to do with. He might be able to handle the attack if I was the one who cast it. I think the crux of the matter is, not many people in the world would be able to handle one attack from you.'

Qin Zhongshan made sure everyone was safe and sound before expressing his gratitude towards the expert. He returned back to the TV with both hands.

"I must commend you all for the efficiency. I never expected the TV to be returned back to me so soon." Li Nian was aware of all that had happened. "So the black-robed waited for everyone to be on their last dying breath before trying to steal the TV. Well, I guess it's not surprising he had to bide his time since he's so weak."

Qin Zhongshan nodded, naturally echoing his sentiment. "You're right. He's nothing but a lowly thief."

"Yeah! I could have easily taken him out if I was at the peak of my power," added Big Elder, trying to make his presence known.

It was at this moment Qin Chuyue and Qin Yu learnt the life lesson that it was more important to ingratiate yourself to the most powerful person in the room than to stay true to yourself.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask — does the Double Flying Stone have a limit?" asked Li Nianfan.

"Ye..." Qin Zhongshan was about to elaborate more but had a change of mind. The normal laws of the universe did not apply to the expert — the usual limit might not apply to him. He did not want to risk incurring the wrath should there be any misunderstanding.

"No?" he quickly said. 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Li Nianfan frowned involuntarily. 'Why the question mark in the end?' he wondered.

"Elder Qin, I've asked Fire Phoenix and Little Daji to store as many spells inside the Double Flying Stone as they could. My guess is there's about a hundred spells inside by now and we're still unsure about the limit. Hence my question," said Li Nianfan to Win Zhongshan.

'A hundred? And there's still no limit?' thought Qin Zhongshan. His mind buzzed with incredulity. He must have heard it wrongly.

It was a general knowledge the Double Flying Stone's storage limit was only three spells.

The ability to store the spells for one's lover to use was against all natural laws of the universe. In most circumstances, it was more precious than Treasures. After all, it was a weapon that could save one's lover's life.

This also meant with each activation of the spell, the caster would suffer a backlash, how could the stone not have a limit?

Obviously, this rule did not apply to Li Nianfan.

Still, a hundred spells was a bit too much and with no limit in sight! The Double Flying Stone's limit had been pushed by the expert. What made it even more incredulous was that the expert was able to store both Fire Phoenix and Daji's spells.

Qin Zhongshan could not wrap his head around all this new information hence the sudden backtracking of his answer. He gave himself a pat on the back for his quick wittedness. He did not dare to imagine what would have happened if he told the expert the truth. He never felt so close to death.

"Actually..." Qin Zhongshan cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm not sure if there's a limit. No one has ever reached the limit. That's why I hesitated before."

Li Nianfan nodded. "I see. It's truly a marvelous treasure! With this Double Flying Stone, I have one more way of protecting lives. I'm going to ask Fire Phoenix and Little Daji to store more powerful spells."

Li Nianfan had a good understanding of both Fire Phoenix and Little Daji's spells. With the Double Flying Stone on hand, their attacks would become his attacks. Plus with the Spiritual Treasure and rebound of Deluxe Merit Saint...

There was only one word to describe him now — Invincible!

This was the first time he had ever felt satisfied ever since his transmigration.

Compared to playing the defense, it was of course more exciting to play the offense. Just like how Li Nianfan defeated the black-robed man with his own skills — only those who were in it would understand.

Was this how the strong feels?

As for the rest of the group, they were smart enough to keep their mouths closed. They were in the agreement the attack was not in the category of defense but cast with an intent to kill.

They looked at the smiling Li Nianfan with mixed feelings. Was this what counted as fun for the powerful people? Like how they could just level up their own settings to become invincible?𝙡𝓲𝙗𝙧𝓮𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

They could not help but envy him for his legendary powers.

"Was that the Ministry? How unscrupulous of them," said Li Nianfan.

On his arrival in Xia Dynasty, he had heard about the Ministry from the Empath Sect and White Cloud Sect and their penchant for being pervasive and unscrupulous. He did not expect to have run into them so soon.

"Yes, we've only received the news that the Ministry likes to keep their activities hidden and would only capture the low-level humans and demons. But now they're starting to target the higher-level monks and strange demons. They're probably keeping a big secret from the rest of the world," said Qin Zhongshan.

The Ministry had become more and more active and many people in powerful positions had started to come up with theories as to what their ultimate motive was.

What would be the final result of consuming and combining Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal and demons? What if they were to consume many at a time?

If their experiments were to be successful, it would probably create a creature that would turn the world upside down.

"It would be prudent to take precautions against an evil organization like that," said Li Nianfan while nodding his head. Then, as if he had an epiphany, he continued on. "Little Daji, Little Fox is still a demon king. Why don't we go visit her now since we're still on our honeymoon?"

The corner of his lips curved up at the thought of the adorable Little Fox being a Demon King. He was worried the Ministry would target Little Fox since she was a demon after all. Besides, it would not be weird to drop in and visit one's sister-in-law.

However, his main reason for his visit was because it had been such a long time since he had stroked that clean and white fur of hers. Not to mention how much he missed those fluffy nine tails.

#

Chapter 553

Li Nianfan discussed the visit with Little Daji out of courtesy. It was not like she would ever reject her master's requests.

As expected, she gave her never-changing reply softly. "As you wish, master."

The trio bid farewell to the Empath Sect and went back to Xia Dynasty for a rest.

In a world without smartphones, the only entertainment left for Li Nianfan before turning in for the night was reading. He liked to read 'Safe Travels' before sleeping because it helped him get a good night's sleep and helped to keep him in a good mood.

While he was reading, at the place where the battle took place, a graceful black shadow slowly emerged from the night — she was the Left Messenger of the late Ministry.

As usual, she was wearing a demon mask but it was easy to tell she was not in a good mood by the aura she gave off. There was also a sense of confusion in the air.

Immediately after she appeared, the void beside her twisted and out stepped a one-eyed old man with a wrinkled face wearing a gray-green top-hat.

The old man's face was green in color and looked like Ghost Fire underneath the night sky. It was uncomfortable to look at him. There was also a deep scar on where his left eye should be, permanently blinding him.

A deep booming voice came out of the old man's mouth. "What's the matter? Didn't you say the Empath Sect group has been captured? Where are they now?"

"Something else happened!" said the Left Messenger coldly. She gave a pause before continuing. "The Area of Gods involves too many forces and there are hidden powerful people everywhere. Maybe the Ministry has been targeted. My trap was foolproof but if I had known things would turn out this way, I would have come myself."

"It's not a big deal. They're just some small fries and unworthy of you to handle it yourself," said the green old man nonchalantly.

"Although I admit it was out of impulsiveness to create a problem from Area of Gods, I never expected to handle it so easily," said the Left Messenger with resentment.

Although she only laid out the trap for the Empath Sect group to pass some time, it still made her furious when things didn't turn out the way she wanted. There was also the matter of reaping a big reward if her plan was to be successful.

The destruction of the mortal's Luck, the dismembering of the Empath Sect, and the capture of a few Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal for the Ministry's experiment — all these were like killing a bird with three stones.

But alas, the birds were still alive and well. Although the same could not be said for the black-robed. At the thought of this, the Left Messenger became demotivated.

"This is not a good sign. How is your plan going? You should not be careless," she said gravely.

"Don't worry, everything is going according to plan," said the old man with a small smile, making his wrinkled face look more sinister. "The appearance of the Area of Gods has caused many demons to voluntarily gather together making it to capture them in one go. The trap for the Demon City is quietly being unfolded.

"There's another important matter. The Dog who took out three of our high-level members is most probably from the Dog Mountain."

The Left Messenger's face changed imperceptibly. "And you plan to take revenge?"

"Of course." His surviving eye shone brightly while giggling sinisterly.

The Left Messenger's eyebrows knitted together and her body started to turn cold. "Stop giggling like that. It gives me the hibbie jibbies."

Far from where all this was happening, the Empath Sect members were gathered together. Although they were all badly injured, it did not stop them from holding a meeting. Their eyes shone brightly with high motivation.

The experience of the past few days have certainly changed their perspective on the world.

"I still can't believe we were able to meet an expert. It all feels like a dream," said Qin Zhongshan with mixed feelings. He let out a small sigh before continuing. "We all owe him our lives."

"I agree! First he helped Chuyue recover her memories, saved me next and then saved all of our lives. The best part was when he treated us to Chaos Spiritual Fruit and Chaos Enlightenment Tea! I have no idea how I can ever repay him," said Shi Ye, getting more and more ashamed, realizing just how much he owed the expert.

The rest of the group was ashamed too. The expert had done so much for them and all they had given him was a Double Flying Stone. Not to mention he was able to fully unleash the stone's potential. Compared to when it was in the sect's hand, the stone could be deemed useless.

Big Elder let out a long sigh. "We're as good as rubbish. The thought of someone like him being so kind to people like us makes me want to cry with gratitude."

"The days I spent with him still feel like a dream to me," said Qin Yun calmly. "All this just proves what a kind person he is. Let's do something to repay him."

Qin Zhongshan quickly nodded in agreement. "You've taken the words out of my mouth. It's just that... How can we repay him?"

At this, the group went silent. Their brows knitted in deep concentration.

Powerful figures like the expert want for nothing — even the water he drank were from Chaos Spiritual Water. Not to mention his cultivation was probably so deep as to be bottomless. What could people like the Empath Sect group do to repay him?

The more they thought about it the more anxious they became. They clutched their chest at the realization of just how useless they were. There must be something they could do for the expert, no matter how small it was.

After a while, an idea struck Qin Chuyue and she shouted, "The Ghastly Ghost King"

She became animated and her eyes shot out bright sparkles. "Father, do you remember what the expert said about the Resentful Spirit when we visited him? Do you remember what he asked?" she asked hurriedly.

The group was momentarily stunned. They tried to think back to what the question was.

"The expert asked us how the Resentful Spirit came about..." muttered Qin Zhongshan with his brows knitted together.

Suddenly his whole body shook and his beard swayed violently as if he had discovered a new land. "I remember! I remember!" he said excitedly. "How did the Resentful Spirit come about! This is only a superficial question. We could change the question to — What is the source of the Resentful Spirit!

"And coming from the expert, there must be a reason for the question! He wanted to know whether it was possible to stop the Resentful Spirit at the source!"

Both Big Elder and Shi Ye gasped with realization. Their mood lightened up instantly.

"Of course! Of course!"

"Marvelous! What sounded like a simple question turned out to be guidance from the expert. It was actually a veiled order. Good thing we were able to figure it out. If not, the expert would surely be very disappointed."

"It's all thanks to Chuyue, my lovely daughter! You're as smart as your old man!," said Qin Zhongshan and then he laughed heartily. "Things should be easier from now since we know what the expert ordered. I hereby announce our main mission from now on would be to keep an eye on the Ghastly Ghost King!"

Both Shi Ye and Big Elder were filled with the same excitement. "We will defeat the Ghastly Ghost King no matter what!"

The next day, Li Nianfan was playing Chinese chess with Daji in the courtyard when the door suddenly opened and in walked Fire Phoenix followed by an animated Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun.

They were not supposed to stay for long in Xia Dynasty after the crisis was contained. However, they had changed their mind since the expert decided to stay. Even if they could not listen to the expert's lecture, it was an honor to them as long as they could stay in close proximity to him. They were prepared to drop everything and attend to the expert's order anytime, anyday. 𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝓶

They would not make the mistake of leaving the place as long as the expert was still there. Although they knew the chances were slim the expert would ever ask them to do anything, it was to their delight when they were summoned to his place today. They were so giddy with excitement to the point of bursting.

"Greetings Mr. Li and Lady Daji," said them both at the same time.

"Good morning, Mr. Yao, Lady Mengyun," said Li Nianfan. He had fond feelings for these two old friends of his. It was not long ago that Yao Menji went through all the tribulations and came to say her last goodbye to him. He was glad to see she had become an immortal now. Not to mention, Qin Manyu was not far behind with him about to start the process of becoming an immortal.

Li Nianfan was the one who had witnessed all their growth and him growing alongside them. It was no surprise he saw them as family.

"I'm sorry to ask you both to come so early in the morning," said Li Nianfan with an apologetic smile.

"Oh no. It's no problem at all. We were bored out of our minds. Is there anything you've wanted us to do?" said Yao Mengji.

"The three of us rarely go out so we're not familiar with Area of the Gods. We plan to visit Little Fox but we're not sure where she is now. Do you know?"

"Of course." Yao Mengji sighed with the relief he was able to help out the expert on this. "Little Fox is the crowned Demon King. At the start of the Area of Gods' development, all the isolated areas started to connect together with the Heavenly Palace at its center. The area Little Fox is in is called Demon City."

"Demon City? As in a city where all the demons are living?" asked Li Nianfan with awe.

Yao Mengji nodded. "Yes, Little Fox ordered all the demons to build the city to be her headquarters."

At this Li Nianfan could not help but smile. "She's quite the troublemaker, isn't she?" He raised his eyes to look at Yao Mengji again. "If you're free, would you mind showing us the way? If not, a map would do."

Both Yao Menji and Qin Manyun's hearts jumped up and down at the thought of being able to go on a journey with the expert. They felt unbelievably honored and could not contain their excitement. This was akin to them being the 'chosen one'.

Even a fool would know out of the two choices, which one was the correct one.

"Yes, of course, we'll be more than happy to show you the way. Truth to be told, we were planning on going to the Demon City ourselves. What a coincidence, right?" said Yao Menji without skipping a beat.

#

Chapter 554

Yao Mengji was very motivated. "Mr. Li, would you like us to prepare the spiritual boat?"

Li Nianfan waved his hand with a smile. "There's no need to go to all that trouble."

He thought back to the times when he still could not fly and had to rely on Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun to ferry him everywhere on Lixian Palace's spiritual boat. This caused him to let out a long sigh — the Universe truly works in mysterious ways.

Both Yao Mengji and Qin Many were grateful for the opportunity to act as guides for the expert again. After all, they would not be where they were now if not for that.

At that time, they swore to themselves that they would be a perfect guide to the expert. Even if he would only use their service from time to time — it was still an utmost honor to them.

Their ultimate dreams came true again today.

"Do you need to prepare anything?" asked Li Nianfan.

Qin Manyun shook her head. "No. We can leave as soon as you want."

"That's great! Let's go now."

He smiled and raised his hand. Suddenly, beams of golden light appeared from thin air and gathered underneath their feet until it became a golden platform big enough to levitate the group. The Deluxe Merit Cloud shot through the sky like a rocket aiming straight for the Demon City.

At the same time, Li Nianfan conjured up a golden table and golden chairs on the Deluxe Merit Cloud with his thoughts. The golden platform was still expanding until it was as spacious as a plaza.

A flying plaza in the sky would surely seem opulent and majestic to anyone's eyes. Not to mention quite miraculous.

"Please sit. I apologize in advance if this ride isn't comfortable enough," said Li Nianfan with a humble smile.

Yao Mengji and Qin Manyu stared at the golden platform, table and chairs — so shiny that it was enough to blind one. They could not help but be taken in by Li Nianfan's humble words.

'Only the expert would use his Deluxe Merit like this. If it was anyone else, they would have hoarded or struggled for quite a while as to what they would use it on. It must feel awesome to have so much Deluxe Merit to be able to use it anyhow one wants. Ah, the lifestyle of the rich and famous.' wondered the two.

Qin Manyu looked around the empty plaza. Suddenly her expression changed. "How about I play some songs for you, Mr. Li?"

She often socialized with the people in the Heavenly Palace. Generally speaking, entertainment — such as The Goddess Dance, The Battle Between Good and Evil, etc. — would be arranged for those people who were in high positions going on a trip. For this trip, they left in a hurry so were not able to prepare the necessary equipment. If it was not for that, they could have put on a musical party.

Li Nianfan was happy with the idea. "Sure. I haven't heard you play for so long. Thanks!," he said with a smile.

Qin Manyu walked over to a corner and sat down cross-legged. Her hair and long dress swayed in the wind making her seem like a moving picture of a goddess with her musical instrument. She moved her slender fingers and graceful music started to come from the zither.

What started out as a boring trip suddenly became livelier. Li Nianfan served up some fruits and snacks — truly enjoying the music and the passing scenery.

This was the first time he was able to take the time to enjoy the world from above and he liked what he saw. The combination of mountains and rivers covered in mist made it seem like the world was upside down. From time to time, they saw demons and monks engaging in battle, each living out their own story.

However, such a big golden plaza would not go unnoticed. It stole their attention, making the demons and monks below stop in the middle of their life and death fight — no matter which party was the one winning or losing — all of them stopped.

They were afraid the residue of their attacks would accidentally harm a Deluxe Merit Saint and be sentenced to death by the Area of Gods. Therefore, the originally chaotic world became peaceful wherever a Deluxe Merit Cloud could be seen. Until the Deluxe Merit Cloud had completely passed over would the fights continue.

At the same time, a master and his disciple floated past them on a Yin Yang Fish compass disk. Both the old man and the young man were wearing robes stamped with the Yin Yang Fish logo. Those are the uniform of the White Cloud sect which makes them the peers of Cultivator Yunqiu.

The young cultivator looked at the Deluxe Merit Cloud who was speeding through the sky and gave out a loud cry. "Wow! Master, what kind of treasure is that? It's gold all over."

"There's no need to make a fuss. That's not a treasure. That's a Deluxe Merit Cloud!" lectured the old cultivator calmly. "So the news about the existence of a Deluxe Merit Saint in the Area of Gods was true. We need to make sure we don't collide with him. Disciple, let's change course and get out of their way."

The young cultivator nodded his head, unsure of what was going on. He stared at the Deluxe Merit Cloud, impressed.

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the shadow in the sky — something was falling down. He felt all the mana in his body surging involuntarily.

He fixed his eyes on the shadow and realized it was an orange peel — catching the sun's rays and falling with the wind.

"Ah!" He gave out an involuntary cry and stuttered, "Master, that, that, that is..."

The old cultivator could not help but frown. "I've told you there's no need to make a fuss. You really need to cultivate your heart space!"

The young cultivator covered his mouth with his hand and pointed at the direction of the orange peel. "Master, look over there! It looks like there's some Spiritual Root over there!"

"That's impossible..." said the old cultivator with a chuckle while stroking his beard. Nonetheless, he raised his eyes towards where the young cultivator pointed and his eyes nearly popped out.

He gave out a cold gasp and with a quick movement grabbed the orange peel out of thin air. He looked cautiously around his surroundings and only let out a relieved sigh when he was sure he was safe. A smile broke out of his smile.

The young cultivator flew over to where he was. "Master, is that..."

"Yes, it's a Spiritual Root or to be more exact — the skin of a Chaos Spiritual Root."

The old cultivator sucked in some air and said with shock in his voice, "This is incredible and unsettling! What kind of a person do you have to be to be able to throw away the skin of a Chaos Spiritual Root without a second thought? The level of extravagance is out of this world!"

"Wait a minute!" His face became animated. "A whole Spiritual Root will have more skin than this. Quick! Look for the rest of them!"

He opened his eyes wider and his face became solemn. As he expected, not long after, they saw another orange peel floating in the sky not far from where they were.

The same movement repeated itself and he managed to grab hold of another. His hunger for more drove him to scan the sky carefully.

He could not believe his luck and thought that he must have done something to please the Gods.

Along the journey, he picked up more orange peel. He grinned ear to ear at his good fortune.

Suddenly, they heard a big commotion near them. They could see the demons jumping around and the monks flying around. The light from mana activation shot out continuously — a messy battle had broken out!

"You bully!" roared a Black Bear Demon, overflowing with demon spirit. His body was getting increasingly larger — truly a scary sight to behold.

"This banana peel landed on my territory. It was given to me by God himself so of course it belongs to me. Don't blame me for hurting you if you guys come any closer."

An old man standing on his sword laughed coldly, his aura cutting. "This gift from the sky has fallen randomly. It belongs to the strong. If you say it belongs to you, why don't you give it a call and see if it replies to you?!" 𝙡𝓲𝒃𝓻𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

"Shut up! Let's see which of us will get the banana peel in the end!"

"Stop!" boomed the old cultivator from White Cloud Sect. His Immortal Qi surrounded him, giving him a sacred feel.

"It pains me to see you all fighting to the death for a mere banana peel. I'm willing to sacrifice myself to keep the peace and prevent unnecessary deaths. If you have to hate someone, hate me!"

Right after saying that, he raised his hand, swiped away the banana peel, and disappeared far away from the scene before anyone could react.

#

Chapter 555

At the White Cloud Sect.

Inside the main hall.

Cultivator Yunqiu stood at the center of the main hall with a serious face. He looked wise and mysterious.

Actually, he was only a Quasi-Saint. He was not an elder of the White Cloud Sect. He had status, but he was not someone who could boast.

However, he was as pleased as punch that day. He told the Sect Master and the elders of the White Cloud Sect to come see him with full confidence. He had something huge to share!

'Today, I carry the news that will shock the entire White Cloud Sect. Today, I'm the coolest dude in the entire White Cloud Sect!

'That's how we do it. That's how confident I am.'

A breeze slowly passed by. His robes and his hair blew with the wind. He was very flamboyant at that moment.

Then, a sudden movement appeared out of thin air. Several figures flashed by. They all landed in the main hall in the blink of an eye.

They were all wearing the White Cloud Sect standard Yin Yang Fish uniforms. They had white beards and white hair. They looked kind. They looked like cool cultivators.

However, they killed the vibe of cool cultivators when they spoke.

"Yunqiu, you called on us and swore it was important. What is it exactly?"

"I need you to know that my time's very precious. We're responsible for the well-being of the Chaos. If you can't give us a satisfactory answer, prepare to be punished!"

"Yunqiu, don't tell me that you did this out of a whim."

Cultivator Yunqiu touched his beard. He smiled and said, "Sect Master, Master, elders, I naturally have huge news. Also... Don't worry. I promise that it'll be groundbreaking!"

The Master of Cultivator Yunqiu had to rush him, "Enough. You're so immature for someone your age. Stop giving us cliffhangers, hurry up and tell us."

Cultivator Yunqiu adjusted his emotions. He was about to tell them. Suddenly, there was a burst of maniacal laughter coming from outside. It got closer. A figure appeared in a flash.

It was the old cultivator that brought along the young cultivator.

He was surprised at first. Then, he was more excited than usual. He stumbled and said, "Yo, everyone's here. Good, I was just about to share some exciting news with everyone!"

The Sect Master asked curiously, "Yunhua, you have good news, too?"

Cultivator Yunhua smirked and said, "Ha. I brought my student along for a field trip to defeat Demons. Unexpectedly, we ran into two huge events!"

"Oh? Tell us about it."

"First of all, I ran into the legendary Deluxe Merit Saint. His Deluxe Merit is huge and blinding! The rumors are true. He has Deluxe Merit Flesh in the Area of the Gods!" exclaimed Cultivator Yunhua.

The Sect Master nodded. Then, he shook his head, "This is indeed important news. But, you overreacted. The White Cloud Sect is always full of cultivation experts. As cultivation experts, we can't overreact. You have to train your mentality!"

"Sect Master, I hope that you can still say that when you find out about the second news." Cultivator Yunhua took a deep breath. He slowly opened his palm.

"Ha. Yeah, right. My mentality isn't something you can question..."

The Sect Master snickered with pride. He calmly looked at Cultivator Yunhua's palm. He choked on his words as he widened his eyes. He looked like he could not breathe, like he might faint.

The other elders also focused on his palm. Their beards simultaneously stood on ends.

The Sect Master was the first one to revert to normal. He purposefully asked with curiosity, "Huh? Orange peel? Why did you bring this back to the Sect? Perhaps something's different about this peel? Let me take a closer look."

He reached out for the orange peel.

Cultivator Yunhua flinched away. He snickered and said, "Sect Master, stop acting. This is the fruit peel of a Chaos Spiritual Fruit! I tasted a small piece on the way here. The flavor, yummy... You can't imagine how happy I am."

The others were instantly jealous. They all gulped. They were so envious of him. They were about to beg for some.

Cultivator Yunhua raised his hand again. He said, "Look. What's this?"

"Gasp— It's a...full Banana peel!"

"Such a big piece of fruit peel from a Chaos Spiritual Fruit!"

"Luxurious. This is so luxurious!"

"Where did you get such a treasure like that? Perhaps from a secret border in the Area of the Gods?"

Cultivator Yunhua smiled and said, "Ha. You won't believe this. I was blessed with Luck. I was walking on the road. Then, these treasures fell on my head!"

Everyone thought it was incredible. "For real?"

The Sect Master grabbed Cultivator Yunhua. He was genuinely touched. "Yunhua, good one! You found these treasures for the sect. I'll order someone to make a flag for you to praise your contributions! Amazing, you're a hero!"

Cultivator Yunhua's mouth twitched as he said, "Sect Master, let's be realistic here. I'll only give you the Orange peel."

"Deal!"

Everyone gathered around Cultivator Yunhua. They argued until they were flushed for a piece of the Orange peel. Cultivator Yunqiu had to feel superior. He cleared his throat and said with arrogance, "This is but a fruit peel from a Chaos Spiritual Fruit. You guys haven't seen anything yet. So poor!"

The Master of Cultivator Yunqiu immediately scolded him, "Yunqiu, don't say that! Jealousy has twisted you."

'I was about to get an Orange peel from Yunhua. Why did you stir the pot? Wait until I get the fruit peel.' 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝒆𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Master, you want an Orange peel. Why do you have to beg like that?"

Cultivator Yunqiu instantly felt generous. He raised his arm and swiped out a full Orange peel. He generously gave it to his Master. "Master, this is for you!"

'This... This is also a fruit peel from a Chaos Spiritual Fruit?!'

Everyone was stunned.

The Master of Cultivator Yunqiu was so excited that his beard and eyebrows were quivering. His face was wrinkled from smiling. He hurriedly accepted the fruit peel and said, "My beloved student. You're truly my beloved student!"

Truthfully, Cultivator Yunqiu was about to cry when he looked at the fruit peel he was going to give away.

'Boohoo, I don't want to give it away!

'But, I have to. I have to endure my tears to be arrogant.'

Cultivator Yunqiu raised his hand again. "Look. What's this?"

Everyone nervously looked. They instantly felt their hearts race. Their scalps felt numb.

Cultivator Yunqiu was holding half of an unpeeled Orange!

"This...this...this..."

"This is a Chaos Spiritual Fruit. The real deal Chaos Spiritual Fruit!"

"Let me smell it, let me smell it..."

"May I lick it please?"

Everyone was immediately exhilarated.

However, they soon calmed down. They realized how important it was. They went serious.

The Sect Master struggled to look away from the Orange. He asked with seriousness, "Yunqiu, what's going on?"

"I gathered everyone here to tell you a matter of utmost importance!"

Cultivator Yunqiu never looked that serious before. Everyone felt nervous. They held their breaths. They felt like what they were about to hear next would be something unimaginably important.

"Yunhua, you said you saw the Deluxe Merit Saint. Actually... These Chaos Spiritual Fruits are from that Deluxe Merit Saint! He left those fruit peels."

Cultivator Yunqiu did not wait for anyone to ask questions. He continued to say, "I went to the Xia Kingdom this time. I, fortunately, befriended the Deluxe Merit Saint. You guys can't even imagine it. He's so...fearfully respectable!"

Everyone could tell that Yunqiu meant it from the heart. He was not joking at all. They were all curious as to who would make Cultivator Yunqiu react like that.

The Sect Master said, "Yunqiu, please, tell us your story in detail!"

Cultivator Yunqiu nodded. He had mixed emotions in his gaze. His voice was shaky. He slowly told the story, "The Deluxe Merit Saint sounds powerful, right? But it's only his puny little character disguise..."

The entire main hall was only filled with the voice of Cultivator Yunqiu. Everyone else listened attentively. They were gradually shocked. They had goosebumps.

In the end, they could only gasp to calm down.

Gasp—

The Master of Cultivator Yunqiu asked in disbelief, "He uses Chaos Spiritual Water to wash his face. He treats Chaos Spiritual Fruits like ordinary fruits. He has Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals as his butler and his wives. What kind of Godly existence is that? Are you sure you're not making it up?"

"Master, that Orange is the fruit he used to treat me as a guest. I didn't dare to eat much. I just ate an apple and half an orange. I brought back the other half."

His Master pursed his lips. "My beloved student, your placement of 'just' in that sentence is so well-used!"

"In that case, I'm afraid this man's beyond our imaginations!"

The Sect Master was utterly serious. He groaned for a moment and said, "Get ready, everyone. Gather the army. We have to prepare to get rid of the Ghastly Ghost King."

All the elders were taken aback. "Sect Master, you..."

The Sect Master said, "You all heard Yunqiu. The expert expressed distaste for the Resentful Ghosts. He's trying to hint at us to do a task! If the expert has to say it out loud, the White Cloud Sect will never work for the expert again!"

"You're right, Sect Master. But the White Cloud Sect just started in the Area of the Gods. I'm afraid it'll be difficult to get rid of the Ghastly Ghost King."

"No buts! Just do it! This is the expert's intention. It's a huge opportunity for the White Cloud Sect! Moreover, the Ghastly Ghost King causes havoc anyway. It's our righteous duty to get rid of evil forces!"

#

Chapter 556

A Deluxe Merit cloud slowly passed by.

The world was at peace.

"Oh? So you're saying the Heavenly Palace is about to battle the Ghastly Ghost King?" Li Nianfan ate his Instant Noodles as he asked Yao Mengji.

Slurp!

Yao Mengji hurriedly slurped up his noodles and swallowed. Then, he replied, "Yeah, Mr. Li. The Ghosts are causing havoc everywhere. The Underworld was obstructed when they wanted to arrest the Ghosts. Both sides were injured when they battled. Most importantly, the Ghastly Ghost King is scheming to attack the Underworld. He also said that he wants to release the evil Ghosts from the Eighteenth Layer of Hell. The Underworld's more stressed than ever."

Li Nianfan drank a sip of soup. He asked curiously, "Are they confident that they'll win? How powerful is the Ghastly Ghost King?"

"It's difficult to win!" Yao Mengji shook his head and sighed softly. "The Ghastly Ghost King's an enigma. He has three powerful Ghosts to protect him as his workers. They're all Resentful Ghosts that are also Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. The Heavenly Palace wants to defeat them but it'll be very difficult."

Li Nianfan asked in a weird tone, "So powerful?"

"According to the people who knew the history of the Ghastly Ghost King, the Ghost is a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. And a powerful one. He's someone who can create realms!"

Yao Mengji looked fearfully respectful. After all, that was someone who was like Lord Pangu. Then, he continued, "However, he failed during the realm creation process. Before his ultimate destruction, he was so powerful that he survived. Maybe he got lucky. He turned to a Resentful Ghost. In the end, he improved until he got his powers back. Also, he turned that world into the Area of the Ghosts!"

"I can't believe there's history like that. The Chaos is truly full of wonders."

Li Nianfan nodded. He hoped that everything could be successful. Li Nianfan felt like he could interfere with the battle if there was a huge issue. He was the Deluxe Merit Saint after all. 'The Underworld—is under my protection!'𝒍𝓲𝙗𝒓𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝙘𝒐𝓶

The Ghastly Ghost King probably would not dare to be merciless.

Slurp, slurp—

Everyone continued to eat their noodles and drink their soup.

Qin Manyun had forgotten about her grace in front of Li Nianfan. She buried her head inside the bowl and slurped loudly. The soup was visibly disappearing.

Soon, Qin Manyun exclaimed with satisfaction after finishing the soup. She smiled.

Her lips were much redder because of the soup. Her cheeks were stained with oil. Her left cheek also had a strand of noodle on it.

She had to say, "So delicious!"

It had been a while since she ate delicacies from the expert. She could not believe that there was a new batch of magical things again.

They were weirded out by the Instant Noodles at first. It was only noodles soaked in some seasoning and hot water. They could not imagine how it would taste good. However, the flavor was unexpectedly wonderful.

It was more than delicious. The noodles, the seasoning, and the water used were incredible treasures. Therefore, they did not want to waste it. Qin Manyun would probably lick the bowl clean if she could, but she was afraid that it was too much in front of the expert.

'Every meal with the expert allows me to break through easily. It's as easy as tearing a piece of paper,' Qin Manyun secretly thought to herself. She followed the expert around to eat and drink. Then, she became an Immortal out of nowhere.

She would probably still be a cultivator from the Yuan Ying realm if she had not met the expert. The difference was...huge!

'Is this the happiness of relying on a bigshot?'

Yao Mengji pointed forward. He said, "Mr. Li, Demon City's right there."

Li Nianfan looked over. He smiled and said, "It's indeed majestic."

He saw a huge city wall. It was different from a Human city wall. The city wall was made from clay. Through the city wall, he could still see a lot of the buildings that were taller than the walls. The style was different from a Human city. It looked unique and odd.

However, it was understandable. The city walls were probably made with Demon powers. Demons had an odd taste in beauty. It naturally looked different.

From afar, they could see all sorts of flying beasts circling on top of the city. There were also a lot of roaring beasts on land. It was like a playground for Demons.

"Look, Mr. Li."

Yao Mengji automatically became a tour guide. "Around Demon City, there are six tall mountains. One of the mountains is the Fox Mountain, ruled by Little Fox. The other five mountains are ruled by six Demon Kings. This area's known as the Demon Mountains."

"It looks like a successful land."

Li Nianfan nodded. The six mountains that Yao Mengji mentioned were far away. Li Nianfan could only see the outline. They were covered by the mist. Of course, it would only take an hour to arrive if they flew fast enough.

So... They were practically neighbors.

Suddenly, he noticed something. He looked at one of the mountains and felt like it looked familiar. He looked closely and realized the outline of the mountain was a dog's head with two ears.

He had to arch his eyebrow. "Is that...the Dog Mountain?"

Yao Mengji smiled and nodded. "That's right. It's the Dog Mountain. One of us."

"Haha, what a coincidence. I wonder how Blackie's doing."

Li Nianfan laughed. Then, he said, "Blackie hasn't been home in a long while. I guess that the changes in the world affected him. He probably can't go home because it's too far away. He's too weak to go home."

Yao Mengji felt troubled. However, he was used to it. He nodded naturally and said, "You're right, Mr. Li."

'Blackie's too weak?

'The world will truly be dangerous if Blackie can't go home...'

Meanwhile,

At Demon City.

Little Green, Wild Boar Demon, and the Black Bear Demon were patrolling around the city.

Those three were considered the OG's that followed Little Fox. They had been with Little Fox since Fallen Town. Most importantly, they were all badly beaten by Blackie and Xiao Bai before. They bonded through their common suffering. Little Fox trusted them a lot. They were not powerful cultivators but they were considered successful.

Truthfully, how could they be evil when they knew the existence of the expert?

They served Little Fox carefully every day.

Suddenly, a golden Deluxe Merit Cloud slowly appeared on the faraway horizon. It instantly caught a lot of glimpses and attention.

Little Green and the others were ruling the place with authority. When they heard the news, they immediately jumped. Then, they looked up and stared. They all leaped at the same time.

'It's the expert! 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝒶𝘥.𝘤𝑜𝘮

'The expert's here!'

"Hurry, follow me to welcome him!"

Little Green had a shaky and anxious voice. Little Green leaped to the air.

They saw a big Eagle Demon flying toward the expert. They instantly started to sweat and almost cursed out loud. They flew faster.

The Eagle Demon stopped in front of the Deluxe Merit Cloud. It looked arrogant. It asked, "State your name, incomer."

"State my foot!"

A huge bear paw swooped down from the sky like a heavy hammer. It slapped the Eagle Demon away. A few feathers were left floating in the air.

Then, Little Green and the others stood there with caution and respect. They wore the friendliest smiles ever...

#

Chapter 557

"Greetings from Little Green, Little Boar, and Little Bear to the Deluxe Merit Saint, Lord Daji, and Lord Fire Phoenix."

The three Demons bowed with respect at the same time.

Li Nianfan looked at them with curiosity. He asked, "Do you know me?"

Little Green sneakily glimpsed at Daji. She said, "Of course. The Demon King already told us."

The three Demons were naturally very nervous.

They sneakily glimpsed at Li Nianfan from time to time. Their hearts trembled. After all, that was the first time they officially met the expert..

Previously in the four-part architecture, they gained a lot of benefits. It was either the leftover food or the fruit peels of Spiritual Fruits. Sometimes, they got leftover water. It was a huge blessing.

One could say that they were raised by experts. They could not reach their achievements without the expert. They were naturally emotional because they were standing in front of the expert.

The Wild Boar Demon was especially emotional. He glanced at Yao Mengji. They were both sentimental.

Back then, the Wild Boar Demon was a live shield for Yao Mengji to attract lightning.

Li Nianfan laughed. "Good. Please, take me to Little Fox."

"Alright. Follow us, Lord Saint."

Li Nianfan slowed down. "Oh yeah, I have to pour this bowl of soup away."

He would drink the soup of the Instant Noodles sometimes, but it was only for the flavor. He would not drink up the entire soup like Yao Mengji.𝓵𝓲𝙗𝓻𝓮𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The three Demons were instantly intrigued. They had to shiver. They hurriedly offered to help. "Lord Saint, how can we let you fuss over such a small matter? Leave it to us!"

"Yes, yes, we're professionals."

"Wait a minute. We'll pour it away for you."

The three Demons passionately took the bowl of soup into the faraway woods.

'Here it comes. The leftover food from the expert. It's our moment to be happy again.'

'The peak of our lives.'

Li Nianfan watched as they stumbled and jogged into the woods. He had to say, "The three Demons are so quirky and cute."

In the woods.

Gulp gulp.

"Little Green. We promised one sip for everyone. How can you swallow twice?"

"It's my turn. Quick, it's my turn!"

Gulp gulp gulp.

"Stop it! There's not much left. Save some for me! You guys are so unfair!"

...

The three Demons led the way. They soon arrived at the main hall in the center of Demon City.

It had been a while since they saw Little Fox. The Little Fox that liked to roll around and play in the backyard unexpectedly had the aura of royalty. She stood on her throne. Her huge, long nine tails stood straight. Her eyes were bright with regality and authority.

However, when she saw Li Nianfan and the others, her aura instantly vanished. She became the Little Fox they knew. She leaped toward them.

She leaped and smiled until her eyes were squinted. She wagged her nine tails and leaped into Daji's embrace. Little Fox felt like she found her warm home again. She playfully said, "Sister, sister, I miss you so much."

Daji rubbed her fur. Then, she picked her up by the tail and scolded her, "Why are you still in Fox form?"

Little Fox innocently said, "Hehe, why do I have to transform into something else? I look quite good like this. I'm so cute and adorable."

Daji was about to scold Little Fox again. Li Nianfan snatched the Little Fox and pet her. He also squeezed her tail. It felt much softer and smoother.

'No wonder people love to pet cats. I love petting the Nine-Tailed Fox. It feels a hundred times better. This feels so good.'

He smiled and said, "Yeah, she looks quite good in this form. Daji, stop forcing Little Fox."

"Yeah."

Little Fox instantly allowed him to pet her because he helped her. She happily said, "You're so nice, brother-in-law. Thanks, brother-in-law."

"Haha, I love how you call me your brother-in-law. I'll give you a Lollipop."

Li Nianfan laughed. He flicked his wrist and out came Lollipops of various colors. It was like a critical hit for Little Fox.

Little Fox was instantly interested. She accepted the Lollipop and squinted from smiling.

She hugged Li Nianfan with her nine tails as if she was saying, 'Go ahead. Pet me.'

Suddenly, Cultivator Mosquito flew over Kunpeng as an elder. They greeted them, "Greetings to Lord Saint, Goddess Daji, and Goddess Fire Phoenix."

"Greetings."

Li Nianfan nodded. Cultivator Mosquito had a meal in the four-part architecture before. He knew Cultivator Mosquito. He looked at Kunpeng and said, "I wonder what I should call you?"

Kunpeng hurriedly replied, "Lord Saint, just call me Little Peng. I'm that little birdie."

"I remember. It's you."

Li Nianfan smiled. He remembered the little birdie Daji brought to the Kunpeng Feast. It left an impression on him. 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝓶

Cultivator Mosquito had a blood-red cape on. She said softly, "Lord Saint, please, go ahead. We're here to welcome you."

Kunpeng hurriedly continued, "Yeah, Lord Saint. We also prepared Demon performances for you. I assure you it'll be fun."

Li Nianfan smiled and nodded. "Good. I bought a lot of good wine, too. We can have fun together."

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito breathed rapidly when they realized Li Nianfan was about to give them wine. They were flushed from excitement.

'I knew it. Following the Demon King's a good choice. She's the expert's sister-in-law, after all. Opportunities have arrived as expected.'

They did not dare to delay. They hurriedly went to make preparations.

Li Nianfan arrived too unexpectedly, but they were already prepared. The Heavenly Palace, the Underworld, the Dragons, and the others all knew that they could pause their cultivation, but the performances had to be spot on.

'Are we finally going to perform after all the rehearsals? One minute on the stage is truly ten years of work offstage!'

Soon, everyone was seated. Kunpeng was with the Demons with higher cultivation.

The Demons were all warned by Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito. At first, they thought it was confusing. However, they widened their eyes when they saw the wine. It was dreamy.

A lot of the Demons were not from the Eldritch World. They suddenly encountered such a magical event. They were so frightful that their eyes almost rolled backward. They had goosebumps.

They held their wine glasses and shuddered. They had tears in their eyes.

'Oh my goodness!'

'How lucky am I? How am I working for such an incredible Demon King?'

'My choice back then was a legendary choice! Choices are indeed more important than hard work in life.'

Those Demons made fun of me back then. They're truly younglings in the end.'

Meanwhile,

At one of the Demon Mountains surrounding the Demon City.

Demonic energy was through the roof. Thousands of Demons gathered and were noisy.

A man with flat lips stood on top of a huge rock. He was bossy and dominant. He coldly looked at all the Demons.

The man literally had flat lips because he had a duck's beak. His hair was brown and his eyes were small. However, his aura made the Demons fear him.

He was one of the Demon Kings—Flying Duck.

His eyes were full of composure. He slowly said, "Listen up. This is my thirteenth time proposing to Little Fox. If she still rejects me... What shall we do?"

"Force her! Abduct her!"

#

Chapter 558

At the Demon City.

The Demons did not dare to breathe hard. They occasionally glimpsed at Li Nianfan with fear and respect. They were nervous.

Aside from the glass of legendary wine, they could refill their glasses. More importantly, he provided Chaos Spiritual Fruits. No one expected to gain such huge blessings because they accompanied the expert to watch a performance.

They would probably be deemed insane if they told anyone about it.

It was not possible, not even in their wildest dreams. However, it was happening in front of them.

"Our Demon King has a bigshot. As long as we hold on to our Demon King, we indirectly hold on to the super bigshot. This is the bootlicking theory. In other words... We're rich and successful."

The Demons were limitlessly happy. They wished they were talented enough to perform for the expert.

Li Nianfan leisurely watched the Demon performances. It was highly entertaining.

He recalled watching performances from Princesses, Ghosts, Sea Race, and Humans. He had never seen a performance from Demons. It was new to him.

There was a half-transformed Yellow Canary Demon. She was the size of half an arm. She looked like a cute little girl. The Yellow Canary Demon happily spread her little wings and sang in the choir. Golden Snake Demons danced with their flexible bodies. There were also a variety of Demons that performed with their powers and tricks. It was quite entertaining.

Everyone noticed how much fun the expert was having. Naturally, no one dared to disturb him. They all tried to move less and remained smiling at the side.

Little Fox laid in Li Nianfan's embrace. She looked up and asked coyly, "Brother-in-law, are you satisfied with the performances?"

Li Nianfan nodded. "Yeah, I'm satisfied."

Little Fox instantly piped up. She asked with excitement, "Is it too much to ask for a Lollipop as a reward?"

"It's not too much."

Li Nianfan laughed. He changed the subject and said, "But... Too many Lollipops aren't good for you. Your teeth will ache."

Little Fox started acting coquettishly. Her nine tails caressed Li Nianfan. "It's fine. I'm not scared of that. Quick, give it to me. I want to eat a Lollipop."

Daji was fed up by the side. She picked Little Fox up and said, "Enough. Don't disturb him."

Little Fox was for sure the acting type. She instantly teared up innocently and said, "Hmph. How can you say that, sister? You're with my brother-in-law every day. You naturally get Lollipops anytime you want. This is a rare chance for me. What's wrong with letting me have a Lollipop?"

"Fine. Eat if you want to."

Li Nianfan defended Little Fox. He instantly gave her some colorful Lollipops.

Little Fox wagged her tails out of happiness. "Hehe, thanks, brother-in-law."

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito were frightened nearby but they were more jealous. However, they knew that they could never act like Little Fox.

'Sigh. The privilege of being the expert's sister-in-law.'

Kunpeng looked at the time. He had an idea. He immediately went over and asked politely, "Lord Saint, I wonder what you'd like to eat for the dinner feast? We don't have much, but we have a variety of poultry. Poultry of any kind. Just state it and we'll make it."

He said that with confidence.

After all, the Eastern Sea Dragon King earned the title of Seafood Supplier from the expert. The Dragon King always bragged about that. He could be the new Poultry Supplier. The expert would be pleased.

"Poultry..."

Li Nianfan was moved. To be honest, he was always camping outside during the honeymoon trip. It had been a while since he had a proper meal. 𝓁𝑖𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐ℴ𝘮

Moreover, he was at the largest poultry market at the moment. Bear Paws, Tiger Liver, or Snake Soup were all trash now because he could pick any poultry from any kind of Beasts. He struggled to decide at the moment.

Suddenly, there was a roar coming from outside.

"Haha, Little Fox, it is I, Flying Duck. I'm here again. This time, I brought the marriage proposal gifts. I forgive you for the previous twelve rejections but no one's allowed to reject me thirteen times!"

The voice was powerful, echoing loudly in the air. It sounded like it came from afar. It was irresistibly dominant.

It killed the fun vibe. The entire performance paused.

Kunpeng and the others instantly cursed him out. 'This Flying Duck Demon King disturbed the expert. He must die!'

Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Cultivator Mosquito replied, "Lord Saint, the Flying Duck Demon King's also one of the Demon King's nearby. Aside from him, three other Demon Kings tried to propose to Little Fox, and they all came in rounds. It's very annoying."

"Little Fox is wanted by so many Demon Kings?" Li Nianfan was surprised.

He had to look at Little Fox. He then realized Little Fox was more grown-up now. Her fur was gleaming and flowing in the air. Her big eyes were bright and shiny. She was glowing. Even as a Fox, she was stunning to look at.

She was an inter-species kind of stunning.

He did not know that Little Fox was powerful with her Mind Control ability. Little Fox would not use her talents daily but she emitted deadly seduction without knowing it. It was very tempting. She was the well-known Nine-Tailed Fox. It was no joke.

Even in the Chaos, the Nine-Tailed Fox was a rare species.

Mind Control was a legendary skill. It could manipulate other people. It was terrifying.

Little Fox was only a Taiyi Golden Immortal but she became the Demon King and set up the Demon City. She was able to achieve that because of her charm, aside from the fact that Daji and Kunpeng also helped her.

Cultivator Mosquito continued to say, "The four Demon Kings are jealous of each other. They even fought to marry my Demon King. It created a fascinating balance. No one dares to use violence. They created a competition of who can convince my Demon King to marry them first."

Li Nianfan was intrigued. He suddenly asked, "Flying Duck Demon King? Is it a Duck Demon?"

Daji saw it. She was very familiar with that look. 'Yup. His bright and shiny eyes are full of desire for delicious food.'

The Flying Duck Demon King yelled, "Little Fox, come out. I'll treat you nicely as long as you promise to be my Duck wife. I'll conquer the surrounding Demon Mountains for you. I'll protect you in the Demon Realm!"

The voice could be heard in Demon City.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Some Demons suddenly stood up because they wanted to impress the expert. They said cruelly, "How dare he cause trouble in the Demon City and disrespect my Demon King? I'll fight him!"

Kunpeng did not look happy at all. "It seems like the Flying Duck Demon ran out of patience. He's about to force her to marry him!"𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Inform the three Demon Kings. Meanwhile, get someone to inform the Heavenly Palace!"

He secretly felt helpless. Little Fox was a Demon King, but she was not powerful enough. Their best fighter was Kunpeng, the Quasi-Saint. They had no protection from a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal.

They always relied on Little Fox's seduction attacks. However, during crucial moments, they had to get help.

Daji suddenly spoke up. She said coldly, "That's not necessary. I'll go!"

#

Chapter 559

"Little Fox, you are going to be my Duck Queen. Come out!"

The Flying Duck Demon King yelled in Demon City. He knew that he had competition in Demon City, but he did not care. He was fearless and reckless.

His Demon powers were activated. The surrounding Demons did not dare to move.

Suddenly, several figures slowly appeared.

Daji was gorgeous and cold, she was like a Princess from the Heavenly Palace. Her outstanding grace instantly stunned the Flying Duck Demon King.

Behind Daji were Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito. They nervously followed her, they were feeling anxious.

They knew that Daji was not as powerful as they were. Thus, they were more worried.

Kunpeng had to remind her quietly, "Goddess Daji, the Flying Duck Demon King is a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. He is extremely powerful and arrogant. He is not easy to deal with! Please be extra careful."

Daji looked calm. She nodded with confidence and said, "I got this."

The Flying Duck Demon King laughed and asked, "Who are you? Did you all come out to welcome me in?"

Daji glanced at the Flying Duck Demon King. She asked calmly, "You want to marry my sister?"

"Little Fox is your sister?" The Flying Duck Demon King was surprised. Then, he was joyous, "Great! I have decided! I want you both! Haha…"

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito instantly activated their powers. They overwhelmed the Flying Duck Demon King. They exclaimed with deep voices, "Flying Duck Demon King! Watch your mouth!"

'This is the wife of the expert. He dares talk with recklessness. The Flying Duck Demon King must die!' 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝘮

They gave the Flying Duck Demon King the death penalty in their hearts. Perhaps they could not defeat him at the moment, but they must report it to the Heavenly Palace later. By then, they would ensure the dead Duck shut up forever no matter what!

"What's wrong? Little birdie and a little black mosquito? You are both insects to me. How dare you interfere? Are you trying to die?!"

The Flying Duck Demon King activated his powers and overwhelmed Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito. He easily reversed the situation.

The aura of an angry Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal was no joke. He immediately twisted space and time. His aura turned to solidified substance. Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito could not move.

They felt like they might disintegrate.

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito groaned. They were more worried that Daji would be injured.

Suddenly, Daji slowly stepped out. A breeze blew on her hair strands. Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito were instantly released.

They were confused, they heard Daji speak slowly, "Those who back away with three steps will live. You don't have to die with your Flying Duck Demon King!"

The Demons behind the Flying Duck Demon King all looked at each other. Then, they burst out in laughter.

Even the crowd who watched thought it was unbelievable. They did not know how Daji could be so confident.

"Haha, little girlie. I like your cold and bossy style!"

The Flying Duck Demon King laughed. His eyes were shining green. He said with malicious intent, "I will help myself since you choose to appear in front of me! Here I come!"

He laughed maniacally. He could not wait to go towards Daji. He could fly miles with a single step. He was already in front of Daji.

At the same time, he raised his hand to capture Daji.

The surrounding space was locked along with his movement. There was no possibility of avoiding his attack.

Some did not catch up with the speed of the Flying Duck. They were not aware of what was happening yet.

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito were horrified. They tensed up and activated all their powers. They were ready to sacrifice themselves.

They finally realized what was happening. Their eyes simultaneously dilated when they turned to look at Daji. Their hearts flinched from beating too hard.

All because what they saw was too shocking.𝓵𝒊𝓫𝙧𝙚𝒂𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The Flying Duck Demon King had his hand reached out towards Daji. He started to freeze when he was about three inches away from Daji. He was covered in a layer of ice!

The three-inch distance was like a border. Once he crossed the line, everything would freeze!

"How is this possible?"

The Flying Duck Demon King suddenly widened his eyes. He looked at his frozen hand in disbelief. He felt a stinging cold from his arm. He could not fight it.

There was a cold coming from his heart. He could not help but shudder. His scalp went numb.

'Retreat!'

That was the first thought he had. He tried to retreat without hesitation.

However—

"Freeze!"

Her cold words came out along with her powers. The air shook and rippled.

It was as if Daji froze the world with a word. An astounding amount of Demon powers exploded from Daji. Her powers looked like a never-ending neon blue river.

'Cold!'

'Bone-chilling cold!'

It was as if she froze time and space.

"So, so powerful!"

The Flying Duck Demon King was extremely terrified. He realized he was not able to escape. He watched as his body got covered in ice.

"Come on… Break!"

He did not have time to think. His eyes were bloodshot as he activated all his powers. He flexed his skin and muscles. A pair of feathered Duck wings elongated behind his back. He started to grow out feathers too. Soon, he became a struggling big fat Duck!

However… It was all for nothing.

He tried his best but it was meaningless. He went from a Human form ice statue, to a Duck from ice statue.

The danger of death made the Flying Duck Demon King speechless. He could not say anything. At his dying moments, he quacked.

'I am goners!'

Plop!

The giant ice block fell to the ground. Everyone jolted.

They looked at the transparent ice block. The Flying Duck Demon King had his mouth wide open. Everyone was dead silent. It felt unreal like a dream.

Then, they all looked at Daji with utter shock. They had goosebumps and did not dare to breathe.

They felt the chilling cold coming from Daji. Their teeth chattered, and they shivered.

The Demons who followed the Flying Duck Demon King were scared sh*tless. They all became cowards. They started to run for their lives.

"Too late to back away now!"

Daji was clearly in a bad mood. Her tone was emotionless. She raised her arm and gently swiped. An astounding cold attacked the Demons!

The Demons were like lone boats in a giant tsunami. They were overpowered in the blink of an eye. They all turned to ice statues!

"Yikes—"

The crowd gasped. They also fell to the floor from being scared. They started to crawl away.

They cried as they mumbled, "I am innocent. Please don't harm me by accident, Goddess."

The chaotic scene was silent in the blink of an eye. The boastful Flying Duck Demon King died in mere seconds.

The result was beyond their imaginations.

"Carry that Duck. Bring it back."

Daji snapped Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito out of it. They returned from endless shock.

"Yeah, yeah, right away."

Kunpeng kept nodding and bowing. He took on the task with fear and respect. He carried the Flying Duck Demon King on his back.

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito looked at each other. They saw how troubled they looked.

'What is Goddess Daji's cultivation level before her wedding?'

'I recall she was only a Daluo Golden Immortal. Right?'

'She was not as powerful as we are.'

'However… She killed the Flying Duck Demon King who is a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal in seconds. How did she become so powerful?'

'It was too fast. This is too much! How can we be motivated as cultivators who worked hard in an earnest way?'

'This is unethical! This is bullying!'

Cultivator Mosquito was envious. She almost drooled from thinking about it.

However, she hurriedly snapped out of it. She hurriedly shook her head.

'How can I have nasty thoughts about the expert? This is disrespectful. Please forgive me, expert.'

#

Chapter 560

Li Nianfan was in the palace. He was instantly surprised when he saw that Daji brought something back, "Yo, what a fat Duck. Is this the Flying Duck Demon King?"

Daji replied, "This Duck is boastful and arrogant. He said he wants to marry my sister. I already defeated him."

Li Nianfan nodded. He smiled and said, "Haha, I was just wondering what I am going to eat. In delicacies, Roast Duck is on the top of the list. This Duck is so plump, I think it will taste delicious."

He looked a bit sentimental. It was such a familiar scenario.

He remembered when he brought Nanan for a trip. They ran into Immortal Jiao, a Black Fish Demon who also forced her to marry him. Then, he became a pot of Boiled Fish with Pickled Mustard Greens. The Flying Duck Demon King forced Little Fox to marry him too. He would be a plate of Roast Duck.

'These Demons always sacrifice themselves to become food ingredients. All with the same reasons too. So touching.'

Li Nianfan said, "It's getting late. Find an empty space. I will cook a meal for you all! Daji, Fire Phoenix, I need you girls to assist me."

Daji kept nodding, "Yeah, yes, alright."

They could never be as good as Li Nianfan at cooking, but they could assist him.

The Little Fox was instantly intrigued when she heard there would be delicious food. She could not wait. She said, "Brother-in-law, let's go. I will take you to my back garden."

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito were friends of Li Nianfan. So, they also followed along. As for the other Demon Kings, they could only feel envious.

However, they knew that they did not deserve to accompany the expert.

At the back garden.

Li Nianfan told Daji to unfreeze the Duck. He started to prepare the other ingredients.

Roast Duck was different from other roast poultry. For example, Roast Chicken and Roast Pork could be eaten straight away. However, Roast Duck had a lot of fatty meat. It would be too oily. Roast Duck had another name, the Peking Duck.

The roasted Duck meat would be sliced into pieces. Then, it would be eaten with wrappings, the white parts of Scallions, and Cucumbers. The oily taste issue would be perfectly resolved, and it would make the Roast Duck extremely delicious. It was one of a kind. An amazing and powerful delicacy creation.

If the Peking Duck was one of the elite delicacies, the seemingly insignificant side ingredients had half of the credit.

Cultivator Mosquito and Kunpeng had no tasks. They asked anxiously, "Lord Saint, um... What can we do to help?"

Li Nianfan thought about it, "Why don't you boil some water? Boil the Duck to remove its feathers."

He paused and said, "Oh yeah, I wonder if there are any Jujube Wood nearby. Other fruit tree wood works too if you can't find any. We need it for the fire."

Wood from fruit trees had less smoke. They could burn for a long time too. More importantly, they would emit a fruity smell. It would not ruin the taste of the Duck meat. Lousy wood would make the Duck less delicious.

Kunpeng offered to help, "Hey, alright, I will pluck the feathers!"

Cultivator Mosquito stood up. She said with excitement, "I will go look for Jujube Wood."

They were overjoyed with the tasks. They hurriedly went off.𝓵𝓲𝓫𝙧𝓮𝙖𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝙢

Li Nianfan did not have an Oven. However, he had Immortals around him. It was effortless to build one on the spot.

Everybody worked together. It was very effective.

Li Nianfan steamed the wrappings he made. At the same time, he started to prepare the Flying Duck with no feathers. One of the necessary procedures was to stuff the anus of the Duck. That was because he needed to fill the Duck with braising soup later on. He stuffed the Duck to avoid the loss of juices.

It required technique to do that. He could easily ruin the Duck meat. However, it was naturally a piece of cake for Li Nianfan.

Then, he started to fill in the braising soup.

The braising soup was mainly boiling water, an appropriate amount of Sichuan Peppercorn Water, cooking wine, and other seasoning. He filled the Duck until it was about seventy percent full.

He did that so the Duck meat would not be dehydrated during the roasting process. It would make the Duck juicy too. It was an important technique.

'Here comes the most important step. We are going to start roasting.'

It was important because Roast Duck depended on the fire and the heat. You had to be careful with the heat from the moment you put it in the Oven. Moreover, a Roast Duck had to be roasted evenly on all sides. Different Duck parts required different roasting timing. For example, the left side of the Duck required twelve minutes. The right side of the Duck only required seven minutes.

The fire was handled by the Fire Phoenix. Li Nianfan kept an eye on the Duck. He turned the Duck accordingly.

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito focused on the gradually red Roast Duck. They were awestruck.

The Flying Duck Demon King was a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. He made them very stressed. However... He became unrecognizable. He also emitted a delicious smell. No one would know he was the Flying Duck Demon King.

He truly did not look like a Duck anymore.

Then, they looked at how serious Li Nianfan looked. He carefully turned the Duck every minute. He was focused.

'I'm afraid very few things can make the expert be serious like that.'

'Flying Duck Demon King, you are dead, but the expert took notice of you. You should be proud.'

The aroma suddenly changed while they were thinking to themselves. A layer of golden oil emitted from the Duck skin. The Duck skin hardened and turned crunchy. It looked crispy and shiny. It looked very appetizing.

'Smells good!'

'It smells wonderful.'

Compared to other roasted delicacies, the aroma of the Roast Duck was not the most intense, but it was the most unique. It smelled appetizing, and it made them salivate.

"Almost done."

Li Nianfan smiled. He took the Duck out from the Oven. He casually inspected it and brushed on the sesame oil. It increased the shininess of the skin. It also got rid of the smoke ash, and increased the flavor.

The Roast Duck was officially complete.

He noticed that Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito were staring at it. They looked squeamish. Li Nianfan lightly chuckled, "Relax, it's not time to eat yet."

He took out his cooking knife as he spoke. He casually did a spin trick with the knife and sliced the Roast Duck.

He did not slice the meat. He sliced the Duck skin. The orange red Duck skin smelled delicious, and it was crispy. It shined brightly. Every slice was even and squared. He placed them in a neat order.

Daji asked curiously, "Perhaps the Duck skin can be eaten on its own?"

"Haha, you're so smart, Daji. This is the essence of Roast Duck!"

Li Nianfan laughed, "Duck meat is delicious too, but the Duck skin is superb. Duck skin alone can be a delicacy. This is the correct way to eat a Roast Duck."

He paused. He smiled and said, "You can try it first if you don't believe me. Of course, you should dip the white sugar, it will taste even better."

"Brother-in-law, I want to eat. I want to eat!"

The Little Fox would not be courteous with Li Nianfan. She could not wait. She immediately hopped over. She could not hold chopsticks so she carefully took a crispy Duck skin with her little paw. She swiftly dipped the sugar and ate the entire piece.

#

Chapter 561

Crunch!

The crispy Duck skin instantly shattered inside her mouth. At the same time, an explosion of intense flavors filled her mouth.

'So crunchy!'

The Little Fox quietly shut her eyes. She was obsessed with the flavor. Her snow white fur was shaking from that.

The crunchiness was not too hard or too soft. It was not weird either. It felt perfectly nice and satisfying.

Moreover, the aroma of the Duck skin itself was impactful. The Little Fox was stunned. Her fur, her nine tails, and her ears stood up straight.

The Duck skin itself was a bit oily and salty. However, the sugar balanced it out. It was different from other delicacies. It was without a doubt— Super delicious!

"Wow~ Super delicious!"

The Little Fox opened her eyes. She could not wait to grab another piece of Duck skin.

Daji had to slap her on the head, "Watch yourself!"

Daji and the Fire Phoenix were in no rush to try it. They did not pick up the Duck skin. As for Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito, they did not dare to pick up the Duck skin. After all, the expert had not tried it yet. It would be disrespectful if they touched it first.

However, they were indeed hungry when they looked at the Little Fox.

Li Nianfan laughed. He did not care. He did the finishing touches.

The knife shined as he moved the blade. In mere moments, the plump Duck became an empty bone rack. The Duck meat was evenly sliced into small pieces.

Duck was not only delicious, they were useful throughout. The Duck skin and meat could be eaten separately, and the bone rack could be used to boil soup.

"Done."

Li Nianfan put down the cooking knife, "Let me show you the example."

He picked up the wrappings at the side. He picked up some Duck meat, white parts of Scallions, and Cucumber. He placed them in the wrappings and wrapped them into a rectangular shape. Then, he dipped it in some sweet sauce.

"There. Then, you can eat it."

He passed it to Daji, "Daji, here you go."

Daji was instantly intrigued, "Thank you."

Li Nianfan immediately wrapped another one for the Fire Phoenix.

'Sigh. This might be the struggle of having more than one wife...'

"Little Peng, Cultivator Mosquito, don't be courteous. Go ahead."

"Yeah, alright."

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito had been enduring it for a long while. They instantly mimicked what Li Nianfan showed them.

They did not expect so much knowledge in eating Roast Duck. They thought to themselves, 'I learned something new.'

Cultivator Mosquito carefully wrapped up the Duck meat.

She saw layers of red and green inside. It was tempting. Participating in making the food somehow made it more appetizing. She could not wait any longer. She opened her red lips and put the wrappings into her mouth.

She slightly bit on it. The flavor of the wrappings with the sweet sauce dip made her jolt. Then, the wrap was bitten open. The crunchy Cucumber exploded. The aroma of the Duck meat was then released into her mouth. It was mixed with the flavors of the Scallions—

It was a mixed flavor. It felt refreshing, complex, stimulating, and subtle. The flavor was like an appetizing symphony in the mouth. The Duck meat was fat but not too oily. They could not stop, and they could not help themselves!

Cultivator Mosquito shoved the rest of the wrappings into her mouth without hesitation. She chewed on it.

It felt too satisfying and wonderful. She wanted to keep eating it until she died. She felt like it was the only way to cure her food obsession.

Then, they ate the Duck skin. It was different from the meat. However, it was also an extremely delicious food.

They could not imagine that they both came from the same Duck. The meat and the skin taste completely different. Also, they were both super delicious.

Moreover, Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito were surprised to find Wisdom contained in the meat. After all, the dead body of the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal was made into a delicacy by the expert. The meat quality was not comparable to other meat. The huge amount of Wisdom contained in the meat benefited them a lot.

They almost became Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals on the spot. They were close.

Their hearts trembled like crazy. They were used to how powerful the expert was, but they still could not calm down.

After all... Improving cultivation was too hard for everyone, especially those who are stronger. They required a huge amount of resources and luck. A lot of cultivators were not able to improve with thousands of years! 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝓂

However, it was not a problem as long as you were around the expert.

Even the most basic necessities were Chaos Spiritual Qi and Chaos Spiritual Water. If cultivators stayed there, their powers would unconsciously improve. Not to mention the Chaos Spiritual Fruits.

It was too rare to achieve. It was a dream-like existence in the Chaos.

For most powerful cultivators, they could not improve their cultivation in one go. A hint of improvement was hard to make throughout thousands of years!

Cultivators were happy to stay beside the expert. They did not need to cultivate at all. They only eat to improve. It was a million times better than working hard!

Not to mention, the expert would occasionally make delicacies. It was an unimaginable opportunity in their wildest dreams. If they could be Daji or the Fire Phoenix, they would be wildly successful.

Cultivator Mosquito and Kunpeng hurriedly shook their heads. They cast their thoughts aside and focused on eating.

The opportunity was hard to come by. They had to fully appreciate it. 'We cannot be greedy. We already got a lot of benefits from the expert, and our powers greatly improved. Don't think too much!'

Smack, smack—

Everyone smacked their lips as they enjoyed the moment. Nobody talked. Li Nianfan took out the wine gourd and poured wine for everyone. It was to wash away the oily taste.

"Wow—"

Everyone sighed happily. They had never been this satisfied and fulfilled before.

They had to say, the life of the expert was truly simplistic. They wanted to cry from envy...

It was getting dark. Everyone walked out from the back garden. Their rooms were already prepared.

Little Green who guarded the door came over with a Colorful Pendant. She told the Little Fox, "Demon King, this is a Spiritual Treasure given by the Bull Demon King. He wants to ask you out for dinner."

The Little Fox nodded. She was clearly used to it. She calmly said, "Accept it. Tell him I am showering so I can't go out."

Daji picked her up by the tail. She interrogated her, "Do you always accept their gifts like that?!"

She was angry. She flicked her little head.

Li Nianfan was weirded out too.

She crossed the line. She simply rejected them with excuses, but greedily accepted their gifts. She... was a full-on playgirl!

The Little Fox held her head. She said, "Don't be angry, sister. I have to accept the gifts."

Daji did not buy it. She asked coldly, "I see that you accepted it very naturally. Are you used to it?"

"Sis, I will never lie to you. Let me explain."

The Little Fox stuck her tongue out and smiled apologetically. Then, she said, "At first, I rejected them. But once I reject them, the Demon Kings will be angry. Then, they will come here to cause havoc. They will only leave if I accept the gifts."

The Little Fox put her paws up, "Ask the others if you don't believe me."

Kunpeng nodded at the side. He said, "Goddess Daji, it's true. The Demon Kings felt like they had a shot with her if she accepted the gifts. They will also compete with each other. If she rejects it, they will be angry from embarrassment..."

Li Nianfan scratched his nose. He genuinely thought to himself, 'Simps are so crazy.'

#

Chapter 562

At the palace of the Demon City.

The Little Fox looked innocent. Daji did not look happy at all.

She knew about what happened, but she was still worried for the Little Fox. She said that things were handled with a balance, but it was more like walking on a tightrope. Her capabilities did not match up with her looks.

Daji pursed her lips. She said, "Alright, inform the three Demon Kings to meet up at the Fox Mountain. I will talk to them!"

Li Nianfan reminded her, "Be careful."

He would not stop her because it was for the Little Fox. Daji was the older sister, she had to interfere. If the Little Fox kept accepting gifts, it would end up badly for her sooner or later.

He paused. Then, he said, "The Fire Phoenix should go with you."

Meanwhile, at Demon City.

Five figures slowly walked on the busy street. Night time was an active time for the Demons. The Demon City was bustling, there were Demons and Flying Beasts everywhere. It was a poultry paradise.

The five figures were in Human form. The one walking in the middle was a hunchbacked elder with a green face. The other four figures were clearly respectful towards their leader.

They walked on the street with extraordinary outfits. They were supposed to be eye-catching. However, nobody stared at them. They did not attract any attention. It was as if they were separated from the world. They did not emit any aura.

The muscular cultivator next to the Green Faced Elder looked at the city that was full of Demons. He asked, "Right Messenger, should we continue with the plan for tonight?"

He asked something obvious. It instantly annoyed the Green Faced Elder. He squinted and asked, "Continue? Do you want to continue with your life?"

The muscular cultivator looked awkward. He instantly said, "Sorry for being stupid."

"Deluxe Merit Flesh, Deluxe Merit Flesh!"

The Green Faced Elder had one eye left. He mumbled, "It can't be helped. Our plans against the Demon City must be postponed. Let's do another task first." 𝘭𝒾𝑏𝑟𝑒𝒶𝒹.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He sighed softly. He said it casually, but he felt awful.

There were all sorts of Demons in Demon City, even the rare Nine-Tailed Fox. For the Ministry, it was the best hunting spot. However, they could not hunt daringly to avoid attention from other forces.

They had a scheme on the Demon City for days. They already set the trap. They were going to capture all the Demons while they least expected it that night, and take them back to the Ministry.

However, the Deluxe Merit Saint suddenly showed up during the daytime!

'F*ck. Such a coincidence. It feels exactly like when you suddenly eat a fly. So disgusting.'

Once their spell was activated, the entire Demon City would be affected. Of course, the Deluxe Merit Saint would be affected too. Moreover, they would be chosen by the Chaos Thunderbolt. They would most probably end up being dust.

That would be bad.

The reward was right in front of them, but they could not do it because of the Deluxe Merit Flesh. They reacted well, other cultivators would be enraged or go insane.

At that moment, the Green Faced Elder finally understood what it was like for the Left Messenger.

At the Xia Kingdom, the flawless plan of the Left Messenger was ruined by a ripped shirt of the Deluxe Merit Saint. He faced the same scenario at the Demon City.

Previously, he swore that everything was under control. He did not expect to lose control at the beginning of the plan...

'Why did the Deluxe Merit Saint suddenly show up? Is he against us?'

'What a kryptonite!'

The muscular cultivator said, "Right Messenger, we will do anything if you have a plan!"

"The Demon City will be ours sooner or later. Let's postpone the plan."

The Green Faced Elder comforted himself. Then, he said, "Let's capture the Dog at the Dog Mountain first. Follow me to set up a trap tonight. I will use the Immortal Weaken Spell too. Tonight, we will hunt!"

"Yes!"

"The Right Messenger is hunting tonight. The Dog will be ours."

"A Realm Cultivator Beast is too rare. I have to check it out tomorrow."

The Green Faced Elder waved it off. He still looked upset. He snickered coldly and said, "And this Deluxe Merit Saint. His existence is an enigma, it's very disgusting. He puts us at a disadvantage. One day, I will take his life!"

He was always a ruler amongst rulers. He hated that his plans were disrupted. He was feeling malicious.

The other four cultivators instantly looked at each other. They looked at the Green Faced Elder with horrified faces. They felt their scalps go numb.

The muscular cultivator had to remind him, "Right... Right Messenger, that is the Deluxe Merit Saint of the Area of the Gods."

The Deluxe Merit Saint was a seemingly lousy cultivator. However, everyone would still avoid him. It was bad to even touch him.

"Ha. So what? I am unimaginably powerful too. Right?"

The Green Faced Elder proudly smiled. His face was full of wrinkles. He had a very mysterious look. He did not speak about that anymore. He said, "Let's go. Follow me to the Dog Mountain!"

...

That night was fated to be an extraordinary night.

Somewhere in the Area of the Gods, it was dark all year. The area was covered with darkness and creepy energy. There was an intense deadly energy and Ghost energy. The woods, rivers, and the rocks were much different than other areas.

Ghastly green halos could be seen everywhere. They were like Ghost Flames, swaying in the night.

Those who have been to the Underworld would realize that the design was similar to the Underworld. It was without a doubt a place for the Ghosts.

That place was the Area of the Ghosts, created by the Ghastly Ghost King!

For the Ghastly Ghost King, it was risky to create a realm. However, creating a small area was a piece of cake.

Moreover, it was not like the Underworld. The Area of the Ghosts was not built underground. It was somewhere in the Area of the Gods. It looked powerful. The Ghastly Ghost King was planning to rule the Area of the Gods and it shows.

The Area of the Ghosts was crowded that night. Countless Resentful Spirits came from all around the world. They were full of resentful aura. They were no longer living beings. They existed purely out of hatred and resentment. They stubbornly remembered the resentful memories from their past lives. They were out to kill!

More accurately, they were pawns created by the Ghastly Ghost King. It was exactly like how the Styx created the countless Blood Clones.

They were summoned by the Ghastly Ghost King for one thing!

That was to head to the Underworld and take over the Eighteen Layers of Hell!

That night, the Big Lord Demon finally gathered his remaining army to visit the Ghastly Ghost King...

#

Chapter 563

The Big Lord Demon and the others were overjoyed when they saw the countless Resentful Spirits. The Resentful Spirits were also powerful too. They were highly motivated.

It looked like the Ghastly Ghost King was more powerful than he seemed. 𝑙𝘪𝒷𝘳𝑒𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝑜𝑚

'This is... reliable!'

However, the Big Lord Demon gradually lost his smile. His heart started to pound anxiously.

'Is the Ghastly Ghost King planning to take over the Underworld?'

He was a local. He naturally knew the Underworld, which was precisely why he was anxious. It seemed like things would not end well for anyone against the Heavenly Palace and the Underworld. Especially... when he tried it himself.

The Ghastly Ghost King just showed up and wanted to attack the Underworld. It was very inappropriate!

He did not want to admit it, but it was a cruel fact.

The Ghastly Ghost King sat on the throne. He was worshiped by countless Resentful Spirits. His aura was limitless. There were no eyeballs in his eye sockets. Instead, there were two emerald green flames. He looked down on the Big Lord Demon and asked, "Are you a Demon cultivator? Why did you come here?"

The Big Lord Demon instantly replied, "I am the Big Lord Demon. Greetings to the Ghastly Ghost King. We are originally minions of Yan Zu. Yan Zu was defeated. So, I came here with the rest of the Demon army to serve you. I hope that you will accept us."

"I see."

The Ghastly Ghost King nodded and observed the Big Lord Demon. He casually said, "Your cultivation is lousy, but you wished to serve me, that means that you are someone who is aware of situations. You have intelligence. I am about to attack the Underworld, you all should tag along."

The Big Lord Demon hesitated. He forced himself to say, "Lord Ghost King, I think that a reckless attack... is not a good move."

The fiery eyes of the Ghastly Ghost King suddenly ignited. "Oh? Why so?"

"To be honest, I have been living in the eldritch world before it became the Area of the Gods. I've been through a lot."

The Big Lord Demon tried to form a sentence. He said, "This world is unimaginably weird and dangerous. Also, it's extremely unfriendly. For example, Yan Zu was about to succeed, but he suddenly ran into the Deluxe Merit Saint. He lost all his hard work. Back then, I also lost a lot because of the Deluxe Merit Saint!"

The Big Lord Demon recalled sad memories as he said it. He was genuinely angry and pained.

The Ghastly Ghost King laughed, "Haha, good. I love challenges. I am more excited to hear you say that!"

"Lord Ghost King, please reconsider! You really need a long-term plan for this. Safety first!"

The Big Lord Demon tried his best to stop the Ghastly Ghost King. He wanted the Ghastly Ghost King to stop. He clenched his jaw and dropped the truth bomb, "Actually, I was quite unlucky. I followed several leaders with tragic endings."

"Haha, haha..."

The Ghastly Ghost King was instantly entertained. He looked at the Big Lord Demon with sympathy. "I see. You are frightened because of your tragic past! No worries, never mind. You are unlucky because you are weak. But I am your leader now, you won't be unlucky anymore!"

The Big Lord Demon went paler when he said that. He had a bad feeling about this.

He wanted to speak again, but the Ghastly Ghost King waved it off. "Tonight, I will make you confident again. It will be a beautiful victory! Just watch!"

"Army, attack!"

He commanded. All the Resentful Spirits immediately moved out towards the Underworld!

Crossing the Underworld Gates was naturally a piece of cake for the Ghastly Ghost King.

Ghosts were out that night. The Ghosts aura were soaring. There was a creepy energy that spread. It was as if the world went colder, everyone stayed inside.

The Ghastly Ghost King sat on a litter. He was carried by four powerful Ghosts. He was an elite Ghost amongst Ghosts. No one dared to touch the sharp aura he emitted.

He was confident for good reason.

First of all, his confidence came from his powers. He felt like he was one step away from being a Realm Cultivator. He had three Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals as his Resentful Spirits. No one dared to underestimate him.

Unless he interfered with the benefits of super bigshots, no one would dare cause trouble without a reason.

Moreover, he was only going to attack the Underworld. It was a local force in the eldritch world, they probably had zero powerful cultivators.

'How can I not win?'

'Are there any reasons for losing?'

'This battle will be a landslide.'

As they moved, endless Ghost energy resonated with the Eighteen Layers of Hell. The evil Ghosts trapped inside the Eighteen Layers of Hell started to scream and struggle. The Underworld was troubled. They were busy inside out.

At the Underworld.

They naturally sensed the changes.

A gorgeous woman with a long black dress looked serious. The bottom half of her body was in Snake form. Behind her was the General of the Bloody Sea, and the Black and White Impermanence. The Onis also did not look happy. They were tensed up like they were facing a big enemy.

The lady was the Houtu Empress.

She got a lot of privileges from the expert. It had also been a long while. She had not fully regained her powers yet, but her body was back and she could leave the Underworld.

"Report—"

An Oni hurriedly rushed in. He got the message from the City God Temples.

He anxiously said, "It's not good. The Ghastly Ghost King is trying to take over the Underworld with an army of Resentful Spirits! He wants to rebuild the order of the Ghosts!"

"I knew this battle would come one day."

Houtu was not surprised. Her beautiful eyes were still. She took a deep breath and said, "Get ready, everyone!"

"Empress, we can't let them enter the Underworld!"

The General of the Bloody Sea looked serious. He said in a determined tone, "Please let me stop them in the Immortal Realm. I won't allow them to enter the Underworld unless I die!"

If they fight in the Underworld, the entire Underworld would collapse without a doubt. The Eighteen Layers of Hell would break loose!

Houtu calmly said, "I was thinking the same thing too. We have no chance of winning. Those who are willing to follow me into battle, head to the Underworld Gates! This is not a forceful order!"

Then, she headed towards the Underworld Gates.𝙡𝙞𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The Black and White Impermanence and the others did not hesitate. They followed her closely.

Then, they reappeared in a gloomy field. It was filled with mist everywhere. They quietly waited. They were ready to sacrifice themselves.

"Weak. Too weak."

They heard a disappointed voice. A tsunami-like army of Resentful Spirits slowly appeared with the powerful Ghastly Ghost King.

The Ghastly Ghost King kept shaking his head on the litter. He did not try to conceal his contempt for Houtu and the others.

He felt like he overdid it. The Underworld was pitifully weak. They did not have a single Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. He no longer had desires to attack them himself.

The Big Lord Demon and the others were at the back of the army. They were nervous and tense. They carefully looked around for unexpected changes.

They gradually looked doubtful. 'Perhaps we can easily win this battle?'

The Big Lord Demon hurriedly yelled, "Don't talk to them. Hurry up and kill them in one go!"

Thankfully, the Ghastly Ghost King had lost his interest. He did as the Big Lord Demon told. He casually said, "Kill them all!"

"Stop!"

A sudden voice could be heard. Then, clouds rolled in. Cultivator Junjun, Goddess Nuwa, Yun Shu, the Jade Emperor and the countless Heavenly Soldiers suddenly arrived. They stared at the Ghastly Ghost King with caution.

Everyone from the Underworld was overjoyed. They were ready to fight.

The Big Lord Demon and the others all looked like they expected it. They backed away without hesitation. They stood by and observed.

The Ghastly Ghost King did not move an inch. He calmly said, "Interesting. But... The Heavenly Palace and the Underworld can't win against me!"

"Ghastly Ghost King, prepare to die!"

Another unexpected voice could be heard. Everyone looked to the side, including the Heavenly Palace army.

They saw a bunch of cultivators with Yin Yang Fish uniform riding in on clouds. They looked cool and righteous, "Please allow the White Cloud Sect to help with getting rid of Demons!"

"Yikes—"

The Big Lord Demon and the other Demons gasped. They wanted to cry but no tears came out. 'Here it is. As expected!'

They backed away again without hesitation. They were ready to flee the battlefield.

The fiery eyes of the Ghastly Ghost King leaped. He stood up from the litter and activated his powers. His aura heightened like crazy. He laughed maniacally and said, "Ha. Very good. I like it like that!"

"Ghastly Ghost King, prepare to die!"

They heard another voice. Everyone instantly had weird facial expressions.

Qin Zhongshan showed up with Elder Shiye and the Big Elder. They were only three cultivators but their aura was powerful. They were three Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals!

The fiery eyes of the Ghastly Ghost King stopped moving. He was clearly dumbfounded. "What the f*ck? Am I surrounded?!"

#

Chapter 564

The Ghastly Ghost King had to flinch. He looked at the army of the Heavenly Palace at the front, then looked at the cultivators of the White Cloud Sect on the left. Then, he looked at the three Empaths on the right. He suddenly went silent.

He turned to look behind him. He wanted to look for the Big Lord Demon, but he could not find him.

He instantly felt terrible.

He had to recall what the Big Lord Demon said. The Ghost Fire in his eye sockets instantly flickered.

'He wasn't just unlucky, he was bloody unlucky!'

'I came here to fight the puny Underworld. When did I poke the hornet's nest? Why did they unexpectedly unite together to destroy me? Is this appropriate?'

'And that Big Lord Demon. He said the world was extremely unfriendly and dangerous.'

'He's the one who is unfriendly and dangerous! He purposefully ran away and abandoned me!'

'My life is so hard.'

Cultivator Junjun and the others looked at the two armies that suddenly appeared to rescue them. They were confused too. They looked at each other with uncertainty.

They were ready to have a death battle with the Ghastly Ghost King. The battle was fated to be harder than any battles they had. After all, the Ghastly Ghost King was powerful. He also had three Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals as his Resentful Spirits. They only had Cultivator Junjun, Goddess Nuwa, Yun Shu, and the Jade Emperor as the four Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. Their one-on-one battle would be hard. The possibility of defeat was high.

However, it was different when they had backup. The leader of the White Cloud Sect and the elders were Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. One of them was as powerful as the Ghastly Ghost King. Moreover, they had the three cultivators from the Empath Sect.

They were few in numbers, but they were Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals, after all. Each cultivator was crucial for the results of the battle. Not to mention there were a bunch of them. It was almost like cheating.

The tables had turned. The Ghastly Ghost King instantly went from the winner to the losing side.

Cultivator Junjun looked like he thought of something. He naturally sensed the determination of the Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect. He had to guess. He saluted and said, "I am Cultivator Junjun. Cultivators, do you know what is... Orange peel?".

The cultivators of the Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect all smiled friendly.

Qin Zhongshan saluted and smiled. He said, "You guys must be the cultivators of the Heavenly Palace. I am Qin Zhongshan of the Empath Sect. I do know what an Orange peel is, I also know what a Lollipop is."

The elders of the White Cloud Sect smiled and said, "I know what a Banana peel is!"𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The three sides immediately laughed. They were colleagues for sure.

Cultivator Junjun and the Jade Emperor looked at each other. They were both respectful and touched.

'The expert is truly the expert. Even though he went on a honeymoon trip, he still cares for the Heavenly Palace. He simply waved and created this set-up to doom the Ghastly Ghost King. He is playing the Ghastly Ghost King in his palm.' 'He can turn all the dangerous situations around with his mind while he chats and laughs.'

The Ghastly Ghost King was the only one who did not look happy. He did not expect the cultivators to assemble at all. They were making weird signals in front of him like he was doomed to lose!

The Ghost Fire in his eye sockets swayed from left to right. He took a deep breath and said, "Guys, this is all a misunderstanding. Farewell."

"Trying to leave? No way!"

The leader of the White Cloud Sect was an old cultivator. His white hair and white beard flowed with the wind like they were going to fly away. He simply cast a spell. A blue longsword that contained endless lightning slashed through the sky. It dragged a trail of powerful lightning. The sword went straight for the Ghastly Ghost King! The powerful electricity it emitted turned countless Resentful Spirits into dust.

Then, the Heavenly Palace and the Empath Sect immediately joined the battle without hesitation. Their powers formed a huge power net. It covered the Ghastly Ghost King and it contained a destructive aura. 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝓇ℯ𝘢𝒹.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Somewhere far away.

The Big Lord Demon led a bunch of Demons, they frightfully looked in the direction of the battlefield. They could feel the powerful aura from there. It was nerve-wracking.

Thankfully, they were experienced. They knew they had to retreat when they heard the arrival of the rescuing armies. They barely survived.

They saw the Dragon-like lightning bolt from afar. It roared and soared through the air. There was fire everywhere too. Endless spells were cast, they looked like never-ending fireworks. Explosions could be heard. It was flashy and majestic.

Then, they heard a desperate roar from the Ghastly Ghost King. "It's the sky that killed me, not this battle!"

He sounded like he did not want to give in. It was tearfully unfair. They pitied him.

The Big Lord Demon and the others went silent. They felt guilty. The Demons looked at their Big Lord Demon. They did not speak, but they simultaneously backed away from the Big Lord Demon.

The Big Lord Demon was pissed off. He instantly asked, "What is the meaning of this? Is this my fault? Don't forget that we are a team!"

Somebody weakly asked, "Big Lord Demon, what should we do next?"

The Big Lord Demon sighed, "We should look for a place to hide. We shall wait here and there, wait for opportunities."

"Big Lord Demon, what is the meaning of 'here and there'?"

"Stupid! It's just a saying. Is that important?"

The next day.

At Demon City. Li Nianfan woke up early as usual. He strolled around with Daji.

He had to say the Demon City was successful. A lot of the places were similar to Human cities. They could trade and sell. It was one of the hotspots for Demon activities.

However, very few Humans dared enter the Demon City. It was like how very few Demons dared enter a Human city too.

Kunpeng and Cultivator Mosquito automatically became tour guides. They went along with Li Nianfan to visit the places in Demon City. Meanwhile, they introduced all sorts of Demons to Li Nianfan. They explained the living habits and the powers of the Demons.

Li Nianfan suddenly felt like he was visiting a wildlife safari.

The Little Fox became his pillow. She lifelessly let Li Nianfan hug her. He loved it. Li Nianfan constantly saw Demons in teams walking inside the city. He asked curiously, "Are there no city guards that patrols the place yet?"

Kunpeng answered, "Lord Saint, you probably don't know this. There are all sorts of Demons here, and they are hard to tame. It's in their nature to bully the weak when they have authority. The Demon City was built to imitate a Human city, so we naturally can't allow that to happen here."

Li Nianfan nodded with understanding.

Demons were very different from Humans. There were Demons like Tiger Demons or Rabbit Demons. It was very complicated and mixed up. It was much harder to manage them.

Which was why a Demon basically conquers a mountain to become a Demon King. The Little Fox was the only creative Demon King that tried to imitate a Human city.

She was a Little Fox with a dream.

That was the best explanation about Demons Li Nianfan received ever since he arrived at the Immortal Realm.

The day silently slipped by without notice.

It was not fully dark yet. Daji and the Fire Phoenix were ready to head towards the Fox Mountain. The invites were already sent out. The three Demons Kings were invited to Fox Mountain. You could guess what Daji and the Fire Phoenix was about to do.

On the other hand, at the Dog Mountain.

Four figures flashed by. They stood at West, North, East, and South respectively. They hid their aura and blended with their surroundings. They were like statues. They silently waited for something.

Finally, the sun went down. As usual, the quiet night covered the sky like a curtain!

#

Chapter 565

Nighttime in Demon City was as lively as ever with the constant festive spirit in the air.

The old green man kept himself hidden in a dark crypt, away from the festive spirit. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground with eight long rods-burning with green flames that looked alive-in a circle around him. His eyes were full of darkness and the corners of his mouth were curved up in a bloodthirsty smile.

He raised his hand to adjust one of the levers and the green flames became even stronger, making him seem even more sinister.

A cold and raspy voice came out of his slightly parted mouth. "Activating Immortal Weaken

Spell!"

He then closed his lone eye and his body began to emit a weird aura, causing the space around him to be distorted. If someone were to see him now, they would describe him as a reflection of a funhouse mirror-all distorted and unreal.

A sneer slowly crept upon his face. "I would not be as careless as the Left Messenger. Things will go as planned now that I'm taking matters into my own hands."

The birth of the Area of the Gods caused monks from different disciplines to gather together. Among one of the disciplines was Witchcraft—the old green man's expertise.

The strength of Witchcraft's spells depended on its ability to take someone's life without even stepping out of the house. It was hard to defend oneself from it, and sometimes, the victims would not even know what hit them. Perfect for overbearing people who liked staying close to home.

The origin story also told of this kind of voodoo magic and it could also be found in many fairy tales-yes, none other than the Seven Nails Book! This assassination weapon belonged to Lu Ya and after 21 days of worship, it took out Zhao Gongming's life with only three nails. There was no doubt about Zhao Gongming's power and yet, he was met with such a death, proving the strangeness and overbearing strength of Witchcraft.

However, the Seven Nails Book only ever appeared once, with the reason being it would deal damage to the spell caster as well. Hence, making it impossible to use frequently.

This was the unfortunate truth. Although the old man was skilled in Witchcraft and many feared him, his green skin, lone eye, and bent body were all caused by the backlash of casting Witchcraft spells. It was impossible for him to reverse the effect even with his power.

However, he did not see himself as ugly. In fact, he was proud of the way he looked. It was like a badge of honor for him. It was due to his skills in Witchcraft that he was able to enjoy a high standing in the world of Ministry.

Meanwhile, on Dog Mountain, only silence could be heard and a few dogs were on patrol. Underneath Dog Mountain, four figures stood in the four corners of South, East, North, and West. They were hard to see because they blended in well with the night.

Bong!

Suddenly, a strange air ripple began to spread over Dog Mountain and black air began to flow in the sky, making the night sky even more intense.

Above Dog Mountain, layers of a vortex began to appear, covering the entire mountain. "Right Messenger has begun! We need to act quickly, too!" "I can't believe we're spending so much effort just to catch a dog!"

The four people pulled the levers at the same time and immediately, ripples started to appear and combine with the vortex in the air, forming a barrier and isolating the entire Dog Mountain from the outside world.

This was to prevent any changes from happening from the actions that were about to be taken.

Gradually, as the ripples surrounded the Dog Mountain, every Dog Demons' eyes became slack until they all fell asleep without a sound.

Meanwhile, at Fox Mountain, a big sturdy man with a smile on his face was humming a song as his Merit Cloud started its descent. He raised his hand to touch the two thick horns on his head as soon as his feet touched the ground. After rubbing for some time, he was finally satisfied.

Then, he happily walked towards his destination, stopping for a while to pick up a hibiscus flower growing by the side of the road before continuing on his way.

He was naturally overjoyed to receive an invitation from Little Fox. He dropped everything on hand and rushed over to where she was, his face flushed red with excitement.

As the so-called willow head on the moon, people meet after dusk. For this first date with Little Fox, he even dressed up well and made sure his horns were shiny.

He felt youthful again ever since Little Fox came into his life.

He never expected to start a love affair when he came to the Area of the Gods to look for new opportunities. He was grateful to the Gods for his unexpected good fortune.

Bull Demon King felt the color of his world change from monotone to one full of colors. It would not be farfetched to say that those around him could see pink bubbles coming out of him.

"I'm definitely close by. I can feel it. It seems like she has already arrived..." His heart started to beat faster the closer he got to the meeting spot. He took a deep breath,put the hibiscus flower between his teeth, and started walking gracefully to his final destination. "I apologize for making a beauty like you wait for so long..."He did not get to finish his words as his eyes became as big as saucers. He swallowed back the words he was going to say when he saw the scene in front of him.

In front of him, two people—who were each holding similar hibiscus flowers in their hands

—were also staring back at him. All three of them were frozen in place with shock.

One of them was very skinny and looked like a scholar. The other was as big as a mountain, and especially with those two nostrils of his, it looked like two cannons were aimed at Bull Demon King with hot air coming out of it. The owner of the nostrils belonged to a hippopotamus.

Their eyes were all filled with puzzlement. 'Why are the other Demon Kings here?' they wondered.

On the way over, each of the three Demon Kings constructed every possible scenario and devised every possible strategy-even going as far as writing a romantic script-to showcase their romancing skills.

They did not account for the appearance of two love rivals in every possible scenario. So, it was natural for them to be in a foul mood.

"What...what are the two of you doing here? Where did you hide my Little Fox?" asked Bull Demon King, pointing at the two unwelcome guests. His face was about to explode when suddenly, he said in a cold voice, "The two of you must have overheard Little Fox asking to meet me here and came here to cause trouble out of jealousy. You should leave now!"

Hippo Demon King gave an icy laugh that was as loud as thunder. "Nonsense, she asked to meet me!"

The one that looked like a scholar was Panther Demon King. He smiled arrogantly and said, "You fools! Have you each seen yourself in the mirror? With your big horns and big nostrils, your ugliness is an insult to my eyes. Why would Little Fox ever be interested in the two of you?

"The way I see it, Little Fox has asked us three to meet her here so she could announce who she has chosen to be with and that person, without a doubt, is me! So, the two of you can get out of here now!"

"You're a joke," said the Bull Demon King with a confident smile. "If it wasn't for the fact that it was Little Fox's bath time when I asked her out, we would've met sooner!"

"I think it's about time I tell you both the truth." Hippo Demon King laughed so hard, his whole body shook. "Do you know what Little Fox thinks of me? She said... I'm a good demon! Isn't this enough to prove I'm the one she likes the most?"

"Good demon? Bath time?" said Panther Demon King, stunned. "Why does it all sound so familiar?"

All of a sudden, a blast of chill air burst out of the forest, sweeping in like a storm, causing the three Demon Kings to tremble slightly with surprise.

They looked up and saw two figures, one dressed in white and the other in red, walking out of the darkness from under the moonlight. The duo turned their gazes toward the three Demon Kings and stared at them with indifference.

The most conspicuous thing was the illusory nine tails coming out from the white-dressed woman's back. The tails swayed in the thin air —their mighty aura gushing out like waves and swept toward the three Demon Kings!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The entire mountain began to freeze over. The temperature dropped to an icy cold level and it started to snow.

"A Nine-Tailed Fox?" The three Demon Kings' pupils shrank rapidly with shock. Why was there another Nine-Tailed Fox here?

Daji's eyes were as icy as the arctic wind. "So, it's you three who's always harassing my little sister?" she asked with a slight frown.

Little sister?

The three Demon Kings' eyes stayed motionless. It never crossed their minds that Little Fox would have such a strong and beautiful elder sister.

Panther Demon King was the first one to snap out of their trance. He bowed down to her respectfully and said, "Greetings, sister-in-law, I'm..." "Looking to die!" said Daji. Her eyes darkened considerably and sparks were coming out of her body. She clapped her hands continuously, sending wave after wave of attack at Panther Demon King.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A strong cold current rushed out, freezing everything in its path, on a collision course with Panther Demon King. His face fell and quickly raised his hand to activate his black demon fire to block the cold current.

"Is this how you greet people during their first meeting with you? I'm afraid you've chosen the wrong person as your opponent," said Panther Demon King sarcastically to Daji. Then, he gave out a soft laugh, transformed into a black mist, and melted into the night.

His speed was so fast that those left behind could still see the black flames dancing around them. The frozen spot where he previously stood had also melted.

At the same time, layers of flames formed a vortex around Daji. From the outside, it looked like a giant fire dragon was intertwined with Daji.

"Now do you know how powerful I am? I'll forgive you if you beg for mercy," said Panther Demon King arrogantly. The giant fire dragon's body began to tighten, causing the surrounding flames to move closer to Daji!

Daji stood still. Instead of running away from the flames, she slowly extended her hand to grab the black flames.

The ring on her ring finger gave out a halo. The moment her slender hand touched the flame, a layer of frost appeared and rapidly spread down the fire dragon's body, turning it into an ice sculpture in a blink of an eye.

Did she just freeze flames?

"My flames...how's this possible?" lamented Panther Demon King in disbelief.

Both of them held the title of a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal but if Daji's ice attack was able to overpower his flame attack, it could be said they were not on the same level.

Immediately, Panther Demon King's pupils zeroed out and every hair on his body was standing. He felt an imminent disaster was about to befall him.

There was no choice for him but to run. He did not waste any time in making his escape but before he could, a white beam faster than the speed of light shot through his body. It was as if fate had decided that today was his death day.

"Ah..." He only had time to open his mouth before transforming into an ice sculpture.

"Ssss..." Both Bull Demon King and Hippo Demon King let out a sharp breath at the sight of the ice sculpture.

The fight did not last long and ended in a blink of an eye. From an onlooker's perspective, Daji did not move much-she simply stood where she was and only raised her hand twice. In contrast, Panther Demon King jumped around just to show off how powerful he was.

Then, just as he was about to flee by jumping, he was turned into ice and would never jump again. This could definitely be classified as an instant kill.

The three of them were all Demon Kings and it was natural for fights to break out between them. However, their battle power was usually on par with each other. In other words, this Nine-Tailed Fox could easily turn them all into ice.

But how did things end up this way?

Even in the ranking of Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, the three of them would take the top spots. So, how powerful exactly was this Nine-Tailed Fox?

Their feelings of shock did not last long before it made way for the feeling of schadenfreude. 'Served him right for acting disrespectfully towards Little Fox's sister and thank you for sacrificing yourself!'

The two of them suddenly felt Daji's stare. They quickly greeted Daji, "Greetings to you, friend! We truly admire your sister and have no intention to harm her. It's not against the law to love somebody, right? We're all demons here, there's no need to make an enemy of each other."

"You've caused a lot of trouble for my sister. I'll make this simple for you by giving you two choices." She paused for a while and took out the Demon Summoning Gourd. "Choice number one, surrender and become my sister's servant, or choice number two, become an ice sculpture."

She had given it some thought before. Currently, Little Fox did not have anyone powerful by her side and these three Demon Kings were Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. So, if their crimes were not enough for a death sentence, she would accept them as servants.

"Well..." Bull Demon King and Hippo Demon King looked at each other and saw the helpless struggle the both of them were feeling.

They were used to being royalty in their own domain and enjoyed the freedom their title conferred upon them. To be a servant to someone else? They would rather die.

At least, that was what they wanted to tell Daji but her aura was just too powerful, causing them to feel suffocated. They felt the air around them becoming colder and colder.

Bull Demon King's eyes flashed and he said between gritted teeth, "Friend, I'll surrender on one condition. If you can fulfill the condition, I'll pledge my undying loyalty." "What's the condition?" asked Daji.

"I have a little brother. He was captured by the Ministry five days ago. I hope you can rescue him," said Bull Demon King.

Daji frowned slightly. "Do you know exactly where he's being held?" "Yes!" He nodded quickly. "Us two brothers can sense each other's location. But the Ministry's too powerful, that's why I'm hoping someone from the Heavenly Realm would be able to..." His voice became softer and softer, not wanting to put too much hope for a mission this difficult.

"Deal!" Daji nodded and turned her gaze toward Hippo Demon King.

Fear made him break out in goosebumps. "The Ministry also captured a few of my servants. I'll also surrender and pledge my undying loyalty if you can get them out!"

"And you?" Daji asked the frozen Panther Demon King after unfreezing his mouth.

"Me-me, too... Please, unfreeze me!" he replied with chattering teeth and purple lips. 𝙡𝓲𝒃𝓻𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

#

Chapter 566

Under the night sky, Panther Demon King returned to his original form. He was kneeling with his hand on the ground, shaking. His eyes were full of fear. He had no doubt he would not have lasted a second more being frozen.

'How is it possible for her to be this strong? Is her attack imbued with the Power of Wisdom?' wondered Panther Demon King.

"Take me to the Ministry," ordered Daji.

"As you command," said the Bull Demon King. Then, he hesitated for a second, feeling a little guilty. "But we have to be careful there. If defeat seems inevitable, we should come back to strategize."

Meanwhile at Dog Mountain, the space around it was slightly distorted. To the naked eye, it seemed like nothing had happened. However, the entire mountain had been isolated from the real world with a protective barrier.

At the same time, a strange green-smoke aura surrounded Dog Mountain and rose into the air. All the Dog Demons in the Dog Mountain trembled slightly-feeling a surge of fatigue across their entire bodies before they fell to the ground, one by one with their eyelids closed.

At the peak of Dog Mountain, Blackie woke up from his sleep. The two Dog Demon servants —whose jobs were to give him a massage and fan him-were sleeping soundly with their mouths open.

Blackie took two steps forward and with the moonlight as his background, looked toward the darkness in front of him, his eyes darkened and fangs bared. Fierceness and anger consumed him.

"So, this is the Heavenly Realm dog. Look at how stout he is!"

Four figures appeared in the night sky, walking on thin air. They stared emotionlessly at Blackie, as if he was the prey and they, the hunter.

Blackie's aura locked itself on the four figures and it was as if the sky suddenly lowered by a few centimeters. "Which one of you thought it was a good idea to cause trouble on my territory?"

Out of the four figures, two were from the Heavenly Realm and the other two were from the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal Realm. In Blackie's eyes, the two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals were as good as invisible to him. As for the other two from the Heavenly Realm, it should not be difficult to deal with them. He would crush them one by one with his paws.

The muscled man ignored Blackie and said, "The Chaos kept surprising me with all these different miracles. How could such a dog exist?"

"Hey black dog, you're kinda cool."

Another old man clothed in black said in a raspy voice, "We demon hunters from the Ministry rarely fail in our missions. You killed three of our high-level members last time. You better hope your value's enough to recoup our losses!"

"This is so bothersome. Let me kill you all and get back to my bed." Blackie angrily shook his paws as if chasing away a mosquito. Then, he raised his paws, and a dog print big enough to cover the sky appeared out of thin air and shot down on the four figures like a falling meteorite.

Faced with the attack, the muscled-man only smiled coldly. Then, he took a step forward, his robe billowing in the wind, looked at the giant paw print, and raised his fist to punch it.

Boom!

The collision sounded like a volcano exploding and the power swallowed up the paw print. The punch's power did not diminish but instead, transformed into a raging dragon, roaring forward with a force strong enough to destroy everything in its path. "Damn!" Blackie stomped on the ground and a golden dog bowl appeared out of nowhere, transforming into a shield which quickly rotated until it formed a vortex, sucking in all the power of the punch.

Blackie was not afraid of the attack. However, there were a lot of Dog Demons on Dog Mountain. If he did not contain the attack, all of them would die.

Without skipping a beat, Blackie's eyes flashed with violence and with all four paws on the ground, he appeared in front of the muscled man in no time. He let out the same attack with the paw print.

"Sky Sealing Iron Chain!" The muscled man laughed and instead of retreating, he aimed straight at the paw print with his fist raised. At the same time, numerous iron chains appeared from behind him like tentacles and rushed toward Blackie.

Bang! Crash!

The muscled-man shot out like a cannonball immediately. His hand, along with the upper half of his body, were crushed-bones, blood, and flesh mixing together. It did not take long for his wound to heal and once they did, he turned to look at Blackie with smiling eyes.

Four iron chains had pierced through Blackie's body and his blood was dripping down the chains. His face remained impassive and with a wave of his paw, the chains broke loose. However, the wounds on his body did not heal themselves. It stayed bloody and frightening.

He knitted his brow together-something was off.

Since the beginning of the fight, his attack should be much more powerful than that. It was not the opponents who were too strong, it was him—he had become weaker!

There was also the matter of his wounds not healing, which should be something easily achievable for him who was from the Heavenly Realm. Something was definitely off.

"Immortal Weaken Spell, Sealing Spirit!" said a voice from somewhere, stern and strange.

Suddenly, a giant gray ghostly face appeared out of nowhere in the sky, directly on top of Blackie's head.

The same gray current engulfed his body and within the current, there was a gray string connecting him to the ghostly face. The string acted as a pipe, draining Blackie of his power and drastically decreasing his attack power. "You're like a fish in a barrel now, big black dog. Why don't you just surrender quietly?" said the old man wearing a black robe with a cold smile. His tone was one of cockiness, knowing full well victory was his.

In a flash, he moved closer to Blackie with his hands aiming for Blackie's throat, as if he was trying to capture a stray dog.

Blackie bared his fangs and his eyes were full of intent to kill. "I hate people who act all cool in front of me. You must die!" 𝓁𝘪𝒷𝘳ℯ𝘢𝑑.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The old man wearing the black robe laughed mockingly. "Do you still plan to resist? I'd like to see you try and kill me."

As soon as he said that, Blackie bent down slightly and disappeared from his view.

"How's this possible?"

The old man wearing the black robe's heart ran cold. He could not believe what he just saw and was about to retreat when he felt his head detach from his body.

Blackie, with impassioned eyes, stood behind him with his two front paws slashing for dear life. "You like acting cool huh? Do you? Do

you?"

Slice! Slice! Slice!

His movements were so fast they caused one to go dizzy just by looking at it. The old man wearing the black robe turned to dust under Blackie's attack and yet, he showed no sign of stopping. His paws kept slashing the air, each attack imbued with the Power of Wisdom, causing the space in front of him to be distorted. The dust melted into the air, infinitely refining. "Lock him up, I say!" The muscled man's expression was grave. He did not waste any more time casting a spell. The iron chains, as thick as a python, appeared out of thin air again and encircled themselves around Blackie.𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇ℯ𝑎𝒹.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Blackie's mana gushed out from his body and with a shake, the chains broke loose again. But it was enough time for the man wearing the black robe to reconstruct his body. His face pale and frightened, he quickly fled from Blackie. Never again would he try to act cool in front of him.

Never in a thousand years would he expect Blackie, a mere dog, to be able to summon so much power even under the Immortal Weaken Spell. If it was not for the muscled-man lending a helping hand, his life force would have been extinguished at the core by Blackie.

It gave him goosebumps just thinking about it.

Deities from the Heavenly Realm are hard to eliminate. If Blackie was able to do that, it meant that his level was way, way, way higher than his. It was also important not to overlook the fact that Blackie's attack power had been drastically reduced by the Right Messenger's Witchcraft.

"The three high-level members never stood a chance. His power's indeed extraordinary!" The old man wearing the black robes retreated further, putting more distance between them. Although he looked as good as new, it would be a long time before he recovered from his near-death experience.

At the thought of this, his mouth twitched slightly and he said with a cold face. "Everyone, attack together! Don't hold back! Let's end this quickly!"

"The Ultimate Lockdown!"

Clink! Clink! Clink!

This time, even the two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals joined the battle. The four figures cast their spells at the same time and an infinite number of iron chains appeared from behind them, shooting through the space and aiming straight for Blackie.

The iron chains surrounded Blackie, making it impossible for him to escape. All the chains had been imbued with Heavenly Power of Law and could imprison mana and Primordial Spirit. Even Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals would not be foolish enough to go near this spell.

"Interesting, very interesting," said the Right Messenger who cast the Immortal Weaken Spell in the Demon City. He slowly opened his eyes and let out a sinister laugh.

He raised his index finger to his mouth and bit it until it bled. A drop of blood floated in front of him and although the blood was red, the glow it was emitting was a ghostly green-the type of green that would cause anyone to suffocate.

The Right Messenger softly coughed two times. His eyes shone brighter. "I knew it wouldn't be this easy to capture that dog! But all the more fun, right? Looks like I need to power up my spell. Immortal Weaken Spell, Ultimate Weakening!"

The floating drop of blood flew into the flames in front of the Right Messenger with a touch of a lever. The flame flared up violently, almost touching the ceiling and engulfing the room.

The gray ghostly face above Dog Mountain became bigger, almost covering the sky. It looked as if it was about to fall on the mountain.

Wave after wave of the strange and unbreakable currents tumbled onto Blackie's body, reducing his power by half. The wounds on his body worsened. Ping! Ping! Ping! The dog bowl acted like a turtle shell, keeping all the iron chains from entering. But they kept coming, hitting the dog bowl every second, causing it to shake violently.

Ping!

Within the span of a breath, the dog bowl dimmed and was swatted away.

Blackie emerged from underneath and the four men were caught off guard by his appearance

— they nearly could not recognize him! "You've gone...bald!" said the muscled-man, his eyes as wide as saucers.

The visual contrast was too shocking! Blackie was in his element at the start of the fight, his fur glistening with happiness. Now, however, he had become as bald as a naked mole-rat like magic! Was Blackie a magician as well? Blackie took advantage of their surprise and shot toward them. His face was solemn as if he did not take his baldness to heart. He calmly appeared in front of one of the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and crushed him with his paw.

"How dare you look down on me by sending two low-levels after me!" Blackie's voice was cold, very cold. The simple attack was enough to frighten the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal to death. He wanted to flee but found himself bound by a spell, unable to move an inch.

Poof!

Under Blackie's attack, the high and mighty Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal became a toy and disappeared completely with the wind.

However, Blackie had already moved on to his next target and appeared in front of the remaining Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal who was already trying to escape, but it was all in vain.

"Save me!"

"Stop!" cried the muscled man and the old man wearing the black robes with a slight tremble in their voices. Once again, countless iron chains rushed toward Blackie.

"Fools." Blackie's baldness did not diminish his demeanor at all. His lips curved into a cold smile as he dealt a blow to the Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal without any hesitation.

'How foolish of them to think I would stop after what they've done to me,' he thought.

Poof!

The same sound, the same ending. Two Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals were eliminated, one after another. Just like that.

The iron chains kept coming from behind, piercing his back and digging into his flesh, drawing a river of blood all over him. He tensed his body a little as if he did not feel any pain. With a quick movement and ignoring his wounds, he rushed toward the old man wearing the black robes again. The memories of nearly being eliminated were still fresh in the old man wearing the black robe's mind, he panicked and started to retreat. However, Blackie managed to pounce on him before he managed to flee, breaking all his bones.

"What a courageous dog! Even Chaos Beasts are no match for him!" said the Right Messenger with glee. His eyes flashed with violence and he moved a green dagger to the burning flame with his thoughts.

"He would be proud to know that he has forced me to use my ultimate skill." He then adjusted another lever and uttered calmly, "Immortal Weaken Spell, Cursed Life!"

The green dagger pointed toward him, piercing through his heart, and blood spurted out of his chest.

At the same moment, the berserk Blackie's entire body shook violently and blood started to spurt out of his chest, too. His Primordial Spirit ended up with the same fate and he fell to the floor, catatonic.

The muscled man and the man wearing the black robes roared with laughter. They wasted no time in making sure Blackie was bound tightly by the iron chains, not allowing him to return any attack.

Inside the Demon City, a bored Li Nianfan was playing with Little Fox. Daji and Fire Phoenix had gone to Fox Mountain, leaving him alone to accompany his sister-in-law. He was bored out of his mind with this babysitting duty.

He looked toward the direction of the Dog Mountain and suddenly his eyes shone brightly with an idea. "Little Fox, the night's still long and we're still not sleepy so why don't we go to Dog Mountain to visit Blackie? I'm sure it'll be a nice surprise for him!"

#

Chapter 567

The moon was hanging in the night sky.

Li Nianfan held Little Fox in his arms and slowly flew toward Dog Mountain on his Deluxe Merit Cloud. The closer he got to his destination, the more he thought the night sky was darker on Dog Mountain, as if it was covered with a barrier of black clouds, dying it darker. He wondered whether he was hallucinating

Little Fox popped her head out from under Li Nianfan's crooked arm, her eyes as shiny as jewels. She cautiously surveyed their surroundings and the hair on her head stood up when she detected something odd. She curled back into Li Nianfan's embrace and one could only see the back of her head.

"Brother Li… Something's off," she said quietly.

"Could something bad be happening at Dog Mountain?" muttered Li Nianfan. He, too, could detect something was wrong.

It was too quiet. There was no sign of any activities on their way to Dog Mountain. Not a sound at all. Even the wind felt heavier. All signs pointed to something bad.

"Let's be careful."

After some consideration, Li Nianfan made his Deluxe Merit Cloud brighter, warning those around him of his power-death to those who dared to cross him. He felt it was unnecessary to keep his powers hidden because he did not want any idiot to die by his hand.

They continued onward and the atmosphere became thicker with the sense of foreboding increasing the closer they were. When they looked closely, they could see the space around Dog Mountain was slightly distorted. This caused Li Nianfan's heart to sink and became more worried. "Brother Li, there's a very powerful magic barrier surrounding Dog Mountain. It's very dangerous." The trembling Little Fox's nine tails were already wrapped tightly around Li Nianfan's waist, her fur not only standing up vertically but also hardened to the extent no wind was able to sway it.

"Someone's there!" cried Little Fox with surprise. Once again, she darted back into Li Nianfan's embrace, leaving only her head and eyes visible.

Li Nianfan stopped the Merit Cloud instantly and looked toward the direction of Dog Mountain-two figures were fleeing the area and they were holding something in their hands.

Clink! Clink! Clink! The sound of metal hitting metal came from their hands as they were pulling on something.

Judging by their raised eyes, they had obviously seen Li Nianfan, too. Their expression changed drastically and their hearts trembled with fear when they saw the golden Deluxe Merit Cloud. How could they, the best of the best from the Heavenly Realm – feel so helpless?

They cursed their bad luck for bumping into a Deluxe Merit Saint at this time. They were just about to complete their mission and now a curveball was introduced, so it was only natural for them to be unhappy about the situation.

However, they became still when they saw Little Fox. They exchanged glances with each other, confirming that the other party had the same idea.

'A Deluxe Merit Saint's nothing. We shouldn't let slip the opportunity of capturing a Nine-Tailed Fox. If we manage to capture it, then it'd be twice the reward for tonight!' they thought to themselves while laughing.

"My fellow brothers, under the favors bestowed from the Area of the Gods, I've become a Deluxe Merit Saint. Fate brought us together and as long as you don't attack me, we'll all be fine," said Li Nianfan, exposing his own identity and dropping hints at the same time. Hopefully, the two men would get his message and tread carefully.

Judging by the two men's furtiveness and the unusual circumstances, Li Nianfan correctly guessed that their presence on Dog Mountain was not one of pure intention. Then, his gaze scanned past the two men and rested on the thing they were pulling—from the looks of it, it was probably a dog. However, he could not be sure about it because it was too dark. 'Are they dog-nappers? Do they even exist in the Immortal realm?' he wondered. One of his eyebrows arched up at the thought of the skills he had developed after deeply researching about the powers of Deluxe Merit—the skill of Illumination!

He thought it was as good as anytime to try out the new skill.

"Brothers, please, don't doubt my power. Let me move my Deluxe Merit closer so you can see it up close," he said with a kind smile.

Then, he raised his hand and waved the Deluxe Merit light over to where they were standing. Immediately, their surroundings became illuminated.

Li Nianfan saw the dog with all four limbs being bound by the iron chain. It was looking at Li Nianfan with helplessness in his eyes. Poor, poor thing.

'Is it a dog? Why is it hairless?' thought Li Nianfan with a shock. Then, a wave of familiarity hit him. 'He looks like Blackie! Why's Blackie bald? Not only have these two dog-nappers captured him but they even shaved off all his fur as well! What kind of fetish is this? This is beyond evil!'

Li Nianfan felt deep sorrow in his heart. After all, Blackie was his first pet in the Immortal Realm. They were together for many years and had become each other's most loyal friend.

The sight of Blackie being tortured sent a wave of fury across Li Nianfan's body. Those dog-nappers! I must come up with an idea to save Blackie.'

At the same time, he had noticed the two men's gazes on Little Fox-not hiding the lust in their eyes, seeing her as prey. "These villains!' thought Li Nianfan. He immediately started to come up with a rescue plan.

He had supreme confidence in his defense skills and with the help of the Double Flying Stone, had the same confidence in his attack power. After all, Blackie was only a low-level Dog Demon, it did not take much to capture him. He was sure the Double Flying Stone would be more than enough to defeat the two dog-nappers.

The biggest problem was that the dog-nappers had Blackie as a hostage. So, how could Li Nianfan defeat them without hurting Blackie?

Suddenly, laughter could be heard from all three of them after catching each others' eyes -each of them up to no good.

"Brothers, care to explain yourselves?" asked Li Nianfan.

"It's like this, Saint. We love animals and came across this bald dog, so we wanted to bring it home to take care of it. To see if there's any way to help him recover his fur," lied the old man wearing the black robes without skipping a beat and sporting a poker face. The muscled man was impressed by his quick thinking and quickly added, "Yes, it's like he said. We love animals. Is that a Nine-Tailed Fox you have? What a rare animal. Do you mind if I hold it for a bit?"

'Of course, I mind. Only a fool will believe your words. I bet the two of you have a twisted definition of love,' thought Li Nianfan, all the while keeping a perfunctory smile on his face. "If that's the case, what a coincidence! I know some healing spells. How about you give him over and I'll see what I can do?"

He took out the Double Flying Stone ready to cast a spell as soon as he had Blackie by his side.

"Umm…" The two men did not know how to react to this request.

The old man wearing the black robes squeezed out a smile. "You might not be aware, Saint, this is a very ferocious dog. I'm afraid it'll go berserk if we were to release the chains."

Li Nianfan frowned slightly. It seemed like they had reached an impasse.

The old man wearing the black robes and the muscled man sneaked a glance at Li Nianfan, not wanting to waste more time. "We still have some urgent matters to attend to, Saint. Forgive us for our departure. We bid you goodbye."

They were just about to leave when Li Nianfan said, "Hold on a moment." He was not going to let them go without getting Blackie back.

The two men stopped in their tracks and could not hide their annoyance. The fact that they were no match for a Deluxe Merit Saint did not mean they would not engage in a fight with him, if it came to it.

"Is there anything else?" asked the muscled man coldly. "Brothers, I want to show you something. Please, keep your eyes wide open," said Li Nianfan mysteriously. Then he raised his hand, and it was as if the whole sky had heard his orders. An infinite amount of golden beams came from the four corners of the earth, coloring the whole sky and earth until the entire Dog Mountain became golden with infinite Deluxe Merit.

The golden beams of light gathered themselves and created a whirlpool with Li Nianfan at its center before surrounding the old man in the black robes and the muscled man. The two of them were shocked at the spectacle and at the thought of not knowing what would happen next.

So much Deluxe Merit. So Bright. So blinding that they felt they would really go blind.

Li Nianfan was determined to punish them. With a thought from him, the Double Flying Stone started to glow and a beam of frost burst forth-under the protection of the golden light-toward the two men.

The old man wearing black robes and the muscled man were still stunned by the display of power when they suddenly felt a surge of coldness. The sense of impending doom was enough to send electricity running through their heads. They might not make it out of this.

Every cell in their bodies trembled with fear, sending alarm signals for them to run!

However, they were paralyzed with despair. They were being rooted by a sense of indescribable fear, as if time and space had frozen over.

'Is…is this the Power of Wisdom? How's this possible? What's a person with this level of power doing here? He must be a high-level member in the Wisdom Realm to have this level of power!' thought the two men.

They wanted to scream out in fear but found themselves unable to do so. In this very moment, all they could feel was how pathetic and helpless they were—the thought of their impending death nearly drove them mad.

Luckily for them, the feelings did not last long before they were turned into two ice sculptures. Their last thought was, 'How is it possible for a Deluxe Merit Saint to activate such a powerful attack? Why did he pretend to be a noob? Was he playing with us?'

"That settles it!" said Li Nianfan. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

He came up with this series of attacks after getting his hands on the Double Flying Stone and it was also specially customized according to his abilities. First, he would use Deluxe Merit to blind the opponents' eyes which would cause them to go into shock, even blinding them in the process. Then, he would use the Doubly Flying Stone to unexpectedly deal the final blow. He was satisfied with the result after trying out the series of attacks for the first time. He quickly went over to Blackie and unchained him.

"Blackie, are you ok?" he asked caringly.

Suddenly, Little Fox shot out of Li Nianfan's arms in a panic to avoid the iron chains. She could feel her Primordial Spirit trembling with fear, not wanting to be anywhere near it. She knew she would not be able to do what Li Nianfan did-treating those chains as if they were nothing. She jumped up on the two frozen men and slashed fiercely at their faces.

"Thank you for saving me, master," cried Blackie pitifully as he nuzzled his head against Li Nianfan's face.

"Your spiritual cultivation is too weak! You would've been dog meat if it wasn't for me," said Li Nianfan with a shake of his head. "It's a good thing I can rely on Little Daji and Fire Phoenix's spells. You have to train more from now on, you hear?"

Blackie rolled its eyes and nodded violently. "Yes, Master."

Li Nianfan looked at the bald Blackie, thinking how ugly the dog looked. He could not help but comment, "I understand why they would want to capture you but not why they needed to shave off all your fur. What an extremely weird thing to do."

Meanwhile, at a dense forest located not far away from the Demon City, Daji and Fire Phoenix, followed by a group of demons, slowly exited from a mountain cave.

The demon group was made up of the three Demon Kings, followed by a band of injured low-level demons who were captured by the Ministry. The newly freed prisoners were bleeding profusely all over their bodies. Some even had their limbs cut off. All of them had a desolate look in their eyes.

Daji cast a suspicious eye at Bull Demon King. "And you say this is the Ministry's stronghold?" "I…think…so," he answered unconfidently while rubbing his horns. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

It was to everyone's knowledge how scary the Ministry was. It was not an overstatement to say one would never come out of the stronghold alive. Thus, they were prepared to fight to the death.

Daji and Fire Phoenix were naturally cautious at the start. However, they realized they had nothing to worry about once they had checked out their opponents. The duo easily destroyed the stronghold and rescued all the prisoners.

Although they did clash with four Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals, their levels were on par with the three Demon Kings and were easily eliminated by Daji and Fire Phoenix. 'Is that all? I thought there'd be someone more powerful than this? Could this be a fake stronghold? But that can't be… All the prisoners are freed. Not to mention, we even discovered a big secret about the Ministry,' thought Daji and Fire Phoenix.𝓵𝙞𝒃𝓻𝓮𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝓸𝓶

Bull Demon King was too happy to care about all these. "Goddess Daji, Fire Phoenix, you've held up your part of the bargain. Now, it's time for me to do the same. I pledge my servitude to Little Fox!"

Hippo Demon King and Panther Demon King exchanged a glance with each other and said at the same time, "As do we."

Daji nodded at them and said, "Okay, please, don't resist what I'm going to do next." She took out the golden Demon Summoning Gourd and fed it with the three Demon King's Primordial Spirit.

It was general knowledge that basic treasures were not able to limit the power of a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal but it was a different story for the golden gourd-it was a Chaos Spiritual Treasure after all! The three Demon Kings never stood a chance.

The three Demon Kings' eyes burned green with jealousy at Daji's treasure. No wonder they were no match for her. A Chaos Spiritual Treasure could drastically increase a person's fighting power. They were finally satisfied with their defeat after gaining the newfound knowledge. Even a member from the Heavenly Realm would have no problem eliminating more powerful opponents if they had a Chaos Spiritual Treasure on hand. What more a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal?

Suddenly, they sensed something. They raised their heads toward the sky and were greeted with the sight of an infinite golden beam of light shooting across the sky toward the same destination.

Chapter 568

"Are those Deluxe Merits?"

"There's so much of it!"

All of them had their eyes raised in a daze. Some of them even gulped at the abundance of it all.

"It's the Master's doing!" Daji and Fire Phoenix's expressions changed for the worse. In a flash, they started heading toward where the Deluxe Merit was gathering. They were filled with worry, not knowing why Li Nianfan would need to summon so much Deluxe Merit.

Although they were far from him, it did not take them long to reach him.

"Are you alright, Master?" asked Daji with worry.

"I'm fine, don't worry," said Li Nianfan with a wave. His heart warmed at the thought of Daji and Fire Phoenix's concern. "Two men were trying to kidnap Blackie but I arrived in time to stop them. It was also fortunate I had the Double Flying Stone with me."

'Blackie was nearly kidnapped by two men?' they thought with shock. Daji and Fire Phoenix turned their eyes to the bald Blackie. Their hearts were beating wildly at the thought of what kind of person would be powerful enough to kidnap Blackie.

They then turned their eyes to the two ice sculptures, felt the overflowing power, and felt confused. They guessed correctly that those two ice sculptures were the frozen dog-nappers, their features as clear as the day.

It seemed like there was no limit to the Double Flying Stone's attack power if it was used by Li Nianfan. Daji and Fire Phoenix had the sneaking suspicion that even if they stored the weakest spell they knew into the stone, it would nonetheless become a decimating force if unleashed by Li Nianfan.

By now, they were desensitized to their Master's power. However, the same could not be said for the group of demons who had just arrived. They all let out a collective gasp at the sight of the shiny ice sculptures. Their eyes became wide, wanting to make sure they were not hallucinating.

If their eyes did not deceive them, then those two should be high-level members of the Heavenly Realm.

"This...this...this..." stuttered Hippo Demon King, hot air madly coming out of his nostrils, causing a little spark. He pointed at the two ice sculptures, his face drained of color. "Is..."

Daji waved her hand discreetly and then, there were three ice sculptures on the scene with Hippo Demon King-mouth wide open-being the third one.

"Master, these demons have been subdued by me. I apologize for their disrespectfulness," said Daji softly. Then, she turned to the group of demons with coldness in her eyes and said sternly, "Speak only when you're spoken to! Understood?!"

She nearly made the mistake of giving the demons the chance of ruining her Master's mood. The group of demons were scared senseless, not knowing what they had done to incur her wrath. They dared not even breathe.

Li Nianfan looked at Daji with puzzlement. In his eyes, she was always as gentle as flowing water, always giving in to him. He had never seen this side of her and he was intrigued, to say the least.

"That's enough. It's not a big deal. We're all friends here. Don't be too stern toward them," said Li Nianfan, wanting to soften the atmosphere. "Everything turned out well in the end. The two dog-nappers were nothing to worry about. Blackie might be in shock and need some rest. Let's leave everything for tomorrow."

'Nothing to worry about?' The group of demons involuntarily trembled all over, not daring to move an inch. Even a fool could tell the man standing in front of them was nothing short of extraordinary, and dare they say-extremely frightening?

At the same time, they solved the mystery of the weak defense at the Ministry's stronghold. It was because the main fighting force was eliminated here. They cheered at the thought of this. If it was not for Li Nianfan, they would surely have been easily eliminated by the Ministry's stronghold. Meanwhile, in the crypt in Demon City, the old green man smiled faintly and slowly pulled out the dagger in his chest. He slid his hand over the gaping wound and was instantly healed. Though there was still the matter of side effects, he felt it was worth it compared to the result he had gotten. So, he did not really mind it much.

He walked out of the crypt, and without hesitation, teleported to a sky above a mountain to patiently wait for the triumphant delivery of Blackie to him.

Suddenly, his expression shifted a little and he smiled in the direction of the woods. "Why not show yourself since you're here? Are you waiting to see how I'll make a fool out of myself?"

The Left Messenger walked out from the dense thicket of trees, her silhouette mesmerizing under the moonlight. "From the looks of it, the mission took a lot out of you this time."

"Yes, you're right about that," he said while nodding. Then, he continued in an arrogant tone. "But that's where you and I are different. I've always favored being slow and steady. It's a good thing I handled this personally, as the dog was indeed very powerful. If not...we would've come back empty-handed."

"Was he really that powerful?" asked the Left Messenger with awe in her voice.

"Yes," laughed the old green man, stroking his beard. "Capturing him is a great victory for us. He's very special-as special as the beasts born out of Chaos. I have a feeling that we'll be able to discover an unimaginable secret from his body. Just wait and see!"

The Left Messenger's eyes flashed brightly and said nothing. Although both of them were from the Ministry, she could not help but feel resentful of the old green man's success. It was like pouring salt on her wounds since she had just suffered a defeat herself. She was human after all.

The hot girl wearing a demon mask and the old green man with one eye stood under the moonlight quietly—both silent. Only the sound of the gentle wind could be heard for a long while.

A crow flew noisily over the old green man's head.

"Right Messenger, what's taking you so long to come back with the dog?" asked the Left Messenger, expressionless.

"How dare they act so disrespectfully! They must have stopped somewhere on their way over," scolded the old green man. He thought they must have been distracted by something which caused them to be late-surely they had no respect for him.

"I'm going to give them a signal and we'll surely hear something from them within three seconds," he said coldly with a darkened face.

He then raised his index finger to the sky and a beam of light shot up before exploding into a demon symbol. Then, he waited with a knowing smile on his face, as if he had done something amazing. After all, this summoning method had never failed him.

One second

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

30 minutes later.

Still, only the sound of wind could be heard.

"There's no reply from them," said the Left Messenger. "Looks like something unexpected had happened," "Impossible!" said the old green man coldly, still in denial. "I've made sure everything went according to plan and saw with my own eyes how they captured the dog. What could've gone wrong? Maybe something happened to them on their way back here."

He finally had to accept that something unexpected had derailed his plan. Without saying anything further, the old green man and Left Messenger flew toward Dog Mountain.

They stopped when they felt the residual power of the spell lingering in the air. They had arrived at the scene where the fight took place.

"There are signs of a battle everywhere!" said the old green man in a raspy voice. Then, he squeezed a lever and a surge of green current began to gather the Qi there.

"I've planted some Witchcraft spells on them beforehand so I can sense their strongest thoughts here," explained the old green man. Then, his face became stern as he uttered a word softly, "Solidify."

Wave after wave of strange air currents transformed into sound and floated into the old green man's ear. "Deluxe Merit Saint...too powerful!"

The old green man and Left Messenger both frowned at the same time.

"Deluxe Merit Saint again?" said the Left Messenger with a shock. "How did they cross paths with a Deluxe Merit Saint? Did they start the fight?"

The old green man's face became even greener. "How could they be so stupid?" he said vehemently.

He paused slightly and the look he gave was enough to freeze someone. Then, his whole body shook with the absurdity of it all. "I knew it! I knew we should've eliminated the Deluxe Merit Saint when we had the chance. As long as he's alive, he can derail our plans anytime! I mustn't waste any more time. I need to take him out this instant!"

Compared to the loss of the Left Messenger, the old green man had lost much more. It was not every day one could come across a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm. The thought of their senseless deaths made his heart filled with sorrow.

"I agree with you," said the Left Messenger while nodding her head. She too had been at the receiving end of the Deluxe Merit Saint's power. She shuddered at the thought of it.

Their mission had repeatedly failed because of him. What a series of bad luck.

The Left Messenger turned to look at the old green man. "How do you plan to eliminate him? I don't think I'll be able to help you." She knew there would be hell to pay if she were to go against a Deluxe Merit Saint.

"You? As if I'll need your help," said the old green man cockily. "We've been assigned the posts of Left and Right Messenger ever since joining the Ministry and have worked together for countless years. So, I'm sure you're familiar with how I work. My Immortal Weaken Spell can strike down an opponent from anywhere. It's a spell that no one will ever be able to escape from!"

"Meaning to say..." said the Left Messenger with a thoughtful look.

"He's obviously a Deluxe Merit Saint from the Area of the Gods and is under their protection. There's no way I can do anything to him there. But if I were to cast an Immortal Weaken Spell on him from somewhere outside of the Chaos, then...the Natural Punishment from the Area of the Gods would not befall upon me!" He paused and roared with laughter. "The Deluxe Merit Saint's power is nothing to me. I'll only need to raise my little pinky to take his life."

"That's great!" said the Left Messenger. She conceded to the usefulness of Witchcraft. "How's everything at the stronghold?"

"Everything's fine. There is prey all over the Demon City. We capture them by the dozens every day," answered the old green man. "I've always completed my missions successfully. I'll never tolerate any mistakes."

The Left Messenger involuntarily raised her eyebrow and shook her head. "It concerns me to hear you say this..."

If she remembered correctly, he said something similar just now, but lo and behold! Things did not go according to plan. She would forever feel a sense of dread if the same words were ever uttered again.

The old green man harrumphed at her concern. "Truth be told, there's been some progress on my experiments which have yielded some interesting results. I've even managed to find out the whereabouts of Taotie." He wanted to rebuild his image after his embarrassing loss just now.

"Taotie?!" cried out the Left Messenger with shock.

"Yes, the one and only Taotie," crowed the old green man with a proud smile. "It's the Chaos Beast that can devour anything and everything. These phagocytic abilities are perfect for our experiment. We'll be able to progress in our mission given by the Ministry once we've captured Taotie!"

The Left Messenger nodded her head and said gravely, "It's not easy to deal with Taotie. If the intel's true, we'll need to prepare ourselves accordingly." 𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝒎

They had arrived at the Ministry's stronghold. The old green man's smile disappeared when he saw the mess left behind by the battle. The Left Messenger's expression was indecipherable. She never expected her sense of dread to be confirmed by this. She blamed the old green man for ever opening his big mouth.

It took a long while before the old green man broke out of his trance. The only thought playing in a loop in his mind was, 'My home's destroyed.'

With a sudden roar of fury, he started to puke blood and his eyes became bloodshot. "Who did this? How did this happen? How dare he!" He must be in a state of huge shock to have puked blood. He had lost count of the number of times he had lost his temper today. It was as if he had encountered a streak of bad luck ever since the arrival of the Deluxe Merit Saint.

First, he had to abandon the plan on the Demon City. Then, Blackie was saved even though he had to go through the backlash of his ultimate spell and the loss of his four mer The destruction of his home was the final straw!

He suddenly aged 1,000 years. Where was the justice in all these? Were there no laws anymore? One misfortune after another, there was no way anyone could withstand all these.

The Left Messenger looked at the old green man with pity in her eyes. She was wallowing in self-pity and yes, it was true, the old green man did mock her, but she did not have the heart to gloat at his misfortune which was definitely worse than hers.

Karma was a b*tch.

"That Deluxe Merit Saint!" The old green man trembled furiously. His face became distorted and his eyes flashed with a vengeance, sending a vapor of murderous rage into the sky.

Although he did not know what happened exactly, he knew without a doubt that it had something to do with the Deluxe Merit Saint. "There's no time to waste. I must go and get ready. I won't rest until he's dead!"

#

Chapter 569

The next day, a well-rested Li Nianfan rose with the sun, feeling incredibly spirited.

"Master, let me help you get dressed," said Daji before gently assisting him.

At the same time, Fire Phoenix entered with a wooden bowl full of water. "Master, here's the water for washing up."

Their beauty and gentleness soothed him into satisfaction. He smiled from the bottom of his heart and said, "What good wives I have."

Li Nianfan walked out of the room once he had smartened up, breathing in the sweet fragrance of the flowers, ready to start the day.

Suddenly, he heard a helpless voice calling him. He turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin with fright.

It was none other than the bald Blackie with his ears turned down, looking at Li Nianfan. He looked like a giant naked-mole rat. He looked skinnier without his luscious fur and his pinkish skin made the whole situation funnier than it should be. Naturally, Blackie would not return to Dog Mountain with his current state. Should he do so, he would lose respect and his heroic image immediately.

Li Nianfan took a deep breath to prevent the laughter that was bubbling up his throat from coming out. Then, he closed his eyes to take a moment to compose himself. His eyes were full of compassion and pity by the time they were opened. "You must've been through so much, Blackie! But look at the bright side, the weather's getting warmer, you'll feel cooler without your fur," said Li Nianfan.

"Master, I must take my revenge!" whimpered Blackie pitifully from the bottom of his heart.

The word 'Ministry' had been deeply branded in his mind. He would never forget the trouble and damage they had caused him. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, so to speak.

He wished for nothing more than a quiet, ordinary life. He was happy with his life. Why did they force him to take the path of revenge?

Li Nianfan patted him on the head as he consoled him, "Forget about taking revenge. You won't be able to defeat them at your current level. You should train harder to increase your Spiritual Cultivation so you won't be caught by them again."

"I don't care! I can overlook the loss of my fur but I'll never rest until I make them all my human slaves!" he cried, not willing to let the matter slide.

"Okay, okay. Just calm down first." Li Nianfan understood that Blackie was probably reacting from the shock of all that had happened. He noticed Blackie had even started to use the words from the stories he told him. He had no idea what Blackie would do next. All he could do now was to enlighten him as much as possible. Suddenly, the sound of a zither playing floated from the front courtyard. The music sounded as majestic as the rolling waves, bringing with it a hint of sharpness, getting more and more listening to it would notice their heart beating faster and feeling more alert. The music was perfect for those mornings when one wanted to dispel sleepiness and feel energized. Li Nianfan listened for a while with his eyes closed. "It sounds like Qin Manyun's playing. She must be in a good mood to play this early in the morning."

The three of them-Li Nianfan, Daji, and Fire Phoenix-walked out of the back courtyard and entered the front courtyard. They saw Qin Manyun playing the zither and surrounding her were the demons they had rescued from the previous night.

At the sight of Li Nianfan and Daji, all the demons shuddered slightly before breaking out in a friendly smile and an expression of deep respect.

They had heard all about Li Nianfan, especially the story about how he had treated all the demons who came before them with alcohol that had been infused with Chaos Spiritual Root. They were green with jealousy and hated themselves for not subjugating to the expert earlier.

Oh, the pain of losing out!

Li Nianfan's power was beyond their imagination, especially after they saw how easily he eliminated two high-level members from the Heavenly Realm. It was to their credit they did not immediately kneel in awe.

They greeted them without further hesitation. "Greetings to Lord Saint, Goddess Daji, and Goddess Fire Phoenix."

"We're deeply grateful to Goddess Daji for destroying one of the Ministry's strongholds and willingly join the Demon City to serve Little Fox as our Demon King!" said Bull Demon King

"Yes, leave it to us to complete any mission given to us in the future. We'll do anything to make sure she won't be disappointed," added Hippo Demon King. "We'll be under your guidance from now on."

The scene was quite lively with each of the demons pledging their undying loyalty.

Li Nianfan looked at Daji. He never expected she could make all the demon's surrender themselves within the span of one night. It seemed like she was more awesome than he thought.

But then he suddenly remembered something that caught his attention and could not help but ask, "You went to destroy the Ministry's stronghold?"

Both Daji and Fire Phoenix nodded and softly said, "Yes."

Li Nianfan knitted his brow together and said, "That was a very dangerous thing to do. You should think carefully before doing anything like this to avoid any unwanted circumstances."

He had heard much negative news about the Ministry and how the organization had many powerful members. It was a good thing Daji and Fire Phoenix returned home safely even if their intention to subjugate the demons were well.

Both Daji and Fire Phoenix bit their lips, their eyes betraying the mixed emotions they were feeling. Of course, it was dangerous for them to go into the stronghold but... Li Nianfan was the one who eliminated the biggest danger.

They wanted to help Li Nianfan with his burden but alas, he was the one who protected them from all the raging storms in their lives. Not only did he save Blackie, he also saved them while still having the compassion to worry this much about them.

Suddenly, they found their nose stinging with the threat of snot coming out. They were profoundly touched. "Please, don't worry about us, Master. We'll be more careful from now on."

Li Nianfan looked at Qin Manyun and asked curiously, "By the way, Lady Manyun, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to wake Miss Shi Tuqin up." As she said this, she motioned with her eyes full of pity to a direction in front of her.

Li Nianfan looked toward where she was gazing and noticed the young woman sitting at the very front of the group of demons. Her eyes were out of focus and she was curled into a ball with her two arms wrapped around her legs. Tear stains blanketed her entire face and she gave off an aura of helplessness.

The most striking thing about her was the paws of white tigers in place of where human limbs should be. Also, sprouting from her back was a folded pair of angel wings. There was no running away from the fact that she looked like a demon, thus, making it difficult to notice her in a sea of demons. It did not help that she was silent throughout the whole conversation.

However, going by Qin Manyun's introduction of a name, there was a possibility she was not a demon at all. Li Nianfan could tell with one glance this young woman was not at the best of state-saying she was like a broken puppet right now would be an understatement. She had totally closed herself off from everything. "Who is she?" asked Li Nianfan.

"She was the follower of the Legendary Beast Sect but was captured by the Ministry. She was freed by Goddess Daji last night but she hasn't been emotionally stable since then," answered Qin Manyun with a sigh.

"How did this happen?" asked Li Nianfan with a frown.

"The Legendary Beast Sect's mastery is to create a connection between monks and demons. From birth, they would look for a compatible demon. It could be said the monk and demon would become intimate partners with their destinies intertwined." Qin Manyun paused for a while before continuing, "According to what the other demons said, she was forced to consume or be consumed by the demon she was bonded to in this life. In the end, her bonded demon sacrificed himself and was completely consumed by her. Her bonded demon was a white tiger with wings, and although she was physically unharmed, she would forever be half-human and half-demon."

The demons all around them started to vent their anger.

"Those Ministry pigs! I'll make them pay for treating every creature as a guinea pig for their experiments!" "A human or demon would suffer a fate worse than death once captured by them."

"My little brother died by their hands." It was natural for them to hate the Ministry to the core. Even those from the Empath Sect held deep hatred against them and would like to avoid them at all cost.

"I'm familiar with her situation as I was there to witness it," said a Cat Woman. She thought back to the scene from the very beginning and her pupil shrank slightly, displaying the deep terror she felt. Even till now, her fur would shoot straight up at the memory. She was behind Shi Tuqin in line, meaning she would be next after Shi Tuqin had completed her tasks. If it was not for the fact that they were all freed in time, she would have ended with the same fate.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "The Ministry would drug the humans and demons with a concoction that seemed to affect their minds. After that, they would cast a special spell on them which would cause them to go berserk and start to consume each other.

"Both Shi Tuqin and her bonded demon were indeed in a state of berserk, but at the crux of the moment, her bonded demon started to regain consciousness and gave himself up for Shi Tuqin to consume him. Till now, we still don't know how he managed to do that."

At the end of the story, all the onlookers glanced at Shi Tuqin with pity in their eyes while letting out a soft sigh.

There was no doubt as to the strong bond between the monks from the Legendary Beast Sect and their chosen demons. The fact that her demon was able to make a decision like that in the end just proved how strong the emotional bond was between them.

How could anyone not shed a tear at a story like this?

After waking up from the experiment, Shi Tuqin realized what she had done for her body to transform into what it was right now.

"The Legendary Beast Sect can create a connection between human and demon. That's why those from the Ministry like to capture followers of the Legendary Beast Sect for their experiments," said Cultivator Mosquito.

It really seemed like the Ministry had lost their moral compass by forcing two creatures who had the strongest bond to consume each other. Although Li Nianfan was familiar with the Ministry's notoriety, he still could not help but shudder at their cruelty. 𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"What's their end game?" asked Li Nianfan.

"Master, I've come across some intel after destroying the stronghold yesterday," answered Daji.

"Do tell."

"The Ministry wants to create something that will be able to consume anything and everything in the world and use it for themselves." Here, she paused before continuing, "And by consuming, I don't just mean swallowing. It's more akin to the concept of taking the other party's magical powers, wisdom, and Innate Supernatural Power and fusing it with one's own." Everyone blanched at what she had just said. This spell would be the end of them all.

At the thought of consumption, Li Nianfan's first thought was Nanan. But Nanan only consumed the aura of other creatures and turned it into energy of her own. Although technically both of them were consumption of a kind, Nanan's method ensured the other creatures' ID was kept intact. As for what the Ministry was trying to achieve, it was technically as Daji said-more like a fusion. Who knew what abomination they would create in the end?

"You've mentioned they're still at the experimentation phase. Does this mean they're still trying to refine the spell?" asked Li Nianfan.

"Yes, that's correct," said Daji while nodding. Then, her voice became more serious. "Every creature's different, with different Innate Supernatural Powers. No one's perfect, and every creature has its own flaw. With the Three Thousand Wisdom, each has their own enlightenment."

The Ministry's original intention for wanting to create the spell was to consume all the Chaos creatures to fix their flaws, gain enough Innate Supernatural Power, and fuse all the different pearls of wisdom together. That way, they would be able to reach the peak of the peak, surpassing all limitations, and control the Chaos!

The plan was highly ambitious to the point of madness.

Daji kept sneaking looks at Li Nianfan while telling him all these. Her eyes were full of worry. The Ministry's overarching ambition was just another proof of how powerful their leader was.

What she had just told Li Nianfan was just the tip of the iceberg. She also found out that the leader of the Ministry was above the Heavenly Realm and stood at the pinnacle of the Wisdom Realm! He was prepared to use whatever method at his disposal to be the dictator of the Wisdom Realm.

The Ministry leader as the dictator of the Wisdom Realm! The thought alone made her quake in fear. Those from the Heavenly Realm were not able to bear even one shred of the power from the Wisdom Realm. Did being a dictator of the Wisdom Realm mean they would be able to control all the wisdom in the universe?𝘭𝑖𝒷𝓇𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝑐𝘰𝘮

It would be the end of the world as they know it. She guessed that was what invincibility would be like.

Flying Whale was in full-on anxious mode. "If what you said were to really happen, it'll mean the complete decimation of every creature in the Chaos!"

Once the experiment was successful, the spell would not be confined to the lab, but each and every creature in the Chaos. All of them would end up as their target.

Even an ignorant person would understand why this kind of spell should not be allowed to exist.

"Kill me!" said the dispirited Shi Tuqin suddenly. She did not raise her head and her eyes brimmed with tears. "Kill me!" she said again in a self-destructing manner.

"Death won't solve the problem, Miss Shi," said Qin Manyun.

"Have you all forgotten? I'm half human and half demon now. I won't be able to control myself from consuming everything in my path for much longer after being subjected to the Ministry's spell. Kill me now!"

#

Chapter 570

Shi Tuqin curled up even more, as if what she had just requested them to do was a trifling matter. Her eyes signaled that she no longer had anything to live for in this life and she shook the unending sorrow in her heart.

Everyone looked at her with compassion in their eyes without saying anything, only letting out a deep and long sigh.

Qin Manyun's lips were pressed together. She did not know what to say. What Shi Tuqin said was true-once one had become a hybrid from the Ministry's experiment, one would slowly become a wild beast with no more human consciousness, a wild beast that would consume everything in its path. There was no way to reverse the experiment, but this did not mean Qin Manyun could find the heart to accept her death.

That happened to be the spell's biggest disadvantage which the Ministry was trying to circumvent.

Currently, only the sound of Shi Tuqin's sobbing could be heard.

Suddenly, a voice calmly asked, "Would you be satisfied if you were to die now?"

The question caused Shi Tuqin to shake violently and raise her eyes to look at Li Nianfan. Her tear-streaked face was as beautiful as a flower covered with raindrops. She was like the little flower struggling against a thunderstorm-hopeless and at its last breath, about to fall and whither at any time.

She did not know who Li Nianfan was and was not interested in all the stories, but she had heard the rumors about his extraordinary powers and the respect he commanded. She averted her gaze and kept silent, not daring to keep eye contact with him.

Satisfied or not, it was not for her to choose. She had no other path to take.

"Your bonded demon sacrificed himself to save you. Don't you think you owe it to him to keep on living?" asked Li Nianfan.

Shi Tuqin started sobbing again at the mention of her bonded demon. "I should be the one in his place, not him!"

Li Nianfan's heart softened at the sight of her sobbing, but it was because of true compassion he continued to counsel her. She was already miserable enough, he could not just watch her die.

"All of us, at one point in our lives, would feel like death is the only way out, but all this shall pass. You need to forget the past because it doesn't matter anymore. You always have the power to choose, which is what you should be doing now," said Li Nianfan.

"I... I have the power to choose?" asked Shi Tuqin hopelessly. "Of course," replied Li Nianfan with a smile. "Just like your bonded demon. He chose to regain his consciousness to save you in the end. You can do the same! If you give up now, it would be the same as letting his sacrifice go to waste. The reason he sacrificed himself was that he wanted you to live out his share of his life, too!"

Li Nianfan's words were like thunder striking heavily on Shi Tuqin's mind. Her pupils shrank to a line and goosebumps peppered her entire body.

'He's right! If my bonded demon was able to resist the spell, then I should, too! If I give up now, it'll mean my bonded demon has lost, too! No, he's the winner! I can't let his sacrifice go to waste!' she thought.

Then her eyes started to regain their shine. "Don't worry, Little White. I'll make sure I live enough for the both of us!" she said determinedly.

Li Nianfan's face broke into a smile at the sight of her recovery. In the past, he must have been a motivational speaker. Although words were not tangible things, they were able to point someone to salvation if used in the right way. There had been many situations where the gift of gab had gotten him out of tricky situations.

The rest of the group saw how Li Nianfan raised Shi Tuqin's spirit anew with a few words and was shocked. However, the shock did not last long before they thought it was natural for the expert-as only people at his level would be able to get straight to the heart of the matter and solve it. They had no doubt he would be able to make the deaf hear again.

The previous ominous atmosphere lightened considerably, but it was not long before the muffled cries of Shi Tuqin transformed the atmosphere again. A blood-red spell started to overflow from her body, making her seem cold and ruthless-as if she would go berserk at the drop of the pin.

The aura caused the group to be concerned and disgusted. The demons who were closer to her all took a step back. Their expressions all belied the caution and panic they were feeling.

The crowd started to whisper amongst themselves.

"Oh, no! Oh, no! The Ministry's spell has been activated!"

"There's no turning back to the way it was before once you've become an experimental subject of the Ministry. The only instinct she'll have is consuming and fusing. How would she be able to control it? It's a fate worse than death."

"Yes, a fate worse than death! I would've lost my mind way sooner if it was me."

"Maybe the kindest thing we could do for her is to kill her."

They were feeling unsafe, pitiful, and terrified. They activated their mana, ready to activate their defense anytime. After all, Shi Tuqin had become a ticking time bomb-she could pounce on them any time and consume them.

Shi Tuqin's whole body started trembling. Her eyes become bloodshot. "No, I cannot bow down to defeat. Just you watch, Little White, I too can keep my consciousness," she muttered to herself.

She raised her hand to her mouth and bit on it without hesitation. Two trails of blood trickled down and dripped to the ground. It was truly a frightening sight.

Qin Manyun started to play her zither again. The music was like a babbling brook, surrounding Shi Tuqin, grounding her. Li Nianfan raised his eyebrow and looked at the struggling Shi Tuqin with his lips pressed into a thin line. He felt burning shame on his face.

"This is like a slap to my face. I was so sure my counseling was able to counter the effect until she exploded with the backlash. Is this the Ministry's way of provoking me?' he thought.

Chomp!

Shi Tuqin bit off the flesh on her hand. She did not spit it out but kept on chewing on it. There were still a few strands of tiger hair near her lips. The white tiger fur on her hand was dyed blood red. It was a truly terrible sight.

'Is she eating her own flesh or the tiger's flesh?' thought Li Nianfan with curiosity. He quickly shook the inappropriate thought away.

By then, Shi Tuqin was already slowly getting up. Her eyes overflowed with the struggle she was going through. The manic aura caused her hair to dance wildly and her muscles to bulge. This was a stance of getting ready to attack. Qin Manyun's playing became more and more rushed, sweat dripping from her forehead. It was futile.

Li Nianfan wanted to roast her. If she had played correctly, it would only be natural that Shi Tuqin would be soothed by the music. However, it was obvious Qin Manyun was not skilled in this area and the zither was of subpar quality. In the end, the music sounded very messy.

Maybe the music was only a means to an end. Qin Manyun could be using magic to suppress Shi Tuqin.

ess

Daji, who was standing by Li Nianfan, raised her brows expressionlessly. A surge of frost instantly rose from where Shi Tuqin was standing and spiraled up until her leg was completely covered in frost. Daji only had eyes for Li Nianfan-anyone who posed a threat to Li Nianfan would be eliminated.

The fact that she only limited Shi Tuqin's movement at the sign of her going berserk was already an act of mercy. If Shi Tuqin showed any signs of attacking Li Nianfan, she would undoubtedly be turned into an ice sculpture. "Please, kill me while I'm still conscious and let me die a respectful death." Shi Tuqin's face contorted with pain and she roared like a wild beast. "I'm sorry. I don't want to turn into a monster. I wish to die..." "Master." Daji looked at Li Nianfan, awaiting his orders.

All of this would be over with a nod of his head.

Li Nianfan let out a soft sigh. "Why don't you try fighting it since you're still conscious? Anything's possible as long as you have hope!" he said with melancholy. To him, Shi Tuqin was acting like a drug addict going through withdrawal symptoms. She had a high chance of beating this as long as she could keep her consciousness. The most important thing for her was faith. He believed he could help her in that department. He would need to use some psychological tricks.

Shi Tuqin was at her limit. She raised her hand and bit off a chunk of flesh again. "I can't control myself anymore. I don't ever want to experience that sense of evil again!" she said hysterically.

"You shouldn't use death as an escape." Li Nianfan shook his head and said, "Little Daji, please, bring me some calligraphy pen and ink."

Daji was stunned by the request. "Yes, Master."

Both Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji shook with anticipation. Their eyes shone brightly and their hearts were beating wildly. They nearly cried out with excitement.

'Is the expert finally going to do something out of mercy?' they wondered. Once again, they would be able to see the expert's display of power. It would surely be a grand sight. They had no doubt the young lady would be saved!

The rest of the onlookers felt the same way. They had only heard about the expert's true power and through speculation. They never expected to see his powers so soon.

The Flying Whale was especially eager with anticipation, his eyes wide as saucers. He had heard from the people from the Heavenly Palace that the reason he was captured was that the expert had drawn a 'quickly come to the bowl' picture to draw him in. Finally, he had the chance to witness the same treasure that was used to capture him. Daji quickly prepared the calligraphy brush and ink and laid them out in front of Li Nianfan. Then, she proceeded to grind the ink.

Li Nianfan held the brush and looked at the blank paper in front of him. He was not in a hurry to put brush to paper.

At that moment, a weird aura started to flow out of his body. The aura was as calm as the big blue sea. Infinite and still, as if it was a harbor where one could lay down all their worries.

The aura affected everyone on the scene and their anxiety was replaced by calmness. They patiently waited for Li Nianfan to start 𝒍𝓲𝓫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝙘𝙤𝒎

Shi Tuqin, who was on the brink of madness, regained her consciousness. She looked toward Li Nianfan in a daze and felt the irresistible pull of laws, as if even the sky and earth would need to quiet themselves down to avoid foiling Li Nianfan's drawing.

One needed to suppress all the negative feelings in their heart.

"What is good, what is evil?" asked Li Nianfan slowly. Although his voice was not loud, it rang in their ears, shocking them to the core of their souls.

If this had been any other time, they would scoff at the question. In these unusual circumstances, they started to consider the question and kept asking themselves, as if...it was an Interrogation of Insights!

"Little Daji, do you think there's a person who possesses absolute kindness in the world?" asked Li Nianfan.

"I don't think so. It's only natural for one to think about oneself and succumb to one's desires," she replied after much consideration.

"That's right. It's not hard to differentiate between what's good and what's evil, and each of us possesses both. The hard thing to do is to choose which side to take. This is what it means to be human!" He nodded before continuing. "There's a fine line between good and evil. Miss Shi Tuqin, you always have the power to choose. Ask yourself, would you take the path of goodness or the path of evil?"

Li Nianfan proceeded to draw a line in the middle of the blank paper, splitting it in half. The crowd felt their world and soul splitting in half when he did that.

One half being light and one half being dark.

He continued to draw on the paper, writing the words 'good' on the left side and 'evil' on the right side. The crowd's mind momentarily became blank when they saw the paper. They felt a black and white current intertwining until it became a Yin Yang symbol, with the black and white switching places and jumping all over the paper.

Mantras of Wisdom flowed out of the paper and everyone became like a child trapped by this power. Their lives flashed before their eyes—all the choices they had made, all their thoughts that had surfaced. All of them-good or evil-came up. They started to question their own conscience. Had they faithfully followed the path of their own choosing? No one! No one would be able to hold the title for absolute kindness for everyone possessed evil inside of them, too. The most important thing was which side one chose, over and over again.

Shi Tuqin had entered a state of shock. She felt trapped in infinite darkness, no lights could be seen, as if she was about to suffocate and be consumed by it.

Just as she was at the depth of despair and was about to give up all hope, a circle of light appeared near her-it was a phantom of a white tiger with his wings fully spread out.

"Little White!" Shi Tuqin started chasing the white tiger. "Wait for me, Little White!"

She had no idea how long she had been running. She could not catch her breath but she saw a tunnel of light in front of her, getting brighter and brighter, almost blinding her.

She vaguely saw her young self. She was still a little girl at that time and it was her first time meeting Little White.

She held up the little white tiger in excitement and said loudly, "Little White, you're my partner in crime from now on. Let's eliminate evil together!"

Somewhere in front of her, the phantom of the white tiger stopped and turned around to look at the distracted Shi Tuqin.

"Master, I believe you'll be able to keep your ID and be faithful to your true I did in the beginning, choosing to protect you by overcoming all evils."

With that, he flapped his wings, transformed into a bright light, and fused with Shi Tuqin's body.

#

Chapter 571

The assimilation of the white tiger into Shi Tuqin's body made her feel infinite hope for her future. The darkness around her was dispelled and she found herself in a pure white world.

"That's right! I have to eliminate all evil. That's where my Dao Heart lies, how could I have let evil take over me?" muttered Shi Tuqin. Her eyes shone continuously. "I'll never find any excuse for not being able to control myself. I'll win over all evil. Don't even think of turning me into a monster!"

The blood-red mist around her slowly dissipated and so did the redness in her eyes. She stopped trembling and became a picture of serenity. She raised her two hands in the form of white tiger paws and rubbed her face with them. "Thank you, Little White."

The rest of the demons kept staring at the two words. Even though it was only a paper with two words split down in the middle with a black line, in their minds' eyes, they saw a whole world—a world of unimaginable vastness. The world was made up of both good and evil, but who were they to talk about this? They had been traveling between light and darkness for so long. However, after this incident, their moods were uplifted!

What they had experienced was obviously Wisdom Heart Refining! One's mood was an ever-changing phenomenon, no one could ever describe their mood clearly. Sometimes, moods were even ignored but everyone understood the importance of being in a good mood. It could even be said that controlling one's mood was one of the basic foundations of training

One could only reach great heights of Wisdom with good mood and determination. If not, one could easily get lost in the infinite Wisdom and become possessed with evil, losing both body and soul. Similarly, in the face of illusions, the strength or weakness of a mood would be the deciding factor of how things would end.

It was general knowledge that one would need to train their emotions before training their physical body. However, that was easier said than done. It was easy to extol the benefits of sticking with the practice but how many could really last through the years? Li Nianfan's paper caused the crowd to be immersed in their mood as they engaged in self-reflection, causing them to level up and giving them the foundation for further training.

The experience was too rare of an occurrence, one could only hope one would be fortunate enough to come across this kind of transformation in one's lifetime.

Yet, this transformation happened in such a calm way that they found it hard to believe whether it really happened. No one would ever believe their stories if they were to tell them.

This had got to be the benefits of being near the expert. With wine to drink, fruit to eat, and words that were written-all these could act as an opportunity for transformation.

If it was possible, they would want to be the clothes on the expert's back, leading a normal life.

Li Nianfan saw that Shi Tuqin was slowly returning to normal and a smile broke out of his face.

It worked! All the things he said and all the words he wrote were psychological tactics.

First, he instilled the idea of good and beyond, then he asked her what kind of person she wanted to be. Lastly, he wrote out the words 'good' and 'evil'—anyone in their right mind would selectively stare at the word 'good' and under these circumstances, the person would enter a state of self-hypnosis with only the word 'good' in their mind. From there on, they would be able to control themselves.

A simple technique, nonetheless very useful in unleashing a person's hidden potential. Shi Tuqin looked toward Li Nianfan and said with sincerity, "Thank you for your counseling, Saint."

Li Nianfan smiled nonchalantly and waved his hand. "No need to thank me. It was all you, you're the one who managed to keep your rationality."

Daji nodded at Shi Tuqin and unfroze her legs.

Shi Tuqin looked at Li Nianfan again, bit her lips, and knelt on the ground. "Lord Saint, I humbly request to learn calligraphy from you. I don't mind being your study servant as long as I can stay by your side."

The crowd was silent. Some of them let out a gasp and looked toward Li Nianfan and Shi Tuqin, alternating their gazes between the two anxiously. They could not help but admire Shi Tuqin for her courage.

Training with an expert? This was the dream of many. It would be an overstatement to say it would be easier for pigs to fly than for her request to be granted. She was being too greedy. Then again, one should create opportunities for oneself instead of waiting for them to happen. Nothing would ever happen if one did not grab life by the collar. Cultivator Mosquito and Flying Whale's eyes were wide with shock. They dared not breathe.

Learn calligraphy? A study servant? Truth to be told, they were happy to do anything-even collecting rubbish in the house-if it meant they were able to stay by the expert's side.

Although what the expert had shown them was only the tip of an iceberg, those two words contained all the Wisdom in the world and struck a chord with them. Not even a high-level member from the Heavenly Realm could resist the allure, what more a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal.

If they were to study calligraphy with the expert, then it was as good as being 'the chosen one'. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts while waiting for Li Nianfan's reply.

Shi Tuqin kept her eyes down. There was still a single teardrop on her long lashes. She looked as fragile as a flower who had survived through a thunderstorm-weak and helpless. "You want to learn calligraphy from me? What about your training?" asked Li Nianfan quizzically.

Shi Tuqin nodded her head and answered him anxiously, "Yes, I want to learn calligraphy from you and forgo my training. Please, accept my request, Lord Saint."

Li Nianfan muttered something under his breath and his eyes flashed with sudden lightness.

Shi Tuqin used to train under the Legendary Beast Sect, but now she had lost her bonded demon through his own sacrifice to protect her. It was not easy to walk out unscathed from that trauma but needless to say, she would never go back to her old training.

Besides, although she looked like she had recovered from the shock, there was the certainty of future emotional backlash. Practicing calligraphy could strengthen both mind and body. Not only that, it was due to Li Nianfan's calligraphy that she managed to suppress the evil in her heart. Putting all these factors together gave her the reason for wanting to learn calligraphy.

Li Nianfan did not mind having her as a study servant but he was afraid she would not be able to control herself and would hurt someone if she were to go berserk again. He was not sure he would be able to carry that burden.

Suddenly, they all fell silent again.

Shi Tuqin took a deep breath, not planning to back down. She looked at Li Nianfan with her big sad puppy dog eyes.

Only a few seconds ago, she was begging for her own death. Compared to that, this was nothing. She clearly knew the only reason she was able to suppress the evil in her heart was because of Li Nianfan, and that she would sooner or later turn into a monster if she did not stay by his side.

She was doing this for herself, for Little White, and for revenge. She did not care how long she would need to keep kneeling as long as he accepted her in the end.

Li Nianfan looked deeply into Shi Tuqin's eyes, as if he could feel all the emotions coursing through her. Finally, he let out a long sigh and said, "If that's the case, you can stay and learn calligraphy from me."

Shi Tuqin was overjoyed. Tears of happiness flowed down her face. "Thank you, Lord Saint. Thank you!"

Li Nianfan was a little speechless at how easily the young girl in front of him could shed tears.

As for the rest of the crowd, they could not believe their own ears. Jealousy burned on their faces when they directed their gazes toward Shi Tuqin.

"Just like that?'

'Isn't the expert being too hasty?'

'Did this girl save the world in her past lives?'

Qin Manyun bit her lip. So envious was she, tears nearly sprang from her eyes. She wished she had taken the opportunity to kneel in front of Li Nianfan, too, and asked to stay by his side. As her emotions were going through a roller coaster ride, she heard her name being called.

"Miss Manyun," said LI Nianfan.

"Yes...yes?" She shook with fright and quickly looked at Li Nianfan. "Did you call me Mr. Li?" she asked with puzzlement.

Li Nianfan organized his thoughts and said, "I was wondering if you'll be so kind as to stay by Miss Shi Tuqin's side and play her the song I've prepared for her? Miss Shi Tuqin hasn't fully recovered and I have a song here that can stabilize one's heart."

He was doing this as insurance. He knew calligraphy alone would not be enough to suppress the evil in Shi Tuqin's heart, so he wanted Qin Manyun's music to act as backup. After all, it was better to over-prepare than under-prepare. The combination would ensure everyone's safety.

Li Nianfan's request was like music to Qin Manyun's ears. Her brain started to buzz and her blood rushed up to her face. She felt like she was on cloud nine.

She finally knew what it was like to win the lottery without having to buy the winning ticket for it was delivered to her hand by fate.

Shi Tuqin would stay by the expert's side, and she would be by her side. This was akin to her staying by the expert's side. Besides that, the expert would be providing her with the sheet music, it would not be too much if she were to ask him for guidance from time to time.

She had been dreaming of this kind of opportunity ever since her first meeting with the expert. Life was definitely good for her. She had no doubt she would be smiling in her sleep tonight.

"If you're not free, then..." said Li Nianfan when she did not give him an answer. He was slightly annoyed at the thought he would have to play the music himself.

"I'm free, Mr. Li. I'm free! I'd be more than happy to do that," said Qin Manyun, snapping out of her reverie. She wished she had answered him sooner.

Li Nianfan smiled and nodded. "That's great!"

Soon, the crowd dispersed.

Li Nianfan glanced at the calligraphy brush he was holding, passed it to Shi Tuqin, and said, "Now is as good a time as ever to start learning calligraphy. Why don't you draw a line first?"

Shi Tuqin nodded shyly and accepted the calligraphy brush.

However, her expression changed once she grabbed hold of the calligraphy brush. She had to activate her mana to keep the calligraphy brush from dropping.

It was heavy! Very heavy! Her face became red with over-exertion. 𝑙𝑖𝑏𝓇𝘦𝑎𝒹.𝑐𝑜𝓂

She only then realized the calligraphy brush, which was emitting a faint glow but otherwise looked very ordinary, was an Ultimate Chaos Treasure! It felt as heavy as a mountain and she could sense the calligraphy brush was resisting her, as if to say she was unworthy to use it.

She had no doubt she would have lost her hand if it was not for the expert, for this concerned the pride of an Ultimate Chaos Treasure. A beginner who had no working knowledge of calligraphy did not deserve to even touch a hair on the calligraphy brush.

Was this a test from the expert?

She took a deep breath and directed it toward her chest. She then concentrated all the mana into her right hand and started itching slowly toward the blank paper, trembling all the while. Then, with great difficulty, little by little she managed to draw a line on the paper. Li Nianfan had been observing her every action ever since she received the calligraphy brush from him. He pressed his lips together and stayed silent.

He intended to praise her, no matter the outcome. After all, this was her first time. As long as she did not do too badly, she was deserving of praise. However, he could not find anything praiseworthy at all! He did not think it would be appropriate if he were to criticize her straight away.

He was truly speechless.

There was something off about her line. There was only one way to describe her-a total noob!

Taking the example of the horizontal line she had just drawn, the difference between the thick and thin parts was too stark. The thin part was barely visible while the thick part was more like a blob of ink-at the end of the line was a circle as big as the sun, capturing all the attention and nearly tearing a hole in the paper.

If he did not see it with his own eyes, he would never believe someone could be this bad at calligraphy,

"Miss Shi, have you ever learned calligraphy before?" asked Li Nianfan.

"A little..." replied Shi Tuqin weakly, her face as red as a tomato.

'As if! Very brave of you to say that. She's not humble at all. She probably learned calligraphy from the P.E. teacher,' thought Li Nianfan.

"Let me teach you the correct way of holding the calligraphy brush first," said Li Nianfan resignedly.

"First, you rest your index finger here. Don't be nervous, just relax. Your grip can't be too tight or too loose..."

Time passed quickly.

Li Nianfan was in the courtyard, enjoying his pampering treatment from Daji and Fire Phoenix. From time to time, he would provide guidance to Shi Tuqin while listening to Qin Manyun playing on the zither. Life was definitely good.

The blue sky turned black and somewhere in the Chaos, a silver spiritual boat pulsating with infinite glow was sailing across the sky.

On the deck stood a handsome man wearing black silk robes. His thick eyebrows and his clear bright eyes imbued him with a heroic demeanor. Even his breath sounded like a mantra, coming in and out. He was truly an extraordinary man.

He stood in the Chaos, as if the entire starry sky had to make way for him. Suddenly, an old man sporting white hair, white beard, wearing white robes, came out of the spiritual boat and passed a golden brocade box to the handsome man.

"Sire, the Nine Levels Chaos Golden Core is completed," said the old man.

The handsome man accepted the box and opened was a round medicine pill. The pill looked as if it was surrounded by a golden halo. The handsome man smiled with satisfaction.

"The color looks great, Elder. Your medicinal skill is beyond exceptional. You didn't make me regret taking you in after all," said the handsome man.

The old man smiled bitterly and said, "I'm unworthy of your praise, sire."

The handsome man distractedly turned his gaze away. "How long until we reach the Area of the Gods?"

Immediately, a servant came by and laid out a star map in front of him. The star map suddenly reflected the starfield in that area.

"Emperor, here's the Area of the Gods. It'll still take us some time."

The handsome man's eyes darkened. "Increase the speed! I can't wait to check it out. I want to see for myself whether the Area of the Gods is as grand as they say."

All of a sudden, the old man who was standing behind him trembled violently. His pupils shrank, showing the extreme surprise and confusion he was feeling.

#

Chapter 572

Early next morning, the graceful music of the zither flowed out of Demon City, causing the clouds to swirl and gathering infinite Spiritual Qi which rained down soon after.

All the demons in the city cautiously gathered around the palace as if they were summoned by the music, each waiting patiently in their spot, listening to the music with their eyes closed.

A surge of overbearing energy surged up from their bodies, and with the rhythm of their breathing, it created a whirlpool of Spiritual Qi being absorbed from the sky.

If they were not aware of the expert's taboo, if Daji and Fire Phoenix did not warn them beforehand, they surely would not have been able to control their hot-bloodedness and descend into a frenzy. This should be avoided at all costs to maintain peace under the sky.

This was a sudden breakthrough. Under the sound of the zither, every demon in the city became unbelievably active, as if with every playing of the note, their demon spirit would increase. What was previously an unbreakable bottleneck had now been smashed into pieces as easily as crumpling a piece of paper.

Upon waking up, they were greeted with this surprise, causing them to jump with joy. The music was slowly fading and disappointment flashed in the demons' eyes. They looked at the palace with deep respect.

The expert was probably guiding the new study servant and music servant. Even a simple play could be an opportunity for all of them to reach enlightenment. How blessed were they to be able to stay by the expert's side? Qin Manyun and Shi Tuqin should be dancing with joy.

But they dared not voice their thoughts out loud. Although they wished they were in their position, they dared not succumb to jealousy for the two had become followers of the expert. Hence, the rest of them had no right to be jealous. Their energy would be better spent thinking about how they could be closer to the expert.

In the palace, Li Nianfan stopped his playing and laid his hands on the zither. He looked at Qin Manyun and said, "I'll only demonstrate this once. The name of the song is 'Guangling San'. Listening to it can calm one's heart. It's very easy to play."

'How is this easy?' wondered Qin Manyun. She tightly pressed her lips together and her eyes trembled a little. "Don't worry, Mr. Li! I'll work hard for sure!" she said with determination.

She wondered when she could reach the same level as the expert. If that were to happen one day... It gave her goosebumps just thinking about it.

Li Nianfan's smile showed that he had confidence in Qin Manyun for she already knew the basic foundation. Plus, she truly loved playing music, so naturally, she would be able to progress quickly. He looked forward to the day when she could entertain him with her music.

As for Shi Tuqin...

Li Nianfan looked in the direction of where she was. It was probably something to do with her having paws for hands which made it unsuitable for holding on to a calligraphy brush. It made her writing unbelievably ugly.

Sometimes, a whole piece of paper could be wasted practicing a simple stroke. Li Nianfan felt his nerve was taking a beating and regretted taking her in.

Meanwhile, outside of Demon City, two old men landed with their Merit Clouds near the city wall. There were two demons who had not completed their transformation by their side. One looked like a red bear with golden scales around his neck and the other looked like a wolf with a single horn on his head that was crackling with electricity.

The Unicorn Wolf sniffed the ground and air. His eyes suddenly flashed. "The young princess isn't far from here. She should be inside the Demon City!"

The two old men's eyes flashed at the same time. Then, one of them asked curiously, "Isn't Qin captured by the Ministry? Why would she be here?"

"No matter what, we need to make sure she's safe and scout out the situation before doing anything!" said the other gravely.

They both took a deep breath at the same time and increased the speed of their Merit Clouds toward the Demon City.

The closer they got to the center, the more puzzled they were. They reminded themselves to take more caution as they could feel many demons' spirits gathered there. It was not only the number that made them cautious but the level of their power, with some of them powerful enough to make them feel threatened.

The most shocking thing to them was the residue of Insights swirling around in the sky. It was truly magnificent, to the extent they began to doubt whether they were mistaken.

"Brother Zhou, something is going on in Demon City. How could it change so much in such a short time?"

"Yes, I instructed my follower to do some scouting here before. How did it develop to such a grand scale? I'm afraid the Demon King isn't something we should take lightly."

The Legendary Beast Sect naturally has a close bond, a special relationship, with the demons. Meaning to say, they did not see each party as their enemies. On the contrary, they were willing to cohabit peacefully alongside each other. This had the added benefit of making it easier for the sect to find a suitable demon for their disciples. Hence, it was normal for them to send somebody over to scout around Demon City.

But it seemed like Demon City had just gone through some huge changes. They radiated their intention of coming in peace when they neared the main gate. The two Wild Boar Demons noticed them and greeted them with a group of low-level demons.

"Please, state your official business for coming here," he said seriously.

At this moment, all the demons in the city refrained from causing trouble and swore they would protect the stability of the city. They had even taken the initiative to patrol around the city to ensure nothing would disturb the expert. It was an unspoken agreement and done without the order of the Demon King.

Elder Zhou put his hand together in greeting. "Brothers, we're both elders from the Legendary Beast Sect. We're here to look for someone."

The Wild Boar Demon had an inkling of who they were looking for. "And does this person have a name?" he asked gruffly. 𝓁𝑖𝒷𝑟𝘦𝒶𝑑.𝒸𝘰𝘮

"Yes, Shi Tuqin, my follower!" Elder Zhou did not dare to cause any offense. "She was unfortunately captured by the Ministry. We don't know where she is now but we've followed her scent here," he explained politely.

"Oh, it's her." The Wild Boar Demon smiled knowingly. "Yes, she's here in Demon City. She was rescued by our Lord Demon King."

"That's great!" The two old men were jumping with joy, their wrinkly faces creasing even more. "We owe our gratitude to your Lord Demon King. Could you please send word of our arrival so we can thank them face-to-face?"

Shi Tuqin was not only a princess of the Legendary Beast Sect, she was also their most talented practitioner in many decades. Even her bonded demon—the Sky Wing White Tiger—was rare. She was cemented as the future master of the Legendary Beast Sect, her future was as bright as it could get.

The Ministry was notorious for their evil deeds, so when Shi Tuqin was captured, it dealt a huge blow to the Legendary Beast Sect. Now that they knew for sure she was safe and sound, they felt relief wash over them.

"You want to meet with the expert?" The Wild Boar Demon shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible."

They would never let any Tom, Dick, or Harry meet with the expert.

Without waiting for their reply, the Wild Boar Demon continued saying, "But I can ask Goddess Shi Tuqin to come here."

"Yes, it's fine with us. Please, do," said the two old men quickly.

After some time, the Wild Boar Demon came back with Shi Tuqin. Tears sprang from Shi Tuqin's eyes when she saw the two old men.

"Grandpa Zhou, Grandpa Xu!"

"Qin!" The two old men were too excited to see her until they saw the state she was in. They started crying and found themselves unable to breathe with the pain they were feeling.

"What... You..."

Shi Tuqin looked at her white tiger paws and in a low voice, she said, "Little White's dead..."

They did not need any elaboration for they had already guessed what had happened. Their hearts were drowned in sorrow.

"You poor thing. You must've been through so much. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you," said Elder Zhou in a raspy voice.

Elder Xu was furious, anger coloring his face red and his hair shot up vertically. He had nowhere to vent his anger. "Those Ministry fools! I, Xu Zixiao, will make them pay for this. They better pray we never cross paths! Come back with us, Qin! I'll find a way to cure you."

Elder Zhou nodded. "Yes, Qin. The past is in the past. Come back with us. There's bound to be a way."

Their eyes were filled with pity and sorrow. Their understanding of how deep a bond Shi Tuqin had with Little White made it difficult for them to comfort her.

Shi Tuqin shook her head and gently stroked her paws. "Grandpa Zhou, Grandpa Xu, I'm okay."

"Good, good. As long as you're okay." The two old men breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm not going back with you all. I've already decided to learn calligraphy!"

"Calligraphy?" The two old men were stunned. Elder Xu's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Qin, what's there to learn about calligraphy? Aren't you throwing your talent away? Come back with us and I promise you I'll find the rarest demon to be your new bonded demon!"

"Nonsense!" said the Wild Boar Demon who had been eavesdropping from the very beginning. He could not help the sudden interjection when he heard the old man looking down on the expert's calligraphy. "How dare an old man like you look down on calligraphy? You make me laugh."

Having the opportunity to learn calligraphy from the expert was akin to being crowned as 'the chosen one' in the Chaos. Anyone would have jumped at the chance. The Wild Boar Demon was a fan of Li Nianfan, therefore he would not tolerate anyone looking down on him.

Elder Xu felt offended. "How dare a low-level Wild Boar Demon speak to us this way? How could you compare calligraphy to our Legendary Beast Sect's practice? Even ignorance has its limits!"

The wild boar demon became even cockier. "I bet you don't even know what calligraphy is, old man. You're unworthy to even speak to me." He truly felt that way for he had seen Li Nianfan's calligraphy.

Elder Xu felt as if he was talking to the wall. He beat his chest and shouted, "Fool! What a foolish pig!"

He was about to continue but was stopped by Elder Zhou. "Shut up!"

Elder Zhou looked at Shi Tuqin and asked gently, "Qin, do you really wish to learn calligraphy?"

Shi Tuqin nodded and bowed deeply to the two old men. "Thank you for all that you've done for me, my two beloved grandpas. Please, pass on this message to my father—from now on, calligraphy's the only thing I'll be focusing on. Please, don't send anybody to come for me. Thank you."

"Qin, no need to thank us. We're family after all." Elder Zhou felt his nose go red. The young Qin who used to follow him around was now all grown up. If possible, he wished she did not have to grow up so she could be a carefree child forever. "Don't worry, I'll support whatever decision you make. Study hard. I'll inform your father of the situation."

"Okay, I have to go back to my practice now. Goodbye, Grandpa Zhou and Grandpa Xu!"

Shi Tuqin did not want to waste any time, so she quickly rushed back after letting them know she was safe.

Looking at her getting smaller and smaller, Elder Zhou and Elder Xu were filled with sorrow and nostalgia.

"Brother Zhou, what are you doing? How could you agree to her request so easily?" asked Elder Xu.

Elder Zhou glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "You really need to learn how to control your temper. Qin has already gone through so much. It's a wonder she could still function normally. Calligraphy can calm the mind and strengthen the heart. That must be the reason she wants to learn it so badly. We shouldn't force her to come back with us now. We should be thankful she's safe."

Elder Xu let out a sigh. 'Those Ministry fools! I'll make them pay!' he thought to himself.

Elder Zhou turned his gaze to the Wild Boar Demon. His eyes became a little brighter. "By the way, you look like a fine demon. Why don't you join our Legendary Beast Sect?"

"Join your sect?" He roared with laughter. "What makes you think I would want to join your sect? Why don't you quickly go back to where you came from and stop bothering me? I won't ever join your sect unless there's something wrong with my brain."

"Do you seriously think there's nothing wrong with your brain?" retorted a raging Elder Xu. "The Legendary Beast Sect has inherited great power, a power so great that you cannot even comprehend. Not to mention, our mastery's suitable for demons to grow with our monks. Isn't that a hundred times—no—a thousand times better than being a guard in Demon City? It doesn't take much brainpower to know which is the better choice!"

"The phrase 'ignorance is bliss' is obviously made for you." The Wild Boar Demon's eyes were knowing, as if it contained all the knowledge of the universe. "Even being a low-level demon here would reap more benefits than joining your stupid Legendary Beast Sect! What more, I'm the captain of the guards here."

"Our captain's right! We'll never join the Legendary Beast Sect even if you begged us!"

"Only those in the know would understand!"

"I'd rather be a pig in Demon City instead of a king of the Legendary Beast Sect!"

The Wild Boar Demon puffed up with arrogance at the egging of the low-level demon.

Elder Xu was about to go mad with fury. His worldview had been challenged. He pointed a shaky finger at them and said, "Who's the ignorant one here? A bunch of narrow-minded fools. Too bad there's no cure for stupidity!"

"Calm down, Brother Xu!" Elder Zhou pulled him away and used the Secret Voice Transmit Method to remind him. "Why do you even bother talking to some lowly demons? Remember, don't fight crazy with crazy."

Elder Xu took a deep breath to calm himself down. "You're right. We're not on the same level so it's natural we see things differently. Why should I argue with them?"

"Don't come crying to me when you've changed your mind," said Elder Xu to the group before leaving. "You'll forever be a pig guarding the door at your level!"

"What do you know? I'm proud to be a guard! In fact, I'll die happy if I could do this forever!"

#

Chapter 573

Compared to its previous magnificence, the Yunhuang World had now become destitute.

First, there was the dividing of land to be used as indemnity for Blackie. With one-third of the origin gone, the Spiritual Qi became thinner and the Wisdom in the area became incomplete. Even the Saint's fruit position became lesser by two—all evidence of the difficulty the Chaos went through.

Then, a gang of foolish people, who thought that because they had the backing of Father God, came to the Chaos to force a confession of guilt.

To the surprise of everyone, even Father God, not one of them ever came back. They had obviously angered the bigshot and the low-level members all perished in his anger. They originally had the backing of a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm, not to mention the 15 Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal, and eight Saints. Now, there were only six Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and three Saints left.

But they did not entertain any thoughts of hatred, not even wanting to take revenge. This time, the whole world had become silent, all hoping the bigshot would not do anything to them.

Luckily, the situation was not as bad as they feared. The bigshot did not plan to eliminate them all since he had not appeared for such a long time. They finally felt like they had the chance to breathe out a sigh of relief.

In this kind of situation, one should not blame the enemy but instead, praise him for his great mercy.

Currently, the six Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals and three Saints have gathered. They were the symbolism of the highest power in Dunhuang. They were analyzing the world's situation with a critical eye.

"It's a good thing we've managed to stabilize the situation here," said the white-shirt old man.

"It's just... Now that the Wisdom is incomplete, it'll be hard for us to progress if we stay here, unless something extraordinary were to occur," said the black-robed man sitting next to him.

"Brother Tianmu, do you plan to travel to the Chaos?" asked a purple-clothed Goddess with curiosity flashing in her eyes.

The black-robed man was silent for a while. "I plan to go to the Area of the Gods."

"Area of the Gods?"

They were all stunned by what they heard, their eyes flashed with fear.

They were aware of how they overlooked the Area of the Gods when it had not yet transformed from the Prehistoric era. They had no idea how the Prehistoric era was able to transform to the Area of the Gods. At the thought of the death of their Father God, the fear they had for the Prehistoric era heightened. Thus, the Area of the Gods had become a forbidden place to them.

They would not return alive if anyone from the Area of the Gods were to know they came from the Yunhuang World. Perhaps the most valid reason for not going was the existence of the many powerful figures there.

In short, avoid the Area of the Gods at all cost.

"I know what you're all worried about," said Taoist Tianmu with a calm face. "But ever since that incident, no monk from the Prehistoric era ever came by anymore. This just proves they don't even want to bother with us. Besides, the Area of the Gods has a better environment for training. I'm a monk, so it's natural for me to go against fate to reach enlightenment. How could I let a little fear in my heart stop me?"

The rest of the group looked at him with admiration. They were about to say something but were interrupted by a sudden sound.

"Well said! But you need not go to the Area of the Gods for there's a better opportunity!" The voice belonged to an old hunchbacked green man with only one eye, who had suddenly appeared in the air above the group.

The way the old man appeared was very unusual. There were no warning signs, as if Heaven was ignoring his existence. Although he was smiling, they still felt suffocated by the sinister aura flowing out of his body.

They became shocked when they realized the old man's aura was more powerful than their Father God and wondered whether he was a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm.

The white-shirt old man's heart was beating wildly. "To whom am I speaking to?" he asked respectfully.

"I am the Ministry's Right Messenger. Your Father God used to serve under me," replied the old green man.

The Ministry? Served under him? The hearts of the white-shirt old man and the rest of the group sank deeper into the ocean. They had heard about the Ministry before, but they never knew their Father God used to be a member there. It was still too early for them to tell whether a visit from the Ministry was a blessing or curse.

The white-shirt old man took a few gulps and asked, "May we know the reason for your visit?"

The old green man laughed sinisterly and slowly answered, "Don't you want to exact revenge? Let me tell you all something. Three days ago, I managed to inflict some heavy damage on the giant black dog. If it wasn't for some accident, I would've captured him alive!"

The group looked at each other with shock in their eyes. But their expressions changed when they detected the hidden message. They were not stupid after all.

"What would we like to do?" asked the purple-clothed Goddess.

"Something very simple." The old green man laughed before continuing. "Let the Ministry use this place as our experimental site. Naturally, there would be some compensation for you all which will be more than generous as this world is already broken beyond repair. Think of it as giving it a second life."

The group's expression flared with anger and they pressed their lips into a thin line. They knew that once this place became an experimental site, no creature around the vicinity would be spared. Both humans and demons would all become the Ministry's experimental subjects, turning this place into a purgatory.

The creatures worshiped them as their guardian spirits, some of them were even their followers and Orthodoxy. They would have smited the old green man on the spot for even suggesting this if it was not for the fact he was much more powerful than all of them put together.

The white-shirt old man squeezed out a smile. "That's a good joke. There's no reason to take from us since our Father God is also a member of the Ministry."

The old green man's face was expressionless. "Funny you should say that, for it's known that all the possessions of a member belong to the Ministry. Hence, it's natural for us to take control of this place. I bet he wouldn't even dare to question my decision if he was still alive. It's only for his sake that I took the time to let you know beforehand."

"I won't allow it!" shouted Taoist Tianmu coldly and determinedly. "I forbid the Ministry to turn Yunhuang World into an experimental site!"

"Your courage is commendable but I'm afraid this isn't the time for it," said the old man nonchalantly. "I'll give you another chance."

"I'll never allow it, no matter how many chances you give," said Taoist Tianmu with a grave face. "Father God died for the Ministry and now you're repaying his sacrifice with an evil deed! It's no wonder your less-than-stellar reputation has reached the ears of everyone in the Chaos. The Ministry's nothing but a bunch of evil villains! I'd rather die than let you use this place!"

The old green man laughed coldly. He raised his hand and suddenly, heaven and earth moved while the sky remained still. A surge of power flowed out of the old green man's fingertips—power that was enough to overthrow everything in the world—and flew straight at Taoist Tianmu and the rest of the group.

A loud hum sounded and there were air ripples everywhere. Yunhuang World's Heaven tried to stop the old green man but it was no match for him. The surroundings ended up being caged in a barrier.

The group's spiritual cultivation was obviously not enough to overpower the old green man's attack. They were unable to move or to speak. In their eyes, it looked like there was an infinite number of old green men falling from the sky. There was no way they could withstand the attack.

Taoist Tianmi was suppressed without any effort and was caught by the old green man until they were standing face to face.

"Don't die. You'll be a great experimental subject. It'll be a waste for you to die," said the old green man. He raised his hand again and a bulky black medicine pill flew into Taoist Tianmu's mouth. Then, he proceeded to whack him on the back of his head.

An inexplicable power started to swirl inside his body and he started to get cramps everywhere. His face became contorted as if he was under extreme pain. After a while, his eyes became blood-red and a cloud of red mist enveloped him. The old green man threw him down like a dead dog and ordered his servants to put him in a cage.

After that, he turned to look at the rest of the surviving group with a calm smile on his face, as if nothing had happened. "How about you all?" he asked neutrally.

The white-shirt man glanced at the imprisoned Taoist Tianmu who was writhing in pain. His eyes flashed with deep anger but he managed to control himself. "I'm willing to help you in any way I can," he replied with a raspy voice.

"Me, too," said the purple-clothed Goddess, biting her lip.

"What a pity," said the old green man flirtatiously looking at the purple-clothed Goddess. "We at the Ministry love watching the interaction between a berserk Goddess and demon. For your sake, I hope you'll never get caught by me."

The purple-clothed Goddess's body trembled with fear. She lowered her head and with a shaky voice, thanked the old green man for his mercy. This method of deterrence was the epitome of the cruelty that existed in the Immortal Realm. There was no further voice of dissent.

The old green man ordered his servants to capture some people from the Yunhuang World and proceeded to take out a transparent crystal ball from his sleeves. There seemed to be a neon glow flashing in the center of the ball. If one looked closely, there seemed to be a world inside it.

"I'll also need half of the Origins of Yunhuang World." His tone was one of informing, leaving no room for discussion. Then, he squeezed a lever which caused the Yunhuang World's Wisdom to manifest itself. Their world was suddenly thrown into darkness.

It was futile to resist. Speckles of Origins started to gather inside the crystal ball which caused it to glow even brighter.

The white-shirt old man and the rest of the group trembled fearfully at the sight of this. Shame and anger filled their chests and they kept their heads low to keep the old green man from seeing their true feelings.

The old green man did not even bother with them. He immediately left the Yunhuang World with a smile after collecting the Origins. He did, however, leave them some parting words. "If any of you are found to be slacking by the time I'm back, then there'll be no reason for your existence anymore."

He was not worried that the white-shirt old man and the rest of the group would betray him. It would not be difficult to dispose of them even if they dared to do so.

He continued his journey in the Chaos without resting, all the while with only one destination in mind. Although his speed was the thing of legends, it still took him six hours to arrive at this particular galaxy. He slowly descended on a hot red star.

There were already some Ministry people gathered there, including the Left Messenger with her demon mask.

"Did you get it?" she asked when she saw the arrival of the old green man. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝒐𝙢

"Need you ask?" replied the old green man with a smile as he took out the crystal bowl. "Inside this Origins Stone are the Origins I've extracted from five different worlds. The power it contains is more than one complete world! Taotie won't be able to resist this so I'm sure it'll be easy for you to bait it with this."

The Left Messenger was slightly surprised. "You're asking me to bait him?" she asked with her brows knitted together. Taotie was known for its unassailable power, so the risk of capturing him would naturally be high.

"There's no one, apart from me and you, who can withstand his attack. Besides, the rest of the group will be busy laying the imprisonment formation. As for me..." The old green man's expression flashed with a vengeance. "I plan to kill two birds with one stone by taking this chance to eliminate that pesky Deluxe Merit Saint, too!"

A surge of anger bubbled up in him whenever he thought about the Deluxe Merit Saint. Never in his life had he ever felt so aggrieved. He could not wait a moment longer to kill him!

It would take the Left Messenger one day to draw Taotie to this place. He could use that time to lay out the formation to easily kill the Deluxe Merit Saint.

The Left Messenger stayed quiet for a while before nodding her head. Her plans had also been foiled by the Deluxe Merit Saint, so she naturally felt it was best to eliminate him.

Once the plan had been fixed, the Ministry people each went to do their assigned task.

The old green man laughed sinisterly while he was laying out the formation with the ingredients he had so lovingly prepared. The farther the distance, the more difficult it would be to use the Immortal Weaken Spell. Not to mention, the sacrifice needed would be too much to the extent it would take all that old green man had. However, he felt it would be worth it.

"Deluxe Merit Saint, you should feel proud that you're able to force me to pull out the big guns," muttered the old green man to himself. "Master would surely reward me handsomely if he knew I've eliminated a pesky troublemaker."

Meanwhile, in Demon City, the past two days had been the happiest two days of the demons' lives. How could they not be happy when they were able to listen to the expert playing on the zither from time to time, resulting in their realm advancing at the speed of a rocket?

The brother-in-law of their Demon King was so infinitely powerful that they were grateful to be alive in the same time and space as him.

Currently, Daji and Fire Phoenix were discussing something with Blackie.

"The Ministry plans to capture Taotie?"

Blackie's eyes were filled with deep hatred. "Not if I can help it! I'll definitely make them pay for what they did to me. From now on, I'll go against them in anything. If they plan to capture Taotie, I'll catch it first!"

Daji's face broke into a smile. "I'm confident we'll be able to capture Taotie with your help." She got wind of the Ministry's plan when she destroyed their stronghold. It was also there where she found out about Taotie's whereabouts.

The ingredients were handpicked by their master, so they must capture Taotie before the Ministry got their hands on it.

"I've already asked Yao Mengji to request some backup from the Heavenly Palace. Taotie's infamous for being the fiercest beast in the Chaos. We shouldn't let our guard down and bring more people just to be safe," said Fire Phoenix.

"We should go now! The Ministry might've already put their plan into motion!" said Daji hurriedly with a slight frown on her face.

#

Chapter 574

Taotie, the fiercest Chaos Beast, with the ability to consume anything and everything in its path—viewed the thousands of worlds in the Chaos as food. Even a high-level member from the Heavenly Realm would be wise to avoid Taotie.

Daji and Fire Phoenix would never be foolish enough to think they could ever capture Taotie by themselves. Even though Li Nianfan had given them many Ultimate Chaos Treasures after they were married which increased their power tremendously, they understood it was still not enough to deal with Taotie. At most, they would be able to come to a draw with a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm.

That was why they were asking for Blackie's help. Blackie jumped at the chance to be part of the plan when he heard about the Ministry's plan. It was the perfect chance for exacting revenge on them after what they had done to him.

'I, Blackie, must take revenge for the sake of my hairless body!' he vowed to himself.

Blackie was powerful enough to eliminate high-level members from the Heavenly Realm, meaning to say he could be put on the top of the list of powerful figures. This gave them the confidence boost when it came to capturing Taotie.

The group bid farewell to Li Nianfan after they were done with their preparations.

"Are you all going out? To do what?" asked Li Nianfan quizzically.

Fire Phoenix nodded at his first question and cheekily answered his second question, "We're going to prepare a surprise for you, Master! So we have to keep it a secret for now,"

"A surprise? For me?" Li Nianfan looked at them excitedly. "Okay, I'll wait patiently for the surprise. Just make sure you don't do anything too dangerous and practice caution at all times." He did not think to ask much when he saw how mysterious they were being. He just kept smiling at them.

Since they had already said it was a surprise, his only job was to patiently wait. He was filled with anticipation for he knew that with their level of spiritual cultivation, the surprise must be really, really good.

Of course, the most important thing would be their safety. The lives they had now could be described as carefree and without worry. As long as all of them were safe, their happiness would continue.

"By the way, I plan to go back home since you all are leaving and I've been in Demon City for quite a while. So next time we meet, it'll be at our four-part architecture."

Both Fire Phoenix and Daji nodded and said, "Yes, Master."

Then, the duo left Demon City and flew to the meeting place which was a mountain not far from the city.

Goddess Nuwa was already waiting there. Many things were happening in the Heavenly Palace, so they could not send over too many people to help. Hence, only she came. But the sect master from the Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect—Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen— both volunteered themselves.

When they heard it was to collect an ingredient for the expert, they did not think twice and offered to help however they could. In fact, they were excited to be of service to him. To them, it was a great honor.

They snapped out of their reverie when they saw the arrival of Daji and Fire Phoenix and greeted them respectfully.

Daji nodded at them and with a smile, she said, "Let's wait a little longer. Someone else will be joining us."

Goddess Nuwa was close to Daji and Fire Phoenix so she did not hesitate to ask curiously, "And who may that be?"

"Lord Dog," answered Daji.

"Lord Dog?!" Goddess Nuwa was very shocked but it was a happy surprise. "Lord Dog's coming too?"

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen were a little confused. By the looks of it, they guessed that Lord Dog was of a higher social standing than Daji and Fire Phoenix. But how was that possible?

"Lord Dog was the master's first follower. He's been with the master for five years! We won't be able to handle Taotie without him," said Fire Phoenix.

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen's hearts became cold. They adjusted their clothing out of slight nervousness.

Just hearing Lord Dog's name was able to strike fear in their hearts. It would be natural for the expert's famous dog to be as powerful as him. Judging by what Fire Phoenix had said, it would not be an overstatement to say Lord Dog was on par with a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm.

"Goddess Daji, Goddess Fire Phoenix, I can go back to the Empath Sect to get Taishang Elder. He's also a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm. His power would be extremely beneficial to us," said Qin Zhongshan, ingratiating himself to Daji and Fire Phoenix.

"I can get the high-level member of the Heavenly Realm from our sect to come, too!" said Bai Chen, wanting to look good in front of them, too.

The two sect masters were not worried that their high-level members of the Heavenly Realm would not come at all. They were confident that once they were told about the expert, they would come running in an instant.

Daji shook her head. "Thank you but there's no need for that. We can't wait any longer."

At this moment, a figure on all fours was coming at them at a rhythmic speed. What was supposed to be a graceful scene was destroyed by the sight of the completely bald... The scene could bring tears to one's eyes.

It only took one glance to know that it was a dog who had been stripped of all his fur.

"Lord... Dog?" asked Goddess Nuwa in disbelief, her beautiful eyes wide with shock. Even though she had not seen him for quite some time, she never expected to be confronted with a hairless Blackie. It was a good thing she had seen him hairless before so she was able to compose herself quickly.

As for Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen, they were first stunned but quickly greeted Blackie after composing themselves. "Greetings to you, Lord Dog."

They could not help but be impressed by Blackie's appearance. So, this was what it took to be the expert's dog.

Blackie was not embarrassed at all. He nodded at them coolly and said, "Let's go. I can't wait to destroy those Ministry b*stard's plan!"

Five people and a dog. Although the group was not large, it was redeemed by the fact that each of them possessed top combat power. They vacated the meeting place at the same time and entered into the Chaos.

Meanwhile, Li Nianfan finished packing and was about to leave Demon City with Qin Manyun and Shi Tuqin. Little Fox looked at him with deep sadness and raised her little paws in defiance before fat tears sprang out of her eyes.

"Safe travels, Brother Li," said Little Fox.

Li Nianfan nodded and waved goodbye while smiling. "Thank you and goodbye."

Bull Demon King and the rest of the Demon Kings bid him farewell, too. "It's our sincere wish Lord Saint would have a safe journey back home."

Meanwhile, the old green man was sitting cross-legged on top of the red star in the Chaos. He was surrounded by pillars of phantom green fire. The dancing of the flames made it seemed like they were alive. There was also a strange aura blanketing the whole star.

The whole setting made the old green man's face look even greener. A sinister voice floated out of his mouth, his words containing a force of realm that could not be resisted. "Across the long river of time, across the endless sky, chaotic Yin and Yang, against the universe, descending from the Gods and killing lives! I summon thee!"

As he raised his hand and pointed, a picture scroll in front of him slowly hung in the air. Then, the faint green flames on the surrounding fire pillars sprayed out, encircling the picture scroll.

The picture on this scroll was one of Li Nianfan!

The picture looked like it was drawn on an ordinary piece of paper, but it burned very slowly. The burned part showed a projection.

Other people from the Ministry gathered around, looking at the green-faced old man in awe, staring unblinkingly.

"It has appeared, the Right Messenger's Immortal Weaken Spell! I finally get to see it with my own eyes."

"What power! I bet I'll die instantly if I accidentally touch the flames."

"This is cursed fire! The most dominating, undefendable, and unassailable!"

"I hope I never get on the Right Messenger's bad side. If not, I wouldn't even know what hit me!"

When the picture scroll was all burnt-out, the projection in front of the green-faced old man had already reflected Li Nianfan's location.

The golden Deluxe Merit Cloud was slowly flying forward. Next to Li Nianfan, Qin Manyun was playing music on the zither and Shi Tuqin was practicing her calligraphy. It all felt very heart-warming.

"The Deluxe Merit Saint really knows how to enjoy his life, but it all ends now!" The old green man sneered cruelly, especially when he saw the golden Deluxe Merit Cloud under Li Nianfan's feet. His smile became even more sinister. 'Deluxe Merit Saint? Today, I'm killing a Deluxe Merit Saint!'

He casually raised his hand. "Fire come!"

Immediately, faint green flames gathered on his palm. Then, he slapped the projection of Li Nianfan on the back! The two men were clearly separated by the endless distance but the slap went directly into the projection and appeared behind Li Nianfan.

The green palm of fire was silent and appeared extremely abruptly. Not even a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal would have time to react and avoid it. What was more to say about Li Nianfan?

The palm print descended on Li Nianfan without hesitation! The old green man's face broke out in a triumphant smile, feeling full of accomplishment in his heart. He had managed to take out a Deluxe Merit Saint who everyone avoided at all cost, not even daring to come close to him.

To the old green man, killing him was just as effortless as raising a pinky finger. What is the definition of all-powerful? This!

The onlookers held their breaths, staring at the Deluxe Merit Cloud that was blinding their eyes, their hearts beating rapidly. Being able to witness the death of a Deluxe Merit Saint with their own eyes earned them enough bragging rights for a lifetime.

Under the watchful gaze of the onlookers, the fire palm struck Li Nianfan heavily on the back.

Gasp! 𝙡𝙞𝒃𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝒎

The body of the old green man seemed to have been hit by an invisible blow. Like a kite with a broken line, he flew upside down, trailing blood along the way. He fell straight in front of the crowd of onlookers.

The old green man was trembling, not caring about what the others were thinking. He immediately fixed his eyes on the projection.

"What's the matter, Mr. Li?" asked Qin Manyun.

Li Nianfan shook his head. "Nothing. For a second, I thought someone slapped me on the back."

Everyone was silent, and their eyes fell on the old green man with complex expressions. The old green man opened his eyes wide, his eyes full of disbelief.

"This is impossible!" he shouted his deepest thoughts and looked at his hands in disbelief.

Somewhere near him, someone gulped nervously and whispered, "Right Messenger, this Deluxe Merit Saint seems to be invincible. What should we do now?"

"There's no need to worry! I was careless just now." The old green man regained his composure and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Since he's a Deluxe Merit Saint, he must have some kind of magic protecting him. The spell rebounded because I didn't check beforehand."

He slowly walked to the projection, sat down again, and said bitterly, "Next, I'll connect our lifelines so even the most powerful defense skill in the world would be useless."

At this moment, his resentment towards the Deluxe Merit Saint was brought to its peak. He had lost count of the number of times he had suffered by his hands. He would not rest until he was killed!𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Lifeline Technique?!" cried someone in the Ministry, his voice full of terror.

"What's the matter?" asked someone who was unfamiliar with the technique.

"The Lifeline Technique is a curse that cannot be reversed!" The person took a deep breath before continuing in a trembling voice, "Connecting the lifeline of the caster and the target, the pain that the caster encounters will also directly affect the target's body! Notice the Right Messenger's hunched back and lone surviving eye? He wasn't born like that! He lost that eye in exchange for causing an all-seeing high-level member of the Heavenly Realm to go blind by using the Lifeline Technique!"

Everyone gasped in horror. "What overbearing power!"

Just hearing it made one break out in goosebumps. The immitigable fear sent pins and needles through their entire body.

"What you said is only the tip of an iceberg," said the old green man with a smile. "The true overbearing part of the Lifeline Technique is the price! If the target is on the same level as I am, the price I pay is often much smaller than theirs. The cost of destroying a pair of divine eyes of the same level was only an eye for me."

Losing an eye was a source of pride for him. He would not feel inferior just because he had lost an eye. In fact, he was gloating. As soon as this remark came out, everyone shrank their necks, triggering a wave of awe and wonder.

"A Deluxe Merit Saint is nothing but a bug to me!" The old green man smiled disdainfully and sneered, "I could probably take his life for the price of breaking some skin."

His eyes darkened and he raised his hand to attack again.

"The boundless way of heaven, listen to my orders, the number of fate is uncertain, connected by lifelines!"

The phantom green flames on the surrounding pillars almost rushed into the sky, but it was not hot. Instead, a burst of cold aura spilled out, causing people to quake in their boots.

The old green man flipped his wrist, and a short knife appeared in his hand. He smiled and looked at Li Nianfan before slowly stabbing himself in the chest.

First, his skin tore a little and there was only a faint line of redness. He looked toward the projection, at Li Nianfan who was carrying on as if nothing was happening.

He frowned slightly and increased his pressure on the knife, pushing it an inch more until a drop of blood trickled down. There was still no response from Li Nianfan. He merely continued talking and laughing with the others.

The old green man decided to give it all he got and plunged the knife deep into his chest, until all that could be seen was the handle of the knife. A gush of blood spurted out.

Still, Li Nianfan was still talking and laughing.

For a while, the whole world was silent.

The people of the Ministry's eyes became wide. They turned to look at the self-harming old green man.

"How can this be?!" cried the old green man sharply. The knife might have looked ordinary but it had been imbued with a curse nonetheless. He was seriously injured now, so how could Li Nianfan be unharmed?

Looking at Li Nianfan smiling in the projection, the old green man felt as if he had been mocked by the heavens! 'Absolutely impossible! Something must've gone wrong!' he thought. 'Could the method of self-harming be wrong?'

"Just you wait! I'm going to make you feel the true meaning of pain!" The old green man was starting to go a little crazy. He twisted his face and with a gesture of his hand, the surrounding green flames engulfed him and began to burn his body.

However, he was unbothered by the flames. He just kept staring at Li Nianfan's face with his eyes wide open, hoping to see a little bit of discomfort from his face.

However, he was destined to be disappointed.

The people around him sniffed the air and gently said, "Why don't you take a break, Right Messenger? Before your body is burned to a crisp?"

#

Chapter 575

Huff!

The old green man spat out a mouthful of blood. It was unclear whether it was due to his injuries or his overflowing temper.

His nostrils flared and were full of blood.

"Impossible! How could it be like this? Why did it happen?!"

His worldview had been assaulted. His mind was blank and on the verge of crumbling.

Something was wrong!

That Deluxe Merit Saint was very strange!

He suddenly awakened, his whole body jolting as he felt his spiritual energy about to explode. A sudden chill surrounded his body as he felt incredibly uneasy.

At that moment, he finally realized that his body was still on fire and was burning to a crisp. A sharp pain pierced into his mind as his entire face twisted.

That was a curse he had cast himself, the injuries from that spell were something even he could not reverse as someone from the Heavenly Realm. The pain was akin to what a person would feel being burned by fire. Even if he did not die, it was already a severe injury.

"Men... Men!"

He waved his hands weakly, his forehead full of sweat as he raspily said, "Quickly help me put this fire out."

"Understood, Right Messenger."

The others did not dare to delay it, and in an instant, various water-based spells appeared, rushing right at the old green man!

Only, the flames were no ordinary flames and it was hard for them to put it out immediately.

The old green man withstood the pain of being attacked by the spells as he chanted a mantra to try and control the flames.

Just as everyone was working together, right at that moment, the Left Messenger returned in a panic.

She shouted in an incredibly anxious and serious tone, "Taotie's coming, quickly set up the formation!"

She had her mask on and her appearance could not be seen, but her chest was heaving as she panted slightly. It was obvious that luring the beast over had taken up quite a lot of energy.

It was rapidly approaching them.

Everyone's expressions changed and seemed to say at the same time, "Don't come over here!"

The old green man was nervous as well as he shouted, "Lure that beast somewhere else! I need time, you mustn't come here!"

Who cared about the formation?!

Not only did they not have any preparations, they had already used up their strength and even sustained heavy injuries. How could they do anything?

The timing was wrong!

The timing was very wrong!

The Left Messenger's expression stiffened, her gaze glinting with a hint of rage.

'Do you think it was easy for me to lure the beast here?

'I thought that it would be time to reap the rewards, but not only did you useless bunch of people not help me, you're chasing me away?

'This is too much!

'Where can I even go, Taotie's right behind me!'

Even so, she could not help but increase her speed, shouting, "Weren't you making the preparations? Set up the formation now, I'm coming!"

Boom!

Behind her, a massive figure was charging toward them!

A ferocious aura surged, completely suppressing everything. Even though it did not form any strong destructive powers, the aura still smashed into everyone like a hammer, so overwhelming that some of them could not breathe.

"Ah!"

The old green man spat out another mouthful of blood. His green face was even starting to pale as his lips trembled. He was suffering immensely.

The Left Messenger finally saw the state of everyone. Looking around, she even thought that she was in the wrong place. Her mood plummeted.

All she could see was the Ministry surrounding the old green man, all of them doing their best to shoot water at him.

The old green man was laying on the ground, flames dancing on his body which had been completely burnt. There was even a burnt smell in the air.

What were they doing?

What happened to the planned formation?

Why were they playing with water? Why was the old green man acting like he was burning?

Why did she never realize how unreliable that group was before?

Roar!

Smelling the burnt scent, Taotie seemed to get even more excited. With a furious roar, it revealed itself.

It was a four-eyed, black-skinned, long-limbed, four-legged monster. There was a long horn on its head and it was surrounded by a cold aura that was blue and white. Its mouth was extremely big, as if it was another huge body that was growing on itself. It had no face and was dozens of meters long.

Opening its mouth, an incredibly strong suction force started to suck everyone into it. It had just started to use its powers, but the area it was at had turned into a pitch-black whirlpool. Like a black hole, it was sucking in everything within its surroundings.

The horrifying ability caused everyone's expressions to change dramatically.

The Left Messenger, who was the closest, cursed as she did some hand signs, increasing her speed once again as she turned around, moving past that red star and retreating even further.

The others would not be outdone. They used their own skills to retreat backward.

Even the old green man looked down in silence, looking at some parts of his body that still had flames that were not yet extinguished. His gaze hardened as he raised his short sword, slashing downward and chopping them off!

After that, he dragged his crippled and burnt self in retreat.

As for the red star, it had been affected by the suction and was flying toward Taotie.

In terms of size, that star was much bigger than the beast, but its Devour ability disregarded size. Submerged in the black vortex, there was not even as much as a ripple as the beast swallowed it.

The Left Messenger's expression was incredibly ugly, almost losing her temper as she asked, "What did all of you do?!

"Where's the formation we said we'd set up?

"Didn't we say we'd capture Taotie?"

Not being prepared had increased the difficulty of capturing it by a few times.

"The Deluxe Merit Saint isn't simple at all. My Immortal Weaken Spell didn't affect him at all. He definitely has an immense secret behind him! No wonder nothing's been going my way ever since I met him. It wasn't a coincidence. I've fallen into his trap! This person...is too horrifying!"

The old green man regularly harmed himself, so he did not care too much about his burnt body. Wiping away the blood on his mouth, he said with certainty, "We might have to report this matter to the leader before we come up with our next move!"

The Left Messenger pursed her lips. "Let's handle the danger in front of us first."

She looked back and saw that the blackhole Taotie had turned into was flying right at them at an incredibly fast speed.

Furthermore, the suction force was getting stronger and stronger, causing a lot of anxiety.

"Taotie might be strong, but we've mobilized quite a lot of forces this time. It's enough to deal with it!"

The old green man looked at the beast, his eyebrows furrowing as he raised his hand and pointed at the charging beast.

"Lifeline Technique, connect!"

The mighty spell was cast and ripples could be seen in the Chaos, turning into a gray thread that was barely visible, connecting himself with Taotie.

"Prepare for battle! Charge together!"

The old green man said seriously before looking down at his burnt body. There was a ruthless look on his face.

'It's already burnt anyway, might as well chop it off!'

He clenched his teeth. Then, he raised his short sword before slashing downward, slicing a piece of his own flesh off!

Roar!

The beast was affected and let out a pained roar. The black hole disappeared as its body reemerged, trembling slightly.

A wound mysteriously appeared on its body, dripping fresh blood.

"Die!"

Its balfour eyes turned red as it shot toward them like a cannonball!

Its mountainous body broke through the Chaos, leaving a deep spatial crack behind. That charge seemed to be able to destroy everything in front of it!

Below the mask, the Left Messenger's expression solidified as she waved a white disc at the beast.

The disc suddenly expanded tens of times and charged straight at the beast!

Boom!

The disc slammed into the beast's body, causing an intense tremor. However, it still managed to stop the beast temporarily!

The others from the Ministry had started to join the battle as well and were rapidly charging toward Taotie. They cast a spell and several chains started to rise into the air.

The chains rang as they rose, emitting an incredible pressure. Like sharp blades, they came from all angles and pierced into the beast's body!

The beast trembled, opening its mouth as it began to suck again.

One of the chains was sucked in, pulling along the person from the Ministry right into the stomach of the beast, disappearing from the world.

All of their eyes widened. Immediately, they retrieved their chains.

The beast roared, once again summoning an intense suction force, turning into a black hole to swallow the infinite Chaos!

The first thing that was sucked in was that disc that had suppressed it. The disc quickly dimmed, and despite the intense resistance, it was swallowed into the beast's stomach not long after!

Treasures were just food to Taotie!

The Left Messenger's expression changed as she pointed right at the black hole!

A massive finger descended from the sky and pressed onto the black hole, causing its suction to stop for a moment. She took the chance to summon the disc back. Its Devouring abilities were incredible.

The horrifying suction rose again, forcing everyone to resist it with all their might.

"At such an important time, all of you still need to rely on me!"

The old green man laughed. The sword in his hand glinted as he did not hesitate to raise it as he slashed at himself again!

"I'll chop, I'll chop, and I'll chop!"

In a flash, he sliced off three pieces of his flesh. Not only did he fail to feel any pain, he even stared at the beast excitedly with a perverted expression.

Roar!

Taotie once again revealed itself in pain, its body struggling as blood spilled all over it.

It roared fiercely and unleashed its full power as it surged to the sky, causing even the space to solidify as its figure rushed forward. In a flash, another Ministry member had been swallowed in!

This time, other than the two Messengers, the Ministry had also sent another Heavenly Realm cultivator as well as five Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals.

Now, they have lost two of them.

"Hey, it still dares to eat?"

The old green man's face was even crueler. He used the sword to stab his leg forcefully and slowly carved a long wound.

He clenched his teeth as he smiled in a perverted manner.

He really enjoyed that moment of his technique. Even though he needed to harm himself as the price, it still gave him the pleasure of controlling someone's life.

At that moment, everyone else's lives were in his hands. Looking at everyone's helpless expressions was the true joy of his Immortal Weaken Spell!

The pained look on Taotie caused the old green man to laugh even more gleefully, "Hahaha, I bet it hurts!"

The others from the Ministry looked at the old green man and had admiration in their hearts.

They never expected that the old green man would still be willing to cut off the burnt flesh on his body without any hesitation.

And he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Ruthless, way too ruthless. 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝑟ℯ𝒶𝑑.𝑐ℴ𝘮

He was extremely cruel, even to himself.

Taotie's wounds were severe, but they also served to make the beast even more aggressive. Layers of power began to surround itself as it condensed five rays of light. There seemed to be mountains and rivers around him. Thousands of worlds appeared.

It had swallowed the sources of worlds and its power had already exceeded almost everyone in the Heavenly Realm. Just a brush against it was enough to eliminate any Chaos Golden Daluo Immortal.

The Ministry carefully maintained their distance from the beast. The chains were like countless pythons trying to restrict the beast's movements, but the results were minuscule.

Originally, if they had set up the formation earlier and lured the beast into it, then the formation formed by five Chaos Golden Daluo Immortals would have had a noticeable effect.

Now, they did not have the protection of a formation, so the five of them were no different from cannon fodder. Another two quickly perished.

Even the Left Messenger and the other Heavenly Realm cultivator were not having a good time.

Taotie could swallow everything under the heavens. Its skin was thick and it was incredibly powerful. Not to mention, it had a speed that shocked everyone. It had no weaknesses.

Using treasures on it would only end up with them getting swallowed. As for attacking its body, it was hard to do any harm. So, even if the Ministry had planned on capturing it, that was only after meticulous planning and preparation.

It was a pity that their originally immaculate plan had encountered such a huge change...

Now, only the old green man could hurt the beast by cutting out his own flesh.

The mighty energies collided and light encompassed everything. A violent roar could be heard in the chaos as endless amounts of mana surged forward. Even the stars that were tens of thousands of kilometers away were destroyed, turning into ashes.

The horrifying aftermath even made the Chaos appear distorted.

So, the five Chaos Golden Daluo Immortals all perished. Even that Heavenly Realm cultivator had lost half his body. If he was not immortal, he would have died as well.

"Left Messenger, how long are you planning on hiding your power?!" the old green man said, his voice revealing his exhaustion. His lips were already pale as he shouted, "I'm already running out of flesh to cut!"

"I know!"

The Left Messenger answered plainly before raising her hands as a long blade that was glowing in red light appeared.

They called it a blade, but it was actually light—red light!

The redness that contained an incredible destructiveness hummed with sounds of electricity, its horrifying power enough to cause anyone to shiver.

The Left Messenger pointed at Taotie, and the red light suddenly grew many times over, piercing right into the beast within the Chaos.

Looking into the distance, within the endless Chaos, the huge beast was pierced through by a long blood-red light. Its surroundings were annihilated, making for an impressive sight.

"Wow!"

The other Heavenly Realm cultivator took the opportunity to shoot out his heavy chain, encircling the beast and trapping it.

The long and hard battle ended there.

The beast's remaining struggles were no longer strong enough to worry about.

"Ah, everything's fine now. I knew everything remained in my grasp."

The old green man smiled. He was already incredibly weak and the wounds on his body were shocking and impossible to describe.

If he did not have the incredibly strong life force of a Heavenly Path cultivator, he would already have died 800 times over.

The moment the Left Messenger, who had only just started to relax, heard those words, she could not help but feel a sense of uneasiness.

'Everything's going fine? Then why did you have to raise a flag?'

Following that, her heart started to race as she looked away, making out a few figures that were rapidly approaching.

#

Chapter 576

Impossible, impossible…

The Left Messenger's heart sank to its depths. A Heavenly Path cultivator found herself unable to stop praying in her heart.

Yet, as a philosopher once said, 'The more you wish that something won't happen, the more likely it is that it will happen.'

The world was often just that cruel.

After that… He came.

The first thing they saw was a dog that did not have any hair on its body. Its pinkish skin was exposed but its face was incredibly stern. The strange appearance coupled with the stern look was quite amusing.

Yet, the Left Messenger could not bring herself to laugh because she could feel an incredibly strong power coming from that dog's body.

"Someone's actually coming here at such a time?"

The old green man and the other Heavenly Realm cultivator had naturally also sensed their guests and carefully looked at who was approaching.

However, after looking at it clearly, they still let out a sigh of relief.

Only the bald dog at the helm would be hard to deal with, the others were not even in the Heavenly Realm. Even with their heavy injuries, they were not worried.

Blackie took a step forward, walking along the Chaos as the dog's eyes glinted, locking on to the old green man before saying in a cold tone, "I remember your aura. The one who caused all that trouble that night was you!"

The old green man frowned, not afraid at all as he smiled. "Ah, so it's you. A dog's nose really is quite sharp.

Daji and the others did not speak and merely appraised the situation in front of them quietly. When they saw the locked down Taotie that was floating in Chaos, their expressions turned heavy.

It was better to be there at the right time than to be early. They never expected that their timing would be so precise.

They had come to capture Taotie when they stumbled upon the Ministry. If they were a step slower, Taotie would have been taken away. If they had come earlier, they might have met some trouble.

Now, Taotie was already captured and the people of the Ministry looked like they had sustained heavy losses. It was definitely the best time to arrive.

That timing felt incredibly dreamlike and refreshing.

Looking at their expressions, the Left Messenger seemed to see through their thoughts. Her eyes moved under her mask as she asked, "Do you really think you're our match even in this situation?"

Daji's expression was calm as she said plainly, "We came here precisely because of Taotie. However, since we met you so coincidentally, we might as well get rid of you right now."

She was just a Chaos Golden Daluo Immortal, and yet she was saying those words in front of three cultivators from the Heavenly Realm with such an obvious tone. Anyone would laugh hearing her words.

The three cultivators from the Ministry did laugh.

The Heavenly Realm cultivator said, "With just you guys? If you want to gloat, you first need to have the skills! Who's the one giving all of you so much confidence?

"It's fine, you're the ones who destroyed the Ministry branch at Demon City? You found out Taotie's location and chased us here."

The old green man spoke, his eyes deep in thought as if he had seen through everything, "I admit that I was careless before, because I forgot an important figure, which is that so-called Deluxe Merit Saint!

"If I'm not mistaken, the Deluxe Merit Saint should just be a layer of protection."

At those words, Daji and the others' pupils contracted, revealing expressions of disbelief. Even though it was just a flash, it was still detected by the old green man. 𝓁𝒾𝘣𝑟𝑒𝘢𝘥.𝘤𝘰𝑚

He narrowed his eyes and was even more pleased as he continued, "All of our plans have always been foiled right at the last moment. Once is a coincidence, but after so many times, we're just being targeted! The Deluxe Merit Saint… He's really good at hiding!

"Even this time, we were almost fooled! I used my Immortal Weaken Spell to the limit to deal with that Deluxe Merit Saint, but not only did I fail to injure him at all, I was the one who ended up with heavy injuries. I even neglected the formation that was meant to catch Taotie, resulting in heavy losses this time. And at this moment, you lot came right on time. Come to think of it…it should be a ploy by the Deluxe Merit Saint, right?"

His words were all speculation, but it was said in an unbelievably certain tone. His analysis was very reasonable and logical.

Daji and the others had a slight change in their expression, not able to believe such details were involved. However, in their hearts, they had a moment of realization.

So, they and the others were always pawns on the expert's chessboard!

Thinking about it, it was quite true.

Upon hearing the old green man's analysis, there was a sliver of fear in their hearts.

It was to say, if the old green man's Immortal Weaken Spell had not been countered by the expert, then the Ministry's losses would not have been so large. That would mean that when they arrived, they would not have been able to stand up to the Ministry, which would have been extremely dangerous.

The expert really did have no flaws in his plans. Even though he did not make a move personally, he was still able to fix everything with just one move, protecting everyone!

Strong, unmatched!

Qin Zhongshan and the others' respect for the expert grew even greater. He said coldly, "I see you do have some intelligence. The expert isn't someone you can even fathom."

"Hahaha, it's a pity, this time he made a mistake!"

The old green man laughed coldly, measuring the five of them up as he said in a cold tone, "You might outnumber us, and we might be injured, but…you only have a dog from the Heavenly Realm. Do you really think you can snatch Taotie away from our hands?

"However, I'm a little curious, why do you want to capture Taotie?"

Flames started to dance around Fire Phoenix as she said coldly, "I see no harm in telling you. Taotie is something my master wants to eat, and he's waiting for us to cook it for him when we get back!"

"Food?"

The old green man was stunned and his expression turned even uglier. "Do you think I'm easy to fool? I guess we'll have to capture you and interrogate you!"𝒍𝙞𝙗𝓻𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝙢

Blackie could not stand it anymore and slapped his paw right at the old green man. "Why are we wasting our time with words? Just kill them with a slap!"

The old green man snorted. He faced the Heavenly Realm cultivator and said, "I'll handle the dog with the Left Messenger, the rest will fall on you!"

"That's easy!"

That man stared at Daji and the others, revealing a cruel smile on his face. He did not hesitate to attack, raising his hand as a massive silhouette of a palm appeared in the Chaos, capturing Daji and the others.

The palm closed, and like a five-fingered mountain, it trapped the five of them.

He was a Heavenly Realm cultivator. Even if it was just the image of a palm, it was already a small world that he had created. In that palm, he was the master, and Chaos Golden Daluo Immortals were just like ants that could be killed at any time.

Inside the palm, Daji and the others felt immense pressure. It was like a normal person being rejected by heaven and earth. Even the space itself wanted to squeeze them to death. The power of the Heavens was majestic, and Heavenly punishment had descended onto the world, annihilating everything.

Their expressions were heavy as they chanted protective spells to protect themselves from the pressure. It was as if they were a little boat in an unending, raging sea. The winds and the storm were incredibly hard to hold back.

On the other side, Blackie fought against the Left and Right Messengers alone.

Blackie did not bother to hold back at all. His claws danced around, scratching the Left Messenger everywhere around her body as flesh and blood flew. He was also stabbed throughout. The battle was violent and simple. The clashes never stopped.

The old green man did not use his Immortal Weaken Spell. He was in a bad state and did not even dare to face Blackie head-on, so he could only disrupt them from afar. However, each of his attacks was still terrifying.

He was shocked by Blackie's power, and was even more shocked at Blackie's transformation.

He could not understand how Blackie's combat ability rose by so much just by shedding his fur.

Could shedding his hair cause him to get stronger? Or did that dog have some heavenly skill related to shedding its fur?

The only spectator was Taotie.

Its energy was already spent and it had given up on its struggle. It was busy questioning its own life.

'I'm Taotie, a fierce beast in the Chaos. I'm a majestic existence.

'Yet, one of them wants to capture me to experiment on me, while the other wants to eat me?

'They're even fighting over the right to own me…

'When did I get so easily bullied? Who are these people? They're too despicable!'

The old green man was targeted by Blackie and his condition got worse and worse. He could not help but urge the Heavenly Path cultivator, "Quit wasting time, get rid of them quickly!"

"Very well!"

The man's answer was simple as he coldly said, "It's done!"

He sent out another palm that launched at everyone!

Qin Zhongshan, Goddess Nuwa, and Bai Chen all paled as they felt a fear that came from their souls. It was like they were mere fireflies facing the moon.

The Heavenly Realm was equal to the Heavens, and they were just ants living under Heaven. Even though it was just a realm apart, it was already an insurmountable distance. Even being able to hold on thus far was pushing themselves to their limits.

"You're wrong, my Master never miscalculates!"

Daji's expression was calm as she slowly raised her hand. "You're right, it should end now!"

In her hand, that ring started to emit a white glow as a mysterious aura fell, causing Daji's power to surge massively, shooting up right to the skies and completely piercing through that Heavenly Realm cultivator's seals!

Another palm shot out!

Clank!

A massive frozen palm shot out, heading right toward that person!

In that frozen palm was incredibly powerful energy, even scarier than the attack of that Heavenly Realm cultivator. Even the surrounding Chaos space seemed to have frozen!

"That's… An Ultimate Chaos Treasure?! And it contains such immense power?!"

That man's expression changed as he let out a cry of disbelief.

Yet, before his shock even ended, Fire Phoenix raised her hand as well.

On her body, a golden glow could be seen as an aura surged out of her as well, turning into a golden flaming dragon, charging right at that person!

"Another Ultimate Chaos Treasure?!"

The man's face twisted in fear as he shivered. His skin felt like it was about to explode as he did not hesitate to retreat.

Yet, an attack of that level that contained the power of the Chaos, was not something easily avoided.

Fire and ice, two elements that should completely reject each other, were working together, completely annihilating everything as they covered that Heavenly Realm cultivator's body.

In a flash, that man disappeared in a state of confusion and horror, not even leaving any trace behind.

Qin Zhongshan and the others gasped, swallowing as he said, "What… What a powerful treasure."

Goddess Nuwa, who knew what happened, took a deep breath, exclaiming, "The expert's Ultimate Chaos Treasures are really horrifying. They're so strong it defies imagination!"

As for the Left and Right Messengers, their eyeballs almost popped out after witnessing everything. Their hearts turned cold as they lost their voices in fear.

The old green man paled as he shouted, "Quickly get me out of here!"

Right after he said that, he noticed that the Left Messenger had already moved with a speed that she never moved with before, disappearing deep into the Chaos without any mercy, not even bothering to look back.

He was stunned, turning his head around helplessly as he noticed Blackie's face right in front of him, glaring at him with a cruel look.

He shivered. "I'm done!"

He was indeed done. Blackie was not someone who enjoyed torture, He simply shattered the old green man's lifeforce. Then, a strong Heavenly Realm cultivator disappeared from the world!

In the unending Chaos, not many people knew that such a massive battle had just ended.

Daji said, "Let's go, let's bring this fresh ingredient back to Master."

"That's right, Goddess Daji's right."

"Let us carry this Taotie, I'm the most suited for rough labor like this."

Qin Zhongsan and Bai Chen did not hesitate to cry out, trying to prove themselves.

Whether it was Blackie or Daji and Fire Phoenix, their strengths had completely defied all of Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen's prior knowledge. So, they were naturally even more respectful.

Furthermore, they were mere spectators this time and did not help at all, so it seemed like carrying the goods was the only thing they could do.

On the other end, the Left Messenger did not stop moving, sprinting rapidly all the way and using every skill she had to cross the endless distance before she hid in a cluster of dense stars. Only then did she even dare to let out another breath.

'It's too scary, too dangerous. Thankfully, I made preparations and managed to escape quickly.' the Left Messenger thought thankfully.

In truth, when the old green man started to talk about how abnormal that expert was, she had already started to plan her retreat in her mind.

They had encountered too many misfortunes lately and did not manage to achieve anything. Everything seemed to happen in an impossible fashion.

The old green man did not account for that and even thought that he was already assured of his victory. She was different. She felt that the matter would not be so simple, especially after the old green man had raised that flag.

Her teammate was the exact opposite of a compass.

And she was proven right.

When Daji said the words, 'My master never miscalculates', she had already started to retreat.

"That Deluxe Merit Saint is not someone simple at all! With an existence of this level, I'll need to report it to the leader!" she mumbled before her figure flickered, disappearing from the Chaos.

Chapter 577

In the four-part courtyard.

Everything was peaceful as usual.

Li Nianfan's honeymoon had already gone on for half a month.

However, with Xiao Bai around as a butler, everything was going very well. As for the chickens in the yard and the cows and peacocks at the back, they were all performing very well.

At that moment, whether it was eggs or milk, the production was quite substantial. In fact, they had too much, and Xiao Lin had turned them into braised eggs, cakes, and even fruit yogurts in order to preserve them.

They had quite a bit of snacks, and many were stored in the fridge. It caused Li Nianfan to feel a sense of familial warmth and comfort.

"It really is the most comfortable being back home! Travelling is to look at different sceneries and expand one's own horizons, but honestly, it's not that enjoyable. The whole journey, so many things happened, it was actually quite tiring…"

Lying down on his rocking chair, Li Nianfan some freshly squeezed juice with some freshly baked cake. It was like he was on holiday, and was incredibly content.

Other than that, he could hear the sound of a zither, raising his mood and making him happier. It sounded harmonious with the flowing water, and somehow raised the overall atmosphere of the residence. That was life.

The one who was playing the zither was naturally Qin Manyun.

Even though she felt very lucky to be by the expert's side, which made her very happy, there was also an unending form of pressure, so she did not dare to relax at all.

If she did not perform well, or if she did not work hard enough, and ended up abandoned by the expert, then her lucky break would turn into eternal regret. So she naturally did the best she could, and tried her best to prove herself.

In front of her was a piece of bamboo with musical scores engraved on it. It did not look very interesting or vibrant, but in Qin Manyun's eyes, each note on the bamboo had a faint light flowing through them, and a powerful aura was circulating within.

Those notes seemed to have been formed by the Dao itself. It contained left, and would dance around her, greatly increasing her comprehension of Musical Cultivation.

On the other side, Shi Tuqin was sitting in front of a stone table in the middle of the room, writing with a very serious expression on her face.

After returning to the four-part yard with Li Nianfan, even though Qin Manyun had been there before, she was still shocked at the changes in front of her. Even she had almost fainted from the shock, let alone Shi Tuqin.

When Li Nianfan went into the storeroom and found a music sheet and a calligraphy sheet for them, and got them to practice by themselves, excitement, shock and disbelief had swallowed them whole, and almost caused their heads to explode.

No matter the musical sheet or the calligraphy, they both contained Dao, it was as if they were inheriting from Wisdom itself!

It was much greater than just training themselves or practicing spells!

Currently, at that moment, Shi Tuqin was still stuck on the first page of the book, and was slowly copying the strokes in great detail!

In her eyes, even one stroke flower with Wisdom. Copying it herself was as if she was being instructed by Wisdom itself, and had greatly increased her speed of cultivation. It was like she was cheating with her cultivation and her way of cultivation had increased by leaps and bounds.

Furthermore, she knew that it was just the start. Even simple strokes had caused her to feel the deep wisdom within. There were still complete words after that. And based on what the expert said, there were also poems behind that!

If she really managed to completely analyze that book, then her realm…

As for the Ministry, when she was immersed in the way of calligraphy, her heart was incredibly calm, and she felt no pressure at all.

Li Nianfan would occasionally glance at Qin Manyun who was playing the zither as well as Shi Tuqin who was working hard copying calligraphy, and could not help but let out a slight smile. It was as if he had seen a figure of himself in the past.

At that moment, Xiao Lin walked out of the backyard, saying, "Master, the new fruits in the backyard have reopened."

"Oh?"

Li Nianfan got up from the chair, his eyes glinted as he held a sliver of excitement and anticipation, "Let's go, I'll go check it out."

When he got to the backyard, he saw a garden full of fruits. When his gaze fell on those reddish brown, round and juicy fruits, his mouth curved up into a smile as he walked over.

The tree's leaves were incredibly dense, and its body was tall and its trunk was wide. 𝑙𝘪𝑏𝓇ℯ𝑎𝒹.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The surface of the tree was rough, and slightly cracked. The patterns on the trunk were fine and it was reddish brown in color.

Among the dense leaves, the reddish brown fruits bunched together, and were littered around the tree like stars. It looked incredibly vibrant.

"So they've really ripened."

Li Nianfan licked his lips, unable to hold back anymore as he summoned the Deluxe Merit Cloud, flying straight to a fruit and plucking one down.

The outside of the fruit was quite coarse, and on them were complicated patterns. They were definitely lychees, one of Li Nianfan's favorite fruits.

Compared to the lychees before, Li Nianfan could tell that those were much bigger.

They were really large, and were at least two times bigger. They looked incredibly appealing, and really stirred the appetite.

Slowly opening the red outer shell in his hands, he made sure to be patient in order to not ruin the meat. Slowly, a transparent, snow-white flesh appeared. It had a very alluring glow, and oozed with juice.

Seeing that, Li Nianfan was even more careful, not even daring to use any force in case he damaged that jade-like meat.

Slowly striping away the outer shell from the top, the rich and white flesh was completely revealed. It was like a pure white jade, and looked incredibly pure. It also had an elasticity to it, causing one to be unable to let go.

If his fingers were not careful, it would ruin that layer above the flesh, and the natural and pure fruit juice would ooze out of it.

It was like the most beautiful of nature's crafts, and emitted an alluring aura.

The lychee was definitely the king of fruits, there were many poems written about it, which proved its popularity.

Li Nianfan impatiently opened his mouth, placing that snow-white flesh inside. The first thing he felt was coolness, and after a gentle bite, a mouthful of flesh went into his mouth alongside the juice.

With that bite, the juice within burst out like a river. As it started to ooze out, Li Nianfan did not hesitate to stick out his tongue, lapping out the juices that flowed out, shutting his eyes and enjoying the sweetness in earnest.

He sucked at it, not willing to waste even a single drop.

It had a fragrance that was unique to the lychee, and the coolness of its juices momentarily took over his mouth, causing Li Nianfan to enjoy it greatly. That soft flesh danced around his mouth, causing explosions within. Even the bite he took was filled with elasticity, and would send bursts of juice out.

At some point, a whole lychee had entered his stomach, leaving only a seed the size of a fingernail behind. It really had a lot of flesh and only a very small seed. It was definitely a lychee of an excellent quality.

Li Nianfan licked his lips, enjoying the aftertaste. He forced himself to refrain from continuing with a second one, and started to rapidly pluck them.

That was the magic of lychees, causing one to not be able to resist eating a second or third after the first, until one's stomach could not handle anymore.

However, eating the lychees immediately after plucking them was actually not the best way. The best way was to soak the lychees in water, causing them to cool down. Only then were they at the peak of the taste.

After plucking quite a few lychees, Li Nianfan's gaze fell on the cherries and longans away, revealing a happy expression as he started to pluck them.

At that point, he was just like a fruit farmer who had just made a bountiful harvest, and was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

As he plucked them, Li Nianfan could not help but remark, "Blackie has really proven his worth after I raised him to be so big."

These new fruits had all been brought over by Blackie. He did not know where they were from, but Li Nianfan was incredibly satisfied.

Just as Li Nianfan was plucking the fruits, a cloud rapidly descended from the sky. It was Daji and the others.

Behind Qin Zhongsan and Bai Chen was Taotie. They're faces were incredibly anxious. After all, this time they were visiting the expert's residence!

When the Fallen Immortal Mountain entered their sights, a strange pressure descended on their body, causing them to not dare to stare at the mountain directly.

Looking at the Fallen Immortal Mountain, the mountains were surrounded by clouds, it seemed to flow with culture. The structure of the mountains looked ordinary at a glance, but if one felt it in detail, it was filled with the essence of Heaven and Earth, and was full of wonders.

No wonder the expert stayed there, the place could only be described as deep and unfathomable.

They descended on the foot of the mountain, and started to walk up.

Along the way, the trees were large and tall, the vegetation was lush. On the fields, spiritual power overflowed. Looking at the entire place, it could be regarded as one of the best paradises in the world.

This was one of the central locations of when the Eldritch World turned into the Area of the Gods, so the density of the spiritual energy did not need to be mentioned. It was enough to elicit visions.

Of course, Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen obviously did not have the mood to admire it. Their hearts were just filled with apprehension, and their footsteps were heavy. It was like they were on a pilgrimage, with the top of the mountain being their destination.

In the midst of their nervousness, a building fell into their view.

Daji said lightly, "We're here."

They were simple words, but Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen's hearts started to pound, and they could not help but take deep breaths to compose themselves.

As Daji and Fire Phoenix opened the door, Blackie was the first to run inside, and the others followed.

They did not see Li Nianfan, and only Qin Manyun and Shi two of them stopped what they were doing and looked at the guests.

Xiao Bai's gaze fell on Blackie as he said, "Blackie, since you're hairless now, I think you should have a new name. Also… welcome home, your dog food will have many new flavors in the future."

Qin Manyun and Shi Tuqin quickly greeted Daji and Fire Phoenix, "We great Fairy Daji and Fairy Fire Phoenix."

Daji and Fire Phoenix gently nodded, asking curiously, "Where is master?"

Shi Tuqin said respectfully, "The saint is currently in the backyard, plucking fruit."

The moment Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen entered the courtyard, their entire bodies shuddered, and they could not move, turning into statues.

They had thought that they had made enough mental preparations, after all, they had seen how impressive the expert was before. Yet, when they came into the expert's residence, their brains exploded just the same.

It was no longer a matter of being prepared, it had completely exceeded their expectations!

Normally, the brains would only be able to fathom the tenth level, yet, they only realized after getting here that the expert lived in the hundredth level. It had completely shattered their world view. They had already held back immensely by not screaming.

Chaos Spiritual Qi, this was a world filled with Chaos Spiritual Qi!

Furthermore, that flowing water was made of Chaos Spiritual Water, and everything in the yard, including the firewood in the corner, definitely exuded the aura of Chaos Spiritual Roots. The random objects in the house, from the tables and chairs to the fridge and the fake mountain, without exception, were all at least Chaos Spiritual Treasures!

Chaos Spiritual Treasures were enough to make someone unrivaled in the same realm, and were even capable of allowing one to exceed their realms!

For instance, Daji and Fire Phoenix were just Chaos Golden Daluo Immortals, but they had used a Chaos Ultimate Treasure to kill a Heavenly Realm cultivator. That was enough to show the importance of treasures.

Qin Zhonshan's lips trembled as he could not resist mumbling softly, "Is this paradise?"

It was like a child's dream, wanting a roof made of candy, a river made of juice, a house made of chocolate, snacks everywhere to eat…

Every cultivator, and even every Deity, had a dream of owning a courtyard like that as well.

At that moment, Bai Chen and Qin Zhongsan were like children who had seen their own dreams, and felt like crying…

They even felt like being able to witness such a scene in their life already left them with no more regrets!

Bai Chen was in a daze, mumbling to himself, "Is this… the end of cultivation?"

After a long time, they recovered a bit of their thoughts, and looked over to Qin Manyun and Shi Tuqin.

Their gazes stopped at Shi Tuqin for a moment, mainly because of her unique appearance.

Half human and half tiger, it was very eye-catching.

Shi Tuqin said politely, "I am Shi Tuqin of the Legendary Beast Sect, I greet you two seniors."

"Legendary Beast Sect?"

"So you are Shi Tuqin?"

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen spoke at the same time, their tones full of curiosity.

A while before, the Legendary Beast Sect's princess, Shi Tuqin had been captured by the Ministry. The sect had searched everywhere, and there was quite a big commotion. After so long, they never expected to meet her here."

Shi Tuqin said, "I was lucky enough to have been saved by the expert, which was how I escaped danger."

"I see."

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen nodded at the same time, and their gazes unwittingly fell on the brush in her hand.

Their gazes straightened immediately as their breathing became erratic.

A wave of hot air surged to his brain, causing Bai Chen's tongue to tie, "You, you, your brush…"

Shi Tuqin said, "I'm learning calligraphy from an expert, this was given to me by him."

Learning calligraphy from an expert?!

The two of them let in a breath of cold air, their envy filled their eyes as their bodies trembled.

They then noticed the calligraphy in front of Shi Tuqin, and their brains exploded even more, even their hairs stood up.

Darn it!

They were so envious!

Chapter 578

Even Bai Chen's mustache flew up as he said hoarsely, "Wisdom Veins, these are definitely Wisdom Veins!"

He stared at the strokes on the calligraphy, and wanted to plant his face right on it. His eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.

Qin Zhongshan was not in a better state. The man's body was trembling intensely, his expression unsteady as various emotions were surging up as he panted roughly.

That thing was way too valuable, the most valuable treasures were worthless in front of that calligraphy!

If it were somehow stranded outside, without a doubt, there would be tremendous amounts of bloodshed immediately. Even Deities of the Heavenly Realm would try and fight for it. Tremendous amounts of bloodshed was probably understating it, it might even plunge the whole of Chaos into a panic.

Looking at the strokes on the paper, Bai Chen's heart ached, his eyes reddened, tears gathered and his mouth frowned, as if he was about to cry.

He then looked at the brush Shi Tuqin had in hand, and he let out a long sigh, "Ah, what a waste of treasures!"

By the side, Nuwa looked at Shi Tuqin with an envious expression. That girl was immensely blessed to be able to cultivate next to the expert. It was obvious how terrifying she would be in the future.

Bai Chen was fixated, and could feel the beauty and power held within each stroke of the brush. It caused him to sink into it, wanting to throw his mind and body into it and give it everything he had.

For Wisdom, even death was a price worth paying.

He could not help but raise his hand and touch the strokes on the paper.

Yet, before he could even touch it, a horrifying energy exploded forward from the paper. The group only felt time stop as they shuddered. After that, with a sound of a scoff, a horrifying attack shot out from that singular stroke, going straight for Bai Chen's throat!

The immense force exploded like a cannonball, and sent Bai Chen flying.

Boom!

Bai Chen slammed right into the walls of the courtyard, forming a massive imprint before he slowly slipped off the wall.

The robes on his body were all ruined.𝓵𝓲𝓫𝙧𝓮𝙖𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝙢

The place fell into silence.

Cold sweat dripped from Bai Chen's forehead, on his neck, where the wound was, fresh red blood was oozing out, causing him to choke.

Death had never been so close to him.

If the calligraphy had not shown mercy, then… He would have been killed by the power of Dao that it emitted!

"Oh!"

He felt his qi and blood lurch, and the taste of blood filled his throat as blood threatened to pour out of his body.

The next moment, Daji's cold voice could be heard as she shouted, "Swallow it back!"

Bei Chen did not dare to disobey, and without another thought, he forced his mouth shut, forcing his throat to move. With a gulp, he swallowed his blood back.

He did not dare to show any signs of unhappiness, smiling as he said, "I'm so sorry, I almost dirtied the expert's place."

Fire Phoenix shook her head, saying, "Without master's permission, no one can touch anything here!"

"I lost control of myself for a moment, I was impolite, thank you for not killing me."

He faced the calligraphy and bowed deeply, bowing down three times.

The others finally snapped back to reality as they all looked at those words, their emotions flowing. Shi Tuqin was so shocked she covered her mouth with her paws, her eyes were wide in disbelief.

She knew that the calligraphy was especially valuable, but she never expected the strokes on it to have such terrifying powers.

If the expert had not allowed it, she would have already died many times over.

It was way too scary.

Qin Zhongshan took a deep breath as he exclaimed in shock, "A treasure like that, that has already formed its own Dao, isn't something a regular person can touch."

Putting aside Chaos Ultimate Spiritual Treasures, even Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures would already have formed their own spirits. Normal people would not be able to control them, and would be repelled. The calligraphy had naturally done that.

Just being able to see one was already an immense blessing, and being acknowledged by one was a blessing of several lifetimes. If one made any mistakes and angered the treasure, they would be killed off!

Bai Chen nodded deeply, "I really overestimated myself."

Because of that, it caused them to envy Shi Tuqin even more. Without the approval of the expert, how could she have the qualifications to hold such an amazing brush and write on such an amazing canvas?

The difference between them was way too huge, it made them want to cry…

Sure enough, just like a philosopher had once said, behind every powerful person was an unbelievable amount of luck…

That was the true key to increasing one's skill…

Shi Tuqin carefully looked at the calligraphy, meekly saying, "Senior…"

Bai Chen immediately let out a kind smile, saying, "Senior? That's too much! I'm your Grandpa Bai! If you have any difficulties in the future, come find me!"

"And Grandpa Qin as well!"

Qin Zhongshan did not hesitate to say, "The Empath Sect is good friends with the Legendary Beast Sect. A princess of the Legendary Beast Sect is naturally a princess of the Empath Sect!"

Shi Tuqin's lips twitched at the two old men's words, she said softly, "Grandpa Bai, Grandpa Qin…"

"Yes, good girl!"

Qin Zhongshan and Bei Chen smiled, feeling even happier than being called that by their own grandchildren.

"Tuqin, I knew you were something special the moment I saw you, your future will be limitless!"

"You have a heavenly demeanor, a heavenly demeanor!"

Nuwa, who had been silently observing it, rolled her eyes, feeling speechless.

'Shameless old coots!'

'If I'm not mistaken, the two of you were lamenting this being a waste? Now you're trying to gain her favor?'

'I can tell that this little girl's potential is great, it's time to curry some favor.'

"Ah."

At that moment, the sound of a door opening could be heard. Causing everyone to quiver, especially Bai Chen and Qin Zhongshan who were playing around. They immediately. Sat up in distress, not daring to breathe.

He's here, the expert is here!

Li Nianfan's hands were holding a wooden barrel, and even his pockets were bulging as he carried a bunch of fruits, leisurely walking in. When he saw the visitors, his eyes brightened as he smiled, "Oh, I was wondering why the zither stopped playing and the courtyard felt quite noisy. So Daji's back, and she brought guests. Lady Nuwa, it's been a long time."

Nuwa was surprised, and immediately replied, "Greetings to Lord Saint."

Qin Zhongshan hurried as well, "Greetings to Lord Saint."

Bai Chen adjusted his clothes, and nervously and respectfully said, "I am the sect leader of the White Cloud Sect, Bai Chen, greetings to Lord Saint."

Unlike the others, it was the first time he was visiting the expert. Not only did he know of the expert's strength, he had also been taught a lesson earlier. Setting aside the respect in his heart, if not for his restraint, he would even have knelt down and kowtowed…

Li Nianfan nodded, replying, "So you're Cultivator Bai, hello."

He slowly walked to the pond in the courtyard, and poured the lychees inside.

The pond had a refrigerating effect, and was the best place to wash the lychees. Feeling the coldness of the water, and looking at the lychees that were resting inside, Li Nianfan felt himself about to drool.

After that, he put down the longans and cherries, those could be eaten at any time.

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen looked at the lychees in the water, and the fruits in the other two barrels, and their minds stopped working.

They were so pitiful that even an orange had been enough for them to feel elated. Only now did they know that Chaos Spirit Fruits could be mass produced, and there were even so many types.

It was even being washed in Chaos Spiritual Water. That scene was something they would not even dare to dream about.

Looking around them again, they suddenly felt like beggars visiting an extremely rich person.

"Sit down, please."

Li Nianfan said as he walked over, enthusiastically saying, "You all came at the right time, some new fruits have just ripened. You can all try it out."

Bai Chen and the others immediately said sincerely, "Thank you, Lord Saint."

Li Nianfan casually noticed that large Taotie that had already been trapped, and said curiously, "Daji, is this the surprise you prepared for me?"

"That's right." Daji smiled, "This is a Taotie."

"Taotie?"

Li Nianfan was slightly taken aback, and then he felt a sense of elation. Its flavors were incredibly unique, and he was definitely pleased.

That was a massive beast that was said to be able to devour anything, and now it was about to be eaten by him?

That was great.

He hurriedly walked over, and appraised it in detail. He could not help but say, "It probably wasn't easy capturing this?"

Daji said, "it was fine, Nuwa, Cultivator Bai and Cultivator Qin all put in quite a bit of effort."

At those words, Bai Cehn and the others felt a wave of embarrassment.

In all honesty, Bai Chen and Qin Zhongshan merely carried it. As for Nuwa, she had merely cheered from the side…

Li Nianfan saluted them, "Thank you, everyone."

The Taotie's appearance was quite unique. It had a long horn on its head, and had four black eyes. It's mouth took up half its body. It had four legs, and just from appearances alone, it looked incredibly ferocious.

What puzzled Li Nianfan was how he was going to eat that.

First of all, the mouth had to be cut away, but then half its body would be gone…

"The horn on its head looks a bit like a deer's, we can use it like a deer's antlers, it might be very nutritious."

"As for the meat on its body. There are two ways that are the most common and won't go wrong. The first is to make them into dumplings. Most of the meat is suitable for that. Then we can grill it! Almost every meat can be grilled, and the taste should be quite good."

Li Nianfan could not be bothered to experiment on other methods, so he said, "the legs will be grilled, the rest of the body will be chopped up and made into cabbage and Taotie dumplings!"

Speaking of which, it had been a long time since he last ate dumplings, he salivated just thinking about it.

Li Nianfan faced Xiao Bai, "Xiao Bai, go handle the Taotie. Chop a leg up first and grill it, I'll treat the guests."

"Yes, my honored master."

Xiao Lin nodded and dragged the Taotie away to prepare it.

Li Nianfan then had Daji bring out fruits and some cakes, and got everyone to eat and chat.

At the same time.

In the Chaos, a massive and majestic spiritual boat was moving steadily, moving toward the Area of the Gods.

On the deck.

A young man sat down cross legged. In front of him was a green Guqin. He did not play it, and was gently stroking it.

Behind him, an old man with a white mustache and white hair was standing uneasily, pursing his lips in nervousness.

The old man looked toward one direction in the Chaos. His eyes constantly flickered as emotions danced through his heart.

Last time, when he saw the location of the Area of the Gods on the star map, he had felt a sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, he almost shouted out. Was that not his old home? 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝓂

'How could my old home be the Area of the Gods? It's definitely a mistake!'

Going the wrong way was one thing, but it had locked onto his old home, how could he be so unlucky?

He looked at the young man, and was incredibly anxious. If he really brought the emperor into the Eldritch World, and it turned out to be an underdeveloped world instead of the Area of the Gods, the emperor might just destroy the place in anger!

In the end, the old man resolved himself, and clenched his teeth, "Emperor, I think that… the location on the star map isn't where the Area of the Gods is, I hope that you can reconfirm it."

Only following the emperor did he feel such a sense of dread.

That spiritual boat was floating in the Chaos. As it searched for chances in the Chaos, the emperor would definitely enter any little world that they met.

In his eyes, he did not care if the worlds were strong or weak, and he only wanted to encounter various Daos to prove the strength of his own. He was basically looking for opponents within the Chaos.

Everytime he encounters an opponent that interests him, he would suppress his realm, and face the opponent at the same level, wanting to increase his understanding that day.

However, anyone could see that he merely wanted to trample on various Daos to establish his own. Even though he seemed to control his own realm, he still never lost.

It was like a university student challenging a primary school student, claiming to only compete with primary school questions.

The victors were actually already certain.

Furthermore, not only would the university student win, he also wanted to learn various different ways to solve the questions from different primary school students, perfecting himself.

In truth, discussing Daos was far more cruel than solving questions!

The old man naturally did not want his world to be destroyed, nor did he want to see his world being trampled on. Staring as his home town got closer, he resisted the dread in his heart as he asked.

"You came over to tell me that?"

The young man's expression did not change, and seemed to be asking calmly.

However, the next moment, his finger gently flicked a string.

Twang!

The sound was very soft, but the next moment, the old man seemed to have been struck by lightning, and his body was sent flying, crashing on the spiritual boat as his whole body spasmed.

That sound seemed to reverberate in his ears,piercing right into his soul, his Primordial Spirit reached the verge of collapse.

"You should just obediently cultivate your pills. Do you really think you have the right to speak in front of me?"

Chapter 579

The old man struggled on the ground, his face full of pain. After a moment, he stood up with great difficulty, looking at the young man in horror.

The young man looked at the old man coldly, his eyes so piercing it seemed like it could stab right through someone, saying, "What is it, do you know this place?"

"Yes… I know of it."

The old man mulled over it for a long time, and finally thickened his skin. "I wandered around the Chaos in my earlier years, and I've been to that place before. I found that it was a very backwards world, and was nothing impressive, nor did it have any rare treasures, so I remembered the place. That's why I was very confused when I saw the location of the Area of the Gods, and I came forward to let you know."

He knew that he could not hide anything from the emperor, and attempting to do so would only cause the opposite effect, so he told a half truth, emphasizing the fact that there was nothing to see in that world, hoping to reduce the curiosity of the emperor so the emperor would ignore the place.

His heart was filled with desperation as he prayed for the emperor to not go there. After all… for a figure of that level to descend on the Eldritch world would be incredibly horrifying for his hometown.

It did not matter if he could succeed, he still needed to do what he could.

The emperor looked at the old man, and had a meaningful look in his eyes. "There's nothing to do after all. It doesn't matter if it's an Area of the Gods or some broken down little world, there's no harm in taking a look."

The old man's heart shivered, and he felt an intense hopelessness.

The only thing he could do now was hope that the emperor would have no interest in the place when he arrived. If it really was not possible, he would then plead for the emperor to show mercy, and to spare that world.

The spiritual boat continued forward in the unending Chaos, not feeling the passage of time.

In a flash, three days had passed.

The Area of the Gods that was indicated on the map was already very close. The old man stood on the deck, pursing his lips as his heart pounded, his feelings were extremely complicated.𝒍𝓲𝒃𝙧𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝙤𝒎

Looking at the distant world, he suddenly felt a wave of familiarity. That feeling was warm and gentle.

Uneasiness, excitement, fear, apprehension, anxiety and various other feelings constantly emerged, causing his eyes to be filled with tears. If he did not forcefully restrain himself for fear of being seen, he would already be sobbing.

The winds and clouds of his hometown.

'I'm back, I've actually come back!'

'I used to be a proud man, and now I've returned an empty vessel.'

'I'm sorry I came back in this manner. The humiliation can be forgotten, but I brought an unwanted guest.'

It was getting closer.

A ray of light started to enter their eyes, causing the old man to close his eyes.

It was not because it was too bright, but because he was apprehensive.

He felt more and more timid as he got closer to his hometown, and did not dare to say anything.

Countless times, he had wanted to see what had happened to his hometown. He had wanted to return countless times as well. However, they had only been thoughts. And now it was right in front of him, but he no longer dared to look at it.

'It's probably changed a lot, after all… We've all left. It was too broken down.'

'The Absolute Era should have ended, and the road of cultivation should have ended. There shouldn't be any more spiritual power, and everything from before should have turned into legends.' 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The old man closed his eyes, lamenting everything for a moment. Then, his eyes fluttered as he opened his eyes.

What entered his sight was an incredibly large world.

The unending rays of light shot at him like flowing water. The stars filled up the sky, and spiritual energy surged everywhere. All the life in that world formed an unimaginable picture.

Every breath, everything that could be seen, all showcased the special nature of the world.

The man's expression shifted from sorry to shock and then to awe.

When did this place become like this?

Did I even forget the address of my own hometown?

Was it possible… Did the eldritch world turn around? Did they rapidly develop?

The old man looked at everything dumbly, his eyes turned red as he felt everything was foreign yet familiar.

"It really is the Realm of the Gods, there is qi everywhere, the force of the realm is high, everything is lush. I can't see through the endless possibilities!"

The emperor looked at the world like a lord, his eyes had a glint of interest as he said imperiously, "I hope it doesn't disappoint me."

After that, he looked at the shifty eyed old man, saying, "Didn't you say this was a broken down world?"

The old man hurriedly said, "I must have misremembered."

The emperor suddenly said, "You did not misremember, this place used to be a broken down world, and was called the Eldritch World."

He looked at the old man, smiling. "Could it be your old world?"

The old man's heart jumped, even breathing was hard as he was both excited and happy.

It really was the Eldritch World!

The place had turned into the Area of the Gods. Then what about his old friends? What had happened to them?

However, the emperor did not continue speaking, and started to descend to the ground from the skies.

Even above the skies, the stars littered the night sky, and there was a vibrant moon hanging there.

Suddenly, a melodious zither could slowly be heard from the moon.

The song flowed with the wind, like waves taking shape, elegant and long.

The old man's expression suddenly changed as he rapidly paled.

"Interesting, this song is interesting."

The emperor turned around, looking at the moon without any hesitation.

ZAt that moment.

On the moon.

Guanghan Palace, Chang'e residence.

That place was a place of song and dance.

In the palace, a woman was playing the zither, her beautiful figures looked like they were dancing, elegantly plucking the zither. By the side, there were many dancers dancing in accompaniment, their figures were graceful and their beauty was unrivaled.

Chang'e and seven fairies were among them, but they were there mostly for supervision.

They were a very important part of the Heavenly Palace. No, they were the most important!

Even though they did nothing much in combat, they could directly serve the expert!

Every time the expert felt like watching a performance, the importance of this place could not be understated!

Furthermore, they could never fail any of their performances, otherwise no one would be able to bear the responsibility of ruining the expert's mood.

Strictly speaking, the existence of the performers was incredibly important.

The performers also knew of their station and importance, and all of them threw everything they had into their training, all so they could put up a good show in front of the expert.

Chang'e had a smile on her face. "The rhythm finally looks decent, if we're able to perform for the expert in the future, he'll definitely be satisfied."

Ziye remarked, "That's right, I haven't seen him in so long. I wonder when we'll be able to perform for him."

"I miss the expert's food so much. If we perform well and he's happy with it, we'll definitely get something nice to eat."

"I really envy Qin Manyun, she's able to play the zither by the expert, that's such a tremendous honor!"

"Playing the zither just to make someone else happy? You people have no right to play it!"

Suddenly, a furious roar could be heard, exploding like thunder. After that was the twang of a zither.

The sound was not loud, but it shook the whole place, materializing a dense energy that rippled throughout.

At the same time, all the zither's in the moon palace that were being played all snapped, and all the women, no matter if they were playing the zither or dancing, all felt the surge of blood, spitting out blood as their bodies shuddered.

Their expressions suddenly changed as they looked around uneasily.

Boom!

A massive spiritual boat suddenly appeared, and like a dark cloud, had covered the whole Guanghan palace. On the deck of the boat, numerous figures looked down on the women.

The young man at the helm had an electrifying gaze, it was majestic, holy and emotionless.

An immensely strong aura flowed out, applying so much pressure that they could not breathe.

He swept his gaze around,and saw a few of the music sheets in the palace. He reached his hand out, and the sheets flew right into his hand as he started to read it.

The sheets were naturally 'Ambush' and ' High Mountains and Flowing Water'.

They were the music sheets that Li Nianfan had given Qin Manyun, and were the most valuable sheets in the whole palace.

"This music…"

Just from a rough look, the emperor's pupils rapidly constricted, his unchanging face immediately changed as he could not hide his shock. His hands trembled.

"Good, good, good!"

His eyes brightened as he exploded, the smile on his face was very exaggerated. "I can't believe that I found two extraordinary musical sheets the moment I arrived at the Area of the Gods, it really is a place chosen by the Heavens!"

The aura around him started to constantly change, he would suddenly emit killing intent, and then the will to fight, and it would ebb and flow, going up and down.

It was the insight behind the two songs, he had actually managed to absorb it into his own Dao, causing the realm to change and the forces to resonate.

It had to be said, his talent was incredibly shocking, which was why he could be so tyrannical.

He coldly looked at everyone in Guanghan palace, and smiled. "These ants are amusing. They have such a masterpiece, but they don't know how to use it. They're only thinking about pleasing someone else, they deserve to die!"

He casually raised his hand, touching the zither. With just a gentle flick, his music would be enough to turn the moon to ash.

The old man's expression changed, and he immediately stepped up, bowing as he said, "Emperor, please show them mercy!"

"You are begging for mercy for them?"

The old man no longer dared to hide it, and said, "I won't hide it from you, I originally came from the Eldritch World. They are all from the same home as me. Please, show them some mercy in consideration of the pills I have refined for you."

The emperor had already expected that, and was not surprised at all. He said, "I didn't kill you, so shouldn't the pills you made for me be in thanks to that? Also, what do you think you are? You actually dare to offer me words of advice?!"

The moment he said that, the subordinate next to him raised his hand, and a long whip appeared, containing the light of lightning. With a slap, it landed on the old man's body, causing him to roll on the ground. A long black wound appeared on his body, directly hitting his Primordial Spirit!

In the palace, when Chang'e and the other girls saw the old man, they shuddered, thinking they had been mistaken.

Taishang Elder, it was definitely Taishang Elder!

One of the Three Qings had returned!

Yet, it was not the time to be happy. Looking at the state of the elders, they could not help but be angered, and prayed that the Heavenly Palace would quickly send help.

However, looking at that young man's power, they were worried that his skills were unfathomable, and even the Heavenly Palace might not be able to help…

The emperor looked at them, and proudly proclaimed, "It's possible for you to not die, you only need to tell me where you obtained these two songs."

So that was his goal!

No one said anything.

Everyone of them spoke in their hearts, 'This is not something you have the right to touch.', but they all held back.

The emperor issued an order, "Elder, since they're your old friends, I'll allow you to give them some advice, a wise man submits to the circumstances!"

The Taishang Elder's expression stiffened as he lowered his head, clutching his fists before relaxing them, he was incredibly hesitant.

As one of the Three Qings of the Eldritch World, he had been incredibly proud, and was one of the saints of this world. Yet, at that moment, he was advising them to surrender after having just returned.

It was a tremendous humiliation.

The emperor looked at the Elder in amusement. "You're not willing?"

Hong said in determination, "There's no need to waste your energy, we won't say a word!"

The music sheets were the expert's. If they said that, it was obvious that the young man would cause trouble for the expert. If it ended up disturbing the expert, it would be a tremendous sin!

At that moment, a few auras were rapidly approaching, and a few figures suddenly appeared, crossing tremendous distances.

Cultivator Junjun, Nuwa, Yun Shu, the Jade Emperor, Bai Chen and Qin Zhongshan were there, their expressions incredibly serious.

They had foretold that a large calamity would befall the moon palace, and had immediately rushed over.

Coincidentally, after eating with the expert, Qin Zhongshan and Bei Chen had made the decision to form a relationship with the Heavenly Palace, so they had been at the Heavenly Palace the past few days.

Encountering something like that, they had naturally tagged along.

When they saw the young man, their mind's pounded as their hearts sank to the depths. The immense pressure caused them to feel a chill.

As for Taishang Elder, when he saw Cultivator Junjun, Nuwa and the Jade Emperor, his emotions exploded and his eyes reddened.

As for the others, when they saw Taishang Elder, they were filled with emotion.

They had split up back then to explore the Chaos, and hundreds of thousands of years had passed. They never expected to meet again in that way.

Cultivator Junjun saluted the emperor. "Fellow cultivator, we have no grudges against each other, we should sit down and chat."

"Chat? There's no need."

The emperor shook his head. "Since all of you were the original masters of the Eldritch World, and I've been planning on taking over the Area of the Gods, why don't you just swear your loyalty to me?"

Cultivator Junjun said, "The Heavenly Palace is just a small corner of the Area of the Gods, there's nothing special about it."

"So, you're not willing to swear your loyalty?"

The emperor's expression did not change, and he said, "Don't say I'm not giving you a chance, let's bet on something!"

Chapter 580

A bet?

Everyone's hearts sank. They all knew that a so-called emperor would not let them off so easily.

Cultivator Junjun said carefully, "Might I know what kind of bet you would like to propose?"

"I am a cultivator, and I've always prioritized discussing Dao, I want to compete with you in Dao!"

The emperor smiled as he looked at everyone, his eyes thoughtful and he continued, "You don't have to worry, since it's a discussion of Dao, I won't use my power to suppress you, nor will I bully you with my cultivation. Only, I wonder if any of you are confident enough in your Dao? Would you dare to take up this bet?"

Discussing Dao relied on understanding the opponent's weakness or even creating a weakness in his heart, causing the opponent to lose their spirit and crumble!

By the side, Taishang Elder suddenly shouted out a warning, "He is the String Master, and is the best at discussing Dao, don't bet against him!"

Whips! 𝓁𝘪𝑏𝓇𝑒𝑎𝑑.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The man by the emperor's side raised his hand again, and the whip was as fast as wind, practically invisible. It hit Taishang Elder's back, causing him to collapse on the ground, another wound appearing on his body as his skin split open.

After that, the whips elongated and tied the elder up, lifting him up in the air as it constricted him tightly.

"Stop!"

The Jade Emperor shouted out, looking at Taishang Elder with reddening eyes.

Before, they controlled the Eldritch together. They would scheme against each other occasionally, but they were still tied together from the same origin.

So, when they saw the elder being bullied, they could not help but feel a sense of sorrow and anger.

Qin Zhongshan and Bei Chen who had followed along both exclaimed when they heard their opponent's name, "The String Master?!"

The Jade Emperor said with a heavy expression, "Who is he?"

"He's a very powerful Deity who wanders the Chaos."

Qin Zhongshan felt a very intense pressure, and he said softly, "I heard that he revels in Dao, and can play masterpieces with just one hand. He's learned from thousands of worlds, and is able to seize the hearts of others, causing them to lose faith in their Dao! So, he enjoys looking for strong opponents in Chaos, and by discussing Dao, the Heavenly Realm Deity's that had fallen to him number more than my fingers can count!"

He was someone who loved to fight, and was quite famous in the Chaos.

The fact that someone like that was still well and alive was enough to prove his strength. Even within the Heavenly Realm, he would be considered strong!

Hearing that news, the crowd's hearts sank.

Cultivator Junjun said in a low voice, "What are we betting on?"

The emperor said, "If I win, the Heavenly Palace will work for me, becoming my slaves!"

Nuwa said, "Then what if we win?"

"You can't win." The emperor shook his head, arrogant to the limits.

Cultivator Junjun said, "Without anything at stake, this bet won't take effect!"

The emperor looked at Taishang Elder. "If you win, I will return this guy to you."

The Elder's face was pale, and his eyes were full with rage. He wanted to say something, but being tied up by the whip made that difficult.

Using him in exchange for the whole Heavenly Palace was an uneven bet, it was too unfair!

Nuwa immediately said, "That's not fair!"

"Fair?"

The emperor smiled and mocked, "Are you still asleep? You're actually talking to me about being fair?"

"This is the world of the strong. My bet with you is offering you a chance. Not only do you not appreciate it, you're trying to talk to me about fairness? Hilarious, you have no choice at all!"

The crowd could not help but clench their fists tightly, anger showed on their faces, but they felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

The emperor was right, they had no choice.

That was the plight of the weak.

Cultivator Junjun exchanged a look with Nuwa, saying coldly, "We… I will bet!"

"Don't, don't!"

The Elder looked at them with reddened eyes, he wanted to cry.

After spending so much time by the emperor's side, he knew how powerful the emperor was. The moment he played a song, it was enough to sink heaven and earth, disrupting all the laws without anyone being able to fight back.

The most horrifying instance was when he had witnessed the emperor's zither wipe away the Dao of a small world, and even took away their path to heaven!

How could Cultivator Junjun and the rest of them stand up to that?

In order to save him, he stared as they stepped right into the trap. That feeling caused him to despair, at the same time, feeling everyone's concern, he was incredibly touched.

"As long as any of you can stand up to a single song from me, you'll win."

The emperor smiled, touching the zither in front of him as he quietly looked at the crowd. "So… who's first?"

"I'm coming!"

Nuwa took a deep breath and stepped forward with a serious look on her face. After that, she sat down cross-legged and made her preparations.

She raised her hand, and the Lotus Lantern slowly flew out, floating on top of her head. The rays of light shot out from the lantern, enveloping Nuwa and settling her heart.

After that, Nuwa closed her eyes, and Insights began to flow out of her body, twisting the space around her, causing a colorful light to surround Nuwa, covering her whole body.

Discussing Dao was something that came from deep within the heart, so she had some confidence.

After all, interacting with the expert and picking things up, she was much more familiar with Dao than regular cultivators. Furthermore, listening to the expert play the zither, playing chess with the expert, or even eating the expert's food, were all things that improved one's understanding of Dao.

It was quite the cheat, and was enough for them to look down on other cultivators.

"Interesting."

The emperor raised his eyebrow, and stopped speaking as he gently flicked on a string of his zither.

Twang!

The music materialized, and turned into a breeze that blew right at Nuwa, touching the light around her and disappearing.

Everyone widened their eyes and looked on nervously.

Discussing Dao might not be as flashy as fighting, but the dangers involved were actually greater than fighting.

It was possible for their insights to shatter, and they would then lose their way. Many might even begin to question their own lives, and not be able to recover, turning into a cripple.

Twang! Twang! Twang!

The emperor's hands rapidly played the zither, and the music started to increase frantically. In the blink of an eye, the breeze had turned into a storm, heading right at Nuwa.

And finally, it turned into a tornado, surrounding Nuwa. The crowd could see the devastating winds generated by the tornado.

Through the wind, they could see the lights in the middle still glowing.

"It's 'Ambush!'

Even though it was just the start, they were naturally familiar with it. When they recognized the tune that was being played, their faces reddened in rage.

Hong glared at the emperor, saying unhappily, "Despicable!"

That was a song that the expert had gifted them, and contained very high level insights. To someone who cultivated music, it was an incredible blessing.

And now, not only was the song stolen away, it was being used against them. It made them feel like flies, and they were disgusted.

Twang!

Even the ears of the crowd seemed to be filled with the sounds of horses and the cries of an army. Their hearts started to speed up, like drums that were being played.

The tornado around Nuwa started to get more and more intense, as if countless soldiers were assaulting it. Weapons and horses, qi that swallowed up rivers, it was all crashing down on Nuwa, shouting right at her.

At that moment, Nuwa seemed like a weak girl, lost in a battlefield alone, weak, pitiful and helpless.𝙡𝙞𝒃𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝒎

And what she was facing were countless soldiers, surging at her like a wave, almost swallowing her whole!

She could not help but take a step back.

That one step caused her Dao to falter, and she suddenly spat out blood, her spirits were severely impacted.

The emperor said, "Not bad, you managed to hold on for so long."

Those casual words caused feelings of contempt within everyone.

Bai Chen sighed and said, "It's too difficult to beat the String Master."

Qin Zhongshan nodded. "In the Chaos, his movements are erratic and uncertain, but the moment he has his sights on you, anyone would end up with a headache."

The people of the Heavenly Palace did not understand, but they had heard of the String Master before. Even their sect ancestors would not want to face the String Leader, let alone themselves.

The String Master said, "Who's next?"

"I'll do it."

Cultivator Junjun walked forward, his robes fluttered and his expression was serious. With a wave of his hand, a drum appeared.

He planned on using the drum to drown out the zither!

The String Master said nothing about it, and immediately began to play his zither.

Bam bam bam.

Cultivator Junjun did not bother with words, and immediately started beating the drum feverishly.

His sound came without any rhythm.

Unlike Nuwa, Cultivator Junjun was planning on using offense as defense!

That moment, he used the sound of the drums to transmit his Dao, opposing the String Master and attempting to disrupt the String Master's rhythm.

The two different sounds intertwined in the air, colliding with each other, causing the air to ripple like a violent lake.

Cultivator Junjun lowered his gaze, his expression unchanging. In his mind, the scene of Li Nianfan giving him the disc and witnessing the endless Dao appeared.

He submerged within the Dao, and used the drums to unleash it, trying to affect the String Master's Dao.

Yet, the String Master's music did not change. It was even and deep, like a tall mountain, and like flowing rivers. He maintained his rhythm throughout, and was incredibly clear, completely suppressing the sound of the drums, turning into the only sound!

"This is our song, 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'."

Chang'e smiled bitterly, that person was shameless!

He actually used the songs the expert gave them to show off. Shameless!

"Ah!"

Cultivator Junjun's body suddenly shook, and he spat out blood from his mouth. His expression was pale, and his body swayed.

"Entertaining."

The String Master was not stingy with his praise, and said curiously, "I never expected your understanding of Dao to be so deep, it's changed my view of you."

He then thought of the two songs he obtained. The songs were good, the men were decent, it really was the Area of the Gods. It was definitely something worth obtaining.

He swept his gaze around, and calmly looked at the crowd, asking, "Who else is there?"

The crowd was silent.

They were frustrated to their limits.

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen wanted to lend a hand, but after the earlier bouts, they knew they would not be able to compare as well.

Qin Zhongshan said, "I could go back and get my elder to appear!"

Bai Chen said, "I can invite our ancestors as well!"

Their ancestors were all Heavenly Realm Deities, they might actually stand a chance against the String Master!

"If only…"

Jade Emperor said, but did not finish.

However, everyone could guess what he wanted to say.

If the expert was around, then discussing Dao with that dumb String Master would be nothing, the expert would casually suppress him.

Even though Cultivator Junjun and Nuwa had lost, they had still interacted with the expert before. They had felt the Dao that the expert occasionally showed, and they could naturally feel the difference.

If the expert's Dao was an endless sea, then the String Master's Dao was just a little ditch that was on the verge of drying up.

Only, how could they allow the expert to make a move? That was just their inner thoughts.

They were the ones who were useless, they could not ask the expert to help but clean up!

However, Jade Emperor's words reminded Yao Mengji of something. His expression moved, and he suddenly had a thought.

Even though it was a little crazy, he somehow felt that it was possible.

The String Master stood up, looking down on everyone, "Is there no one else? If that's so, then you've lost!"

The elder was still tied up in the air, his eyes had a look of immense sadness, and he felt so awful that his entire body was shivering.

He naturally knew that there was no one else in the Heavenly Palace. Even if Hongjun Daozu lost, who else would be able to fight?

He felt a sense of hopelessness.

Qin Zhongshan looked at the String Master, "I am the sect leader of the Empath Sect. Give me a few days, I can invite our Taishang Elder!"

"Empath Sect?"

The String Master shook his head. "I will go see the Empath Sect some day! However, this is between me and the Heavenly Palace, I won't waste time with you!"

"We still have someone!"

At that moment, Yao Mengji shouted out, attracting everyone's gaze.

The String Master frowned. "Oh?"

Nuwa had the same thought as well. "Cultivator Dao, are you referring to Manyun?"

"That's right." Yao Mengji nodded. "I think we can try!"

The others suddenly had a sliver of hope when they remembered Qin Manyun. After all, Qin Manyun had been training under the expert, and her skills were definitely rapidly increasing under the expert's tutelage, and she definitely had a deep understanding of the Dao and the zither.

However, thinking about Qin Manyun's skill, they felt that it might not be possible.

Even though discussing Dao did not reflect skill, there was still a connection. If the difference in skill was too great, there was no hope when it came to discussing Dao.

However, at that moment, they did not seem to have any other choices, all they could do was hope that it worked.

No matter what, she was still a prodigy by the expert's side!

With that in mind, Cultivator Junjun took the lead, and he said, "That's right, we still have someone who can discuss Dao with you!"

Chapter 581

The String Master looked at them coldly, not revealing any information.

To him, the people in front of him were mere ants, and he did not need to worry about anything. He felt like it did not matter at all.

If an interesting opponent could appear, he did not mind.

However…he did not wish to waste time.

"One day, I'll give you one day."

The String Master said plainly, "This is the last chance you will get. If I find out you're playing with me, none of you will be able to live!"

He pointed at Yao Menji, ordered, "You, hurry up and find that person!"

"Just wait and see!"

Yao Mengji clenched his teeth, and after greeting the Jade Emperor and the others, he fled to the Fallen Immortal Mountain.

He did not dare to delay it, so he ran as fast as he could. After four hours, he saw the Fallen Immortal Mountain. Landing at the foot of the mountain, he quickly climbed up.

After a little while, a familiar four-part courtyard appeared.

He took a deep breath, reeling in his anxiety so as to not be ill mannered in front of the expert and affect the expert's move. Then, he slowly walked up and politely knocked on the door three times.

"Yao Mengji wishes to see the Lord Saint."

Very quickly, with an exclamation, the door opened.

The one who opened the door was Qin Manyun, she smiled at her master, happily saying, "Master, why are you here?"

Yao Mengji asked in a caring manner, "How has your studies under Lord Saint been?"

Qin Manyun could feel Yao Mengji's anxiety, and thoughtfully said, "Even though I've only learned a little bit from Mr. Li, I feel like I've benefited a lot, and reached a height that our sect never could before."

"Ah."

Yao Mengji furrowed her eyebrows with some worry.

Using their old sect as a comparison was way too low of a bar, their current opponent was the String Master from Chaos, could she win?

He put his worries aside, manners could not be ignored as he said politely, "Yao Mengji greets Lord Saint, Fairy Daji and Fairy Fire Phoenix."

He had just noticed that the usually quiet courtyard was quite bustling, Li Nianfan and the others were wrapping up dumplings.

It looked like the dough had just been made. Their hands were covered in the snow-white powder that had even gotten to their faces. They looked very happy and at home.

Next to the dough was a large barrel, and in the barrel was the minced meat meant to fill the dumpling. Waves of spiritual energy were wafting out, making Yao Mengji feel like the meat was glowing extremely brightly.

He could guess that it was made not only with Taotie meat, but various other spiritual roots.

One word, luxury.

However, it had given him some confidence.

Even a Taotie had encountered that fate. The String Master could not be that much stronger than a Taotie, so how could he be so unconfident about the expert?

"Oh, it's Cultivator Mengji, welcome."

Li Nianfan put down the dumpling in his hand, washing his hands with water before he motioned for Yao Mengji to sit down.

He asked curiously, "What is it? Did you come here to see Manyun?"

"I won't hide anything, I actually came because I need Manyun to face an opponent."

Yao Mengji went straight to the point. "I want her to face off with someone on the zither!"

"A zither face off?"

Li Nianfan knew that Yao Mengji was good at playing the instrument as well. If Yao Mengji was here, it meant that he had already lost.

'He probably believes that Qin Manyun has learned the art of the zither from me, and wants her to seize the initiative.'

Yao Mengji mulled over it, and did not dare to conceal anything in the end, "We had been practicing with Chang'e before this, but the opponent stole the two musical sheets that you gave us. He even laughed at us for not knowing our place, ruining a good song."

He felt regret for not protecting the expert's song.

"So that's the case." Li Nianfan nodded.

Next to them, Qin Manyun felt a wave of pressure. The fact that her master had come here meant that it was no small matter.

Yao Mengji said carefully, "Only… I don't know what Manyun's progress is like?"

"Hahaha, with me guiding her, do you think her improvements would be small?"

Li Nianfan laughed, looking at Yao Mengji with interest, and feeling the nervousness he was trying to hide. After that, he said, "However, just to be safe, I will give Lady Manyun some emergency instructions."

Emergency instructions?

Qin Manyun and Yao Mengji were incredibly happy, and suddenly felt like the situation was more stable.

"That's right, when will this match be?"

"Lord Saint, it will be this time tomorrow."

"We can barely make it, we need to hurry up."

Li Nianfan went over and sat at the Guqin in the yard, facing Qin Manyun. "You should stop making dumplings. Go wash your hands. I'll accompany you through a song, you'll be able to absorb a lot more."

Since Qin Manyun was learning for him, and she was about to compete, then it was best that she won for the sake of his reputation.

"Yes, I'll be right there."

Qin Manyun was surprised, and washed her hand as quickly as possible before respectfully sitting in front of her zither with caution and anticipation.

That feeling was like an incredibly ordinary musician suddenly having a chance to play with a super master of music, it was way too exciting.

Li Nianfan said, "Are you ready?"

Qin Manyun sat up straight and shouted, "Yes, I'm ready!"

"Then let's start. You should try your best to follow my rhythm, the song will be Guangling San."

After Li Nianfan said that, he put his hands on the instrument, and Qin Manyun followed.

Without a word, the two of them started the song with very good chemistry.

The song started to fill the yard, causing everyone to hold their breaths as they listened, completely immersing themselves in the music.

The sound of the music flew around like a spirit, dancing in the air. It was the spirit of Wisdom, the Dao was dancing!

In the sea of Dao, anyone would be submerged inside, no matter who it was, they would feel how miniscule they were. Other than shock, there was nothing else they could do.

Yao Mengji knew that if the String Master came at that moment, the man would probably not even have the courage to play his instrument. How could a little child have the courage to fight an adult?

As for Qin Manyun.

Yao Menji's eyes contained envy and gratitude.

It was clear that the expert was carrying her rhythm, otherwise, she would not have been able to handle the flow of so much Dao. A song of that level was not something she could be able to handle. It was all thanks to the support of the expert!

It was obvious that, under the guidance of the expert, she had fully entered Wisdom, and would definitely obtain terrifying rewards.

It was uncertain if they were mistaken or not, but they suddenly felt like the space around Qin Manyun started to flicker unstably, like the ripples in the water.

The rippling water came from Li Nianfan's fingertips, enveloping Qin Manyun, turning into an invisible cloak.

"Dao… Cloak?"

Yao Mengji was dumbfounded, he never expected such a strange sight to exist.

At that moment, Qin Manyun's tune might be far below Li Nianfan's, but it was still rich with Spiritual Insights. 𝙡𝓲𝒃𝓻𝓮𝙖𝒅.𝙘𝓸𝒎

If he had some reservations about Qin Manyun's chances of winning before, he no longer had any sliver of worry at all. He suddenly really wished to see what that arrogant String Master would look like when he lost.

At some point, the song stopped.

Li Nianfan and Qin Manyun stopped at the same time. Li Nianfan was very calm, but Qin Manyun's mouth was open, her eyes had a look of shock.

She reminisced in disbelief.

Just now… I actually played that level of a song?

She knew very well that it was because Li Nianfan had been guiding her, but she was still emotional and touched.

Li Nianfan looked at Qin Manyun, asked, "When you were playing just now, what were you thinking about?"

"Thinking about it?"

Qin Manyun straightened her body, working hard to think about it before saying, "I don't think I was thinking at all, my entire mind was thrown into the song."

"That's what you need, remember that feeling."

Li Nianfan nodded before saying, "You must know that music is related to your heart. Only by throwing your heart into the music will you truly resonate with it. Don't allow changes in the outside world to influence your emotions, only then will you be able to play the best music."

Qin Manyun nodded thoughtfully. "Mr. Li, I understand."

Li Nianfan smiled, saying, "Good, I'll practice a few more times with you, I hope you'll win beautifully."

Qin Manyun stood up, and said incredibly seriously, "I definitely won't disappoint you."

That night, Qin Manyun did not sleep, nor did she play, she merely held her zither, and seemed to stare into space.

Li Nianfan did not disturb her.

The next day.

Qin Manyun brought her Guqin, her eyes calm like water and her exeter being was tranquil, emitting an unfathomable aura.

She prepared to leave with Yao Mengji.

"That's right, please wait."

Li Nianfan called out to them, and brought a bag over. What the bag contained were dumplings.

He smiled and said, "We have too much Taotie meat, and we made a lot of dumplings. It would be a waste to leave them here, please bring it back to the Heavenly Palace and share it with our fellow cultivators."

Yao Mengji did not even think about it before rejecting it. "Lord Saint, I wouldn't dare."

He knew how valuable those dumplings were, even just one was an invaluable treasure, let alone an entire bag. It was something that would cause countless people to go crazy if placed outside.

He had come over for help, and had already caused too many inconveniences, so how could he accept such a valuable thing.

"It's just some snacks, what's there to dare?"

Li Nianfan smiled. "Furthermore, Nuwa played a large part in capturing the Taotie, so don't reject it!"

Yao Mengji was forced to thicken his skin and say earnestly, "Thank…thank you Lord Saint."

After leaving the place, Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun quickly headed toward the Moon Palace.

…

On the Moon Palace.

After Yao Mengji left, the String Master sat cross legged in front of the zither, not even moving, closing his eyes like he was taking a nap.

In truth, 'Ambush' and 'Tall Mountains and Flowing Water' were constantly playing in his mind.

The more he looked at them, the more he could feel how special those two songs were. Those songs he once prided himself with seemed incredibly childish in the face of those two songs.

Amazing, it was really amazing!

He felt that he had advanced a step in the Dao of the zither.

The man next to him was already getting impatient. He looked at the crowd and smiled coldly, "The one day period has already passed, it seems your help has fled!"

The String Master suddenly opened his eyes, saying calmly, "Leave, they're here."

Not long after, Yao Mengji and Qin Manyun came into few, they closed in rapidly.

The man looked at Yao Mengji and then Qin Manyun. He was suddenly taken aback, and thought that there was a problem in his perception. "Early-stage Daluo Golden Immortal?"

That was the help they were waiting for?

A whole group of Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals caused such a scene just to wait for some rookie that had just turned into a Daluo Golden Immortal?

Were they trying to stage a comedy skit?

Taishang Elder, who was still tied up, closed his eyes painfully when he saw Qin Manyun, not being able to bear looking on.

He had known that there was not much hope, but still held onto a sliver of hope that there would be a miracle. Yet, it seemed that he was overthinking it, the Heavenly Palace had already given up on fighting back.,

They probably did it as their final show of obstinance, wanting to anger the String Master.

The String Master noticed the zither in her hands, and suddenly laughed.

It was a laugh filled with anger, and his killing intent completely filled the surrounding space. Even moving required a lot of strength.

"That is the reinforcement you were waiting for? A Daluo Golden Immortal, and she wants to face off with me on the zither?!"

The String Master's tone was harsh, and seemed to come right from hell. It was as if he would raise his hand the next moment and exterminate all the ants present.

The reinforcements they had claimed to have, making him wait a whole day, was just a Daluo Chaos Immortal. They were clearly just playing with him!

And that Daluo Golden Immortal came with a zither in hand, wanting to compete with him. That was a complete insult!

Not bad, the String Master never expected that there would be someone who would dare pull such a thing with him!

Everyone felt the pressure from the String Master, and suddenly felt the blood in their bodies go wild. Even the power in their bodies had stopped. They suddenly felt like the String Master only needed one trigger, and a great horror would descend upon them.

"What is it? Do you not dare to face a mere Daluo Golden Immortal like me?"

At that moment, a voice withstood the pressure and said with great difficulty. It was not loud, but everyone heard it.

The String Master looked at QIn Manyun. "Good, very good. I have to say, you've successfully angered me."

"Since I said I would give you another chance, I won't go back on my word! However, after this, you won't even be able to be my slaves anymore, because I've decided to make you wish you were dead!"

Qin Manyun said nothing, and slowly set up her zither, sitting cross legged on a cloud as she placed her hands on the zither.

Yao Mengji slowly left Qin Manyun's side. The people of the HEavenly palace held their breaths, widening their eyes as they waited for the next moment.

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen looked at each other, helpless.

They knew the expert was extraordinary, but they had never seen the expert play music before, yet it did not stop them from hoping for a miracle.

They felt like they had gone crazy, actually holding out hope for a Chaos Golden Immortal facing a Heavenly Realm Deity.

Chapter 582

Outer Space, the Moon Palace.

Qin Manyun and the String Master faced each other, sitting in the air with a Fuqin in front of them.

The feeling that they were facing off frustrated the String Master, he felt insulted. He was actually facing a Daluo Golden Immortal, if the word spread, he would be laughed at by every living being in the Chaos.

So, he prepared to end this Dao discussion quickly!

The String Master placed his hands on the zither, and sharply held one of the strings. "I hope you won't immediately become a cripple when I let go of this string!"

Qin Manyun ignored him, and only seemed to care about her own zither.

The String Master narrowed his eyes, and with a cold snort, he let his finger go!

Twing!

The immense killing intent was like a rampaging wild horse, a shocking power flew straight toward Qin Manyun.

It was only one sound, but it was clear and deafening, and was more imperious than a drum. It seemed to form the face of a fierce ghost in the air, and headed straight at Qin Manyun!

At that moment, Qin Manyun started to play.

A calming music could be heard, it swept through like a gentle breeze, and actually managed to soothe the hearts of the people in the Heavenly Palace. The song was not aggressive at all, and seemed to live on its own, illustrating its own story.

That ghostly face rushed over, and when it touched Qin Manyun's song, it was like dust meeting an intense wind, and was blown away immediately.

The song flowed like water, and was incredibly clear, slowly flowing and it covered the whole space.

"Amazing!"

Everyone exclaimed as they looked at Qin Manyun.

They never expected that Qin Manyun could actually disrupt the String Master's attack, and it was with such a calm method, which made it feel miraculous.

"She actually blocked it."

Taishang Elder could not help but be stunned, hanging in the air. He had an expression of disbelief as he looked at the calm Qin Manyun in confusion, and was suddenly filled with a sliver of hope.

"After so many years, I never expected my Eldritch World to give birth to such a talented person. I wonder who taught such a talented pupil."

If he had noticed her back then, he would definitely have wanted to teach her.

The String Master furrowed his eyebrow as he finally started to get serious.

Twang twang twang!

Two different songs reverberated throughout space, intersecting and opposing each other, playing in everyone's ears.

However, it did not cause anyone to feel like it was messing. It was two different realms, and they would not be ruined by a different song.

An intense storm started to form around them as the sounds of music carried their Dao and clashed against each other, causing the forces of nature to descend into chaos. Between them formed an empty void.

In there, the other forces had all been repelled, and all that remained was their Dao, fighting for dominance.

Closely after that, the void slowly started to expand, turning into a sphere that enveloped the whole Moon Palace. There, the two different songs played, causing everyone to hold their breaths as they felt an intense pressure.

In that situation, they did not dare to send their Dao out at all, because they knew very well that their Dao's would be completely obliterated by the music if they were not resolved enough, crippling their Insights!

With the current situation, Qin Manyun's performance had already exceeded Nuwa and Junjun's. Her song did not seem to show any weaknesses, and she had calmly walked her own path from start to end, firm as a mountain without being stirred.

"Is this the expert's doing?"

Qin Zhongshand and Bai Chen pursed their lips, feeling a deep sense of shock. Even the zither prodigy by his side was so powerful, it was unbelievable!

At the same time, they thought of Shi Tuqin from the Legendary Beast Sect. They felt that she was probably even more powerful than they imagined!

"It seems like you do have some skill."

The String Master's expression was a bit stiff as he smiled coldly, speeding up the rhythm of his playing, and the sound of his music turned into a cold killing intense from the original low and frantic playing. In space, the originally formless Dao suddenly turned red!

The red was sharp as a knife, and it turned into countless ghostly faces. There were hundreds of thousands of dead soldiers that died in bloodshed, and the killing intent that filled the skies imperiously charged forward, causing everyone to shudder.

He was playing 'Ambush'.

The song was just like its name, and the music had already entered an intense point. A killing aura that belonged on the battlefield surged out, seemingly threatening to swallow everyone whole. The music was incredibly frantic, and just the sound alone caused them to have difficulty breathing, their heartbeats were all disrupted by the song.

The immense Dao started to condense in the air, and even the onlookers started to be affected, their hearts freezing.

"He really is the String Master, his control of music is way too strong!"𝓁𝒾𝘣𝑟𝑒𝘢𝘥.𝘤𝘰𝑚

"If it were me, under this situation, my Dao would have crumbled!"

"He hasn't been able to take down Fairy Manyun, so he seems to have gotten impatient. Is he preparing to use his Dao to suppress her?"

"Most importantly, he's using our song!"

The onlookers could not help but discuss among themselves before throwing their gazes toward Qin Manyun, deeply concerned.

Under such an intense song, it would be easy for Qin Manyun to lose her tempo, the moment that happened, her Insights would be disturbed, and she would be done for.

The man next to the String Master smiled. "She's just a little candle, and she dares to fight against the master's moonlight?"

He had no doubt that Qin Manyun would perish under his master's music the next moment.

However, under the focus of everyone, Qin Manyun was still as she was earlier, calmly playing her zither. Her white dress moved without the wind, and she was just like a fairy, sitting atop the sky of the Moon Palace, not feeling anything from the outside world, completely immersing herself in the song!

Before she played, she repeated Li Nianfan's teachings a second time, "You need to throw your heart into playing. Music is the key to conveying emotion, so you need to clearly think about what you want to convey. Only then can you maintain your heart. You play your own song, let him be as strong as he wants, a breeze can't topple a mountain, let him do whatever he wants, and you illuminate everything!"

The horrifying army bellowed, surrounding Qin Manyun, as if they would kill her off the next moment.

Yet, around Qin Manyun, the music was like ripples on water, flowing smoothless, turning into a shield around her. No matter how hard the army tried, they could not enter.

In fact, as the crowd looked at Qin Manyun, their uneasy hearts started to calm down.

The man next to the String Master widened his eyes, as if he had seen something unbelievable. "How is this possible?!"

He could not help but look at the String Master, and when he saw the String Master's reddening eyes, his heart started to pound as his mind went blank.

He knew very well, only when his master was incredibly serious did his master's eyes glow red!

That meant that his master was incredibly serious at that moment, enough for his heart to burn in anger. His master really wanted to suppress his foe, yet…it was not happening!

That…was too unbelievable!

The opponent was just a Golden Daluo Immortal!

Unconsciously, a chill could be felt in the man's heart, his world view had been shattered.

As for the Taishang Elder that was tied up by him, the man had his mouth open, and was already dumbfounded.

A miraculous girl, what a miraculous girl!

The Jade Emperor's group was amazing, they actually managed to find a girl like that!

"Impossible, how is this possible?!"

The String Master no longer had the cold arrogance he did before, and with his red eyes, his voice sounded incredibly mad when he said, "How are you standing up to my Dao? Why are you only defending? Attack, attack if you have the ability to! The zither is a tool for killing!"

Normally, he would naturally not lose his composure so easily, but he could not accept the current situation!

The opponent was just a little girl, and she was only a Golden Daluo Immortal, not even an ant in his eyes. She should have been an invisible character!

She actually managed to hold him off?

His Dao was inferior to hers?

Then why did he train for countless years? Compared to her, was he not just a cripple?

He had wandered the Chaos, and seen and experienced an incredible amount of things. Being dealt such a huge impact was not something his arrogance could accept.

Twang twang twang!

At that moment, Qin Manyun's song started to change.

If her song earlier was calm, tranquil and peaceful, then now, under that peace seemed to be a dark cloud, and thunder could be heard.

It was as if the mountain was about to be hit by a storm.

Following that, the song started to get sharper.

It was different from a whole army, the song was very humble, but still very sharp, as if it could pierce through everything.

Yao Mengji's heart jumped, and he clenched his fist anxiously. "Qin Manyun…is about to start attacking?"

All of them felt the change in the song. Affected by the song, a tense atmosphere started to spread as they all shuddered.

'Guangling San'

The song illustrated how Jing Ke killed the King of Qin.

It had perfectly illustrated the quiet and silence before assassinating Qin, as well as the tense atmosphere during the assassination.

Qin Manyun's had already gone through the ambush, and the next part was pulling out the sword!

"Attacking, you actually dae to counterattack? Who do you think you are?!"

The String Master's hands had already turned into afterimages as they danced on the Guqin. His hands could barely be seen, and he was not just playing one song, but the various songs that he knew, it was incredibly domineering!

Twang!

However, Qin Manyun seemed to ignore that domineering sight.

Jing Ke…would kill King Qin!

With the sharp sound of the zither, it was like the sharpest sword that could pierce through anything.

Bam!

The String Master's army was still there, yet, the song had suddenly stopped!

Everything disappeared, and time seemed to stop.

The String Master sat there, unmoving. A sliver of blood started to drip out of the corner of his mouth.

It was not only him who was in disbelief, no one else dared to believe what had happened. Even though they had been hoping for a miracle, for a miracle to actually happen was unbelievable!

The man next to the String Master retreated a few steps in disbelief, unable to clear the shock in his heart.

They…they lost?

The String Master wandered the Chaos, discussing Dao with everyone. He had defeated an unknown number of geniuses, and after following him for so long, the man had almost forgotten that the String Master…could actually lose!

And, he lost to a little girl with extremely average cultivation.

If that news spread out, the whole Chaos would be in disarray!

Qin Manyun looked at the String Master, saying confidently but humbly, "The zither isn't a tool for killing, it's a tool to convey emotion."

That was the first thing Li Nianfan taught her.

It was not just her before that, every zither cultivator probably thought that the zither was an instrument to transmit Dao, it was used to fight, and was a weapon for the strong.

Yet, Li Nianfan told her, playing the zither was entertainment, it could affect people, and was a medium to touch the feelings of others.

In just a simple sentence, it felt like cold water had been poured on her, causing her to start in realization!

At that moment, she awakened.

She started walking the true path of the zither!

Qin Manyun's words caused the String Master to tremble, his nostrils flared as he mumbled, "I can't believe it, I can't believe it! I actually can't see as much as a little girl."

He could not help but think about countless years ago, about his memories that were already vague.

Then, he started to learn the zither, and he loved the sounds he could play, and others praised his music.

However, ever since he used his music to defeat an opponent, ever since his music killed the first person, his goals changed.

He pursued strengthening his music, he viewed the zither as his weapon, but he neglected its most basic function, and even viewed it as a joke.

"Fellow cultivator, can you release our friend now?" Cultivator Junjun's voice interrupted the String Master's thoughts.

He looked up, his eyes glinting as he looked at Qin Mayyun. "What song did you play?"

"Guangling San.

"It's a miraculous song."

The string Master exclaimed, and his eyes seemed to have a fiery temperament as he said full of emotion, "How did you obtain three godly songs like that with just your level of cultivation? And you, a mere Golden Daluo Immortal, even if you're a genius, you shouldn't have such a profound understanding of the zither. Tell me, what sort of chance encounter did you all obtain?!"

The crowd's expressions sank. "You should just accept your loss, are you trying to go back on your words?"

"Hahaha, accept my loss? That would be the case if our skills were even! You weaklings are really naive."

The String Master laughed coldly as he looked at Qin Manyun, the killing intent in his eyes seemingly solidifying as a horrifying aura exploded out. "I learned a lot from this match! However…you dared to beat me? You'll have to pay for it by dying!"

After that, he raised his hand slowly, just like raising a leg to kill and an, and casually plucked the zither!

Twang!

This time, it was not discussing Dao, it was an attack from a Heavenly REalm Deity!

No one there would be able to defend against that, even if they all worked together, let alone Qin Manyun!

Even the space itself was destroyed as the aura of death swept across everyone, causing even their blood to stop flowing.

"Stop!"

"Shameless!"

The people of the Heavenly Palace shouted out. They were unwilling, angered and hopeless. They unleashed all of their power, using everything they had to try and stop that attack.

The Taishang Elder starred as it happened, and started to struggle with all his might. His eyes were red and his lips trembled as tears fell.

It was too difficult, with the String Master's personality, there was no way they could stop that attack.

Yet, at that point, an overflowing aura started to erupt. That energy was immensely holy, and flowed out like a river. It felt limitless, yet was not overbearing. It was like a gentle breeze had passed, and easily swept away the String Master's attack.

Everyone was stunned, and when they looked over, they saw that the air around Qin Manyune seemed to be twisted as Dao circled her, as if it was a cloak.

The flow of that Dao originated from Qin Manyun's fingertips, causing her to raise her hand, and plucking a string of her zither as well!

Chapter 583

Just one note of the zither.

It was like a stream of light, turning into ripples on a lake, manifesting into waves as they crashed right at the String Master!

The note did not look fast, but everyone could feel that it encompassed everything. Like a boat in the sea, there was no way to avoid the rise and fall of the waves.

"This, this is…"

When that energy appeared on Qin Manyun's body, the String Master was dumbfounded. At that moment, his lifetime's worth of cultivation felt like it had met its natural predator, and started to seclude itself without hesitation. Goosebumps could be felt all over his body and he could not stop himself from shaking.

"What kind of zither music is this, it managed to resonate so much with the Dao!"

He was in disbelief, and his eyes bulged, filled with horror, confusion, panic and other feelings. He did not know what to do.

He merely stared at everything that was happening. He wanted to fight back, but a sense of helplessness filled his heart.

He was too insignificant. He had been conceited for his whole life, and lived without a care for countless years. He had never been attacked like that in his whole life. He never expected that there would be a day where he felt so insignificant.

The speed of the Dao was not quick, but it did not seem worried that the String Master would escape. It seemed to be giving him enough to think, allowing him to quietly feel the hopelessness that came before death.

It felt like an emperor had sentenced someone to death, and the sentence was on its way to being executed, the result had already been set.

"Impossible, how could you have such an extraordinary power on you?!"

The String Master let out his final cry, and his hands shook due to the horror. With all his might, he started to play the zither!

He had gone crazy.

Waves of music began to shoot out, unworried about the consequences as he merely wanted to unleash the strongest attacks he could.

Normally, that action would cause the world to shake, and even the Area of the Gods would see significant waves. Large parts of space would be wiped away, and all the living beings would be eliminated.

At that moment, he was playing the zither like a crazed man without any cultivation, and everything he did was being suppressed, unable to even cause the slightest ripple.

"You, you…there's a Wisdom Realm Deity behind you? He, he…"

The String Master seemed to have thought of something terrifying, and his voice trembled. However, before he could finish speaking, under everyone's gazes, the Dao patterns flowed actress his body like a river.

The String Master stopped moving.

His body and his zither, under the gazes of everyone, disappeared without a trace alongside the flow of the Dao, as if they had not existed in the first place.

If they had not seen everything from start to end, everyone would have thought that the String Master was just a dream.

It had been too easy, too dream-like.

The great String Master, easily disappeared just like wiping away chalk from a blackboard…

That shocking scene had caused everyone to widen their eyes, forgetting to even breathe as they turned into statues, their minds constantly replaying the earlier scene.

As for the man that had been next to the String Master. After the shock, he had turned mute. He widened his mouth, trembling as he pointed at the spot where the String Master had disappeared…

"Ah…"

'What happened to the master I follow?'

'My strong, undefeatable, amazing master disappeared just like that?'

'Is this an illusion?'

'I've definitely been caught in an illusion!'

Nuwa and the others jerked, and immediately raised their hands at the same time, sending their spells right at the String Master's subordinate, saving Taishang Elder.

The man was still considered an expert about Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals, but with Nuwa and the others working together, he naturally could not hold them back. Furthermore, his heart had already fallen, and he was already on the brink of collapse, so there was no resistance.

Taishang Elder had his eyes on Qin Manyun the whole time, even as he was being saved. His expression was dazed, thinking that he was dreaming.

If he had not been dreaming, then how could a Daluo Golden Immortal unleash such a terrifying attack?

The changes in his hometown were a bit too excessive…

"Elder!"

The Jade Emperor shouted at the elder, causing him to snap back to reality.

He looked at the Jade Emperor, his expression was at a loss as his lips trembled. Countless questions popped up on his mind at the same time, and he did not know where to start.

The old friends met each other again, and tears fell. There were no words shared between them, only countless tears.

Thousands of words were condensed into one sentence by Cultivator Junjun. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

The elder looked at the Jade Emperor, and finally asked the question he cared the most about. "Jade Emperor, your cultivation seems to have exceeded mine?"

"It doesn't just seem that way."

The Jade Emperor smiled softly, waving his hand as he said, "It's a long story, but I had a few chance encounters and made a breakthrough. There's nothing to gloat about."

The elder said nothing, and suddenly felt a sense of sorrow.

He had wandered the Chaos, going through life and death. Relying on his pill refinement, he had become a subordinate, living among the cracks. Yet, now that he was back, he realized that the people who had stayed back were all better off than he was?

He had been a saint in the Eldritch World. After the passage of time, in front of his old friends, he suddenly felt like a little brother.

'Why did I leave the Eldritch World back then?!'

"Congratulations."

The elder did not want his old friends to see his weakness, so he forced out a smile before respectfully looking at Qin Manyun, saying softly, "Then… this is?"

He had been shocked by Qin Manyun's talent earlier, and had wanted to have her as a disciple. And now, he started to admire his past self for having such a crazy idea.

That woman…could not be offended!

Cultivator Junjun deliberately said in a mysterious manner, "Her origins are not so simple, it's no longer something you can imagine. Let's go, we'll introduce you, you have to remember to be respectful."

Taishang Elder had no suspicions, and hurriedly said, "I naturally know my place."

He had not had a good time in the Chaos, and had long since learnt how to act when facing his superiors. Only those who wanted to die would be ostentatious.

Did the String Master who had never lost not just die off like that? And his death had been way too strange, so strange that no one would believe it.

In the vast Chaos, there were hidden geniuses everywhere, one could not allow their ego to get too big.

At that moment, Qin Manyun was also stunned herself, her mind constantly repeating one sentence, 'I just killed a Heavenly Realm Deity with one pluck of my string just now?!'

'I'm way too cool!'

Junjun did not dare put on any airs in front of Qin Manyun, and respectfully said, "Fairy Manyun, this is an old saint of the Eldritch World, Taishang Elder."

"Taishang Elder? I'm happy to meet you, I've heard Mr. Li mentioning you before."

QIn Manyun immediately bowed to the Taishang Elder respectfully. When she listened to Li Nianfan talk about the Eldritch, she was quite familiar with the few Saints.

"Thank you, I wouldn't dare." Taishang Elder immediately waved his hands, praising her, "You're the true hero of the Eldritch. The battle earlier really impressed me. I managed to see an impossible miracle in my hopelessness. That final moment was impossible to describe, I don't think it can be replicated even within the whole Chaos!

"Thank you for saving my life, please accept a bow from me!"

As he said that, the elder gave an incredibly respectful bow.

"You praise me too much, that last attack was just the Wisdom that Mr. Li left in me when he was teaching me." Qin Manyun said apologetically.

Cultivator Junjun and the others had a moment of realization, "So it was the expert's plan."

Qin Manyun was full of sincerity as she nodded. "That's right, before I came, Mr. Li had taught me for a whole day, and played the zither himself while resonating with me. I had thought that he was just guiding me, but he actually transferred a lot of Wisdom onto me, to protect me."

"That's not just protecting you."

Nuwa shook her head, saying with certainty, "I think that the expert already expected the String Master to do what he did, and had purposely left something on your body. He had clearly saved us again!"

The Jade Emperor agreed, "Nuwa is right."

Taishang Elder listened by the side, and suddenly felt like he was out of the loop, and on a separate wavelength as everyone else. He could not help but ask, "Could I please ask, who is this expert that Manyun is talking about?"

Qin Manyun said, "It's Mr. Li. I'm lucky enough to be a student next to him."

"A…student?"

Taishang Elder's mind went blank, unwilling to believe his ears as he stood on the ground stunned.

A girl that managed to hold back the String Master with just one song, was actually willing to be a student?

Furthermore, it was not hard to discern from their earlier conversation that Qin Manyun did what she did earlier all from a day of tutelage from the expert!

The most important thing was, that finally horrifying attack was from that expert!

What sort of godly existence was that?

Thinking about it was enough to fill whim with horror!

His face started to twist in shock, and he did not know what kind of expression he needed to adopt with all the conflict in his mind.

He looked at the calm Jade Emperor, asking, "You…are all of you not shocked?"

The Jade Emperor said, "You're already used to it. You don't really understand how impressive the expert is."

Taishang Elder said, stunned, "I really don't, it's already outside of my realm of comprehension."

"That's right, I have good news for all of you."

Yao Mengji suddenly said, a mysterious smile suddenly showing itself on his face.

"Oh? What's the news?" It invited the interest of everyone.

Yun shu smiled and said, "Is it related to the expert?"

"Hahaha, smart! I came from the expert's place with Manyun, so the news is naturally related to the expert."

Yao Mengji toyed with his beard, and finally said after putting on a show, "Before I left, the expert gave me something, and said it was a gift for us."

When he said that, the Jade Emperor and the others all saw their eyes light up like lightbulbs, their anticipation rising.

Gifts from the expert were never ordinary, looking at the show Yao Mengji was putting on, it would definitely not be anything simple!

QIn Manyun said with some amusement, "Alright, you shouldn't play with them anymore, hurry up and tell them."

Yao Mengji's smile grew bigger as he took out a bag, saying loudly, "Please look! Tadaa!"

In a flash, all of their gazes were attracted, then their pupils constricted.

Nuwa took in a cold breath, stammering excitedly, "This, this is…"

"Dumplings, they're dumplings!"

Qin Zhongshan and Bei Chen said at the same time, their faces filled with happiness.

Cultivator Junjun shook as well, gulping and refusing to take his eyes off the dumpling. "Could it be those dumplings?"

Last time, Nuwa had accompanied Blackie in fighting the Taotie. They had not followed because they needed to protect the Heavenly Palace. Listening to Nuwa describe the taste of the grilled Taotie filled them with envy. Naturally, Nuwa had mentioned that the expert was going to turn the Taotie into dumplings.

Then those dumplings…were probably made of Taotie meat!

Suddenly being greeted by such a dream-like surprise, how could they not be emotional?

"Dumplings…"

The Jade emperor's eyes widened, saying meaningfully, "If I'm not mistaken, in the mortal realm, dumplings are a sign of reunion."

As he said that, everyone's hearts jumped suddenly feeling the deeper meaning within.

"The expert…already knew that the elder would come back, so he gave us the dumplings in celebration of our reunion?"

"Everything really is within his control."

"Ah, what did we ever do to deserve being taken care of by an expert like this!"

Everyone's excited state suddenly stopped as tears started to fall from their eyes, they were way too touched.

'How do I repay you? Expert!'

Taishang Elder looked around, and could not help but purse his lips. "That…I'm sorry, but aren't you exaggerating things? It's just some dumplings, you don't have to…"

After so long of not meeting them, he never expected that, not only did their skills increase by a lot, even their acting skills had improved. They had all become fans of the expert, and sang him praises for no reason.

"Stop speaking!"

Cultivator Junjun suddenly shouted, his expression serious, "Elder, you're too presumptions. You've wandered the Chaos for so many years, there are some things that can't be understood, so you should hold your mouth! Don't casually give your criticisms!"

Taishang Elder jumped in fright, and did not dare to speak back.

"Elder, you'll understand in a moment."𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝓮𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝙢

Jade Emperor clapped Taishang Elder's shoulder, still eyeing the dumplings as he said, "Quickly, let's not betray the expert's kindness. While it's still fresh, let's eat."

Those words were naturally agreed by everyone, and they all flew back to the Heavenly Palace.

They set up a fire, boiled the water, and put in the dumplings…

After that, they all had their chopsticks in hand, surrounding the pot as they stared inside, waiting for the dumplings to start floating.

A group of old cultivators had quickly tossed aside their images, and were like children excitedly staring at their favorite foods.

With the amount of saliva they were producing, the gulping sounds started to form a rhythm…

Chapter 584

After a period of time, the pot started to bubble.

Suddenly, everyone stopped their conversations as their eyes were fixated on those dumplings. The muscles on their bodies contracted as the atmosphere changed, their expressions were incredibly eager.

The tense atmosphere was even heavier than battle.

Taishang Elder might not understand it, but he was not stupid. He had naturally sat around the pot alongside everyone else, and prepared to try out what was so different about the dumplings.

Unlike other foods, dumplings would not have that much fragrance, but the uniform shapes glistened, and they could vaguely see the filling behind the skin, which was full and alluring.

The time slowly passed.

Suddenly, one of the dumplings in the pot moved!

After that, it slowly floated to the surface with the bubbles.

"Ha!"

Almost instantly, the dumpling suddenly flew to the surface, and all of them moved at the same time. Spells started to fly, enveloping the area, turning into the power of Dao, all so they could catch that dumpling!

In the end, a pair of chopsticks flew out from the midst of the spells, holding on to the dumpling before it sped back, fleeing the battlefield.

Cultivator Junjun looked as the dumpling was brought in front of him. With a smile, he did not say another word as he stuffed the dumpling into his mouth immediately.

At his realm, he naturally would not be afraid of food being hot, he was only afraid that…his food would be snatched away.

When the whole dumpling entered his mouth, all he could feel was a soft, smooth skin, traveling between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He felt an explosion of flavor before he even started eating!

He did not delay it, and his teeth slightly sunk in…

Immediately, it was like he had bitten through the weakest defense in the world. The outer layer of the dumpling was bitten open, and the unending amounts of flavor sealed within started to ooze out, the juices flowed and bursted!

The flavorful taste filled his mouth, going into his nostrils and straight into his mind. With a boom, his entire mind went blank.

It was amazing, it was too amazing.

However…that was just the start.

As his teeth sank in further, touching the filling, and biting it apart…

The fragrance of the minced Taotie meat, alongside the flavor of the cabbage, topped off with seasonings that Li Nianfan had specially made, made for an incredible show!

Absolute fragrance, absolute flavor!

It was good, way too good!

Cultivator Junjun had been conquered. He could no longer control himself, and quickly chewed it twice before swallowing it with a gulp. 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝙘𝙤𝙢

It was a little uncouth, but in that situation, no one would be able to control themselves.

Feeling the dumpling go into his stomach through his throat, a warm and happy feeling burst out, and his spirit felt so satisfied that it was trembling. There was no way to describe that feeling with words. So, in the end he just let out a long sigh, "Ah…"

The others did not manage to get the first dumpling, and could all merely look at Cultivator Junjun with bated breath.

From the moment the dumpling had entered his mouth, they had been observing Junjun's facial expressions. Those changes on his face could only be described with one word, seductive.

Especially that last, ecstatic, 'ah', it had caused goosebumps on everyone.

For a cultivating old man to let out a cry of ecstasy like that, with such a deep and meaningful expression, it was a wretched kind of emotion.

However, everyone there knew what was happening, and did not feel like anything was strange, and only anticipated the dumplings even more.

Only Taishang Elder seemingly felt like he had only just gotten to know Cultivator Junjun, "Hongjun, you… is it really that nice?"

The Hongjun from before was not like that!

"Remember! Don't call me that anymore, I've changed my name to Cultivator Junjun."

Cultivator Junjun told him viciously before saying with a serious tone, "You're still too young, and don't understand. Don't say I didn't warn you, fight for more dumplings!"

At that moment, the water boiled even more intensely in the pot, and the dumplings started to move, floating up.

No one needed to say anything, and everything started to fling their spells around, using various methods to get the dumplings in the pot.

Boom!

The water in the pot burst out, and the pot exploded as dumplings started to attract everyone's attention.

They were all top tier Deities, but now their eyes were red.

"Normally, we call each other brothers, and now we're willing to fight me for a dumpling?"

"Don't both! I'm willing to sacrifice all of our bonds just for a few more dumplings!"

"That's too much, you better leave some for me, don't force me to get violent!"

Only when they were eating with the expert could they control their impulses, and would even be extremely polite. Without the pressure from the expert, they were basically wild animals fighting for food, and did not recognize anyone else.

However, there were many dumplings in the bag, and no one was merciless, so everyone had gotten some.

Each of them had their hands on their bowls, looking at the dumplings within as their eyes lit up like light bulbs. They had drool on the corners of their mouths, and all of them did not speak as impatiently put a dumpling into their mouths.

The next moment.

"Ah…"

"Oh…"

"Oh my…"

Sounds started to be heard, and all of their expressions were not much different from Cultivator Junjun's earlier, making for a spectacular scene.

If any of their disciples had seen it, their eyeballs would definitely have blown up. The image the cultivators had maintained would all be shattered.

As for Nuwa and Yun Shu, as goddesses, they naturally needed to be careful of their images. So, they ran to a corner to taste the dumplings.

After the reminder to Taishang Elder from Cultivator Junjun, he took it to heart, and had also used his skills to get five dumplings.

Listening to the various moans coming from his old friends, he could not help but shudder, and curiously put a dumpling into his mouth.

After that…

"Ah…"

He widened his eyes, and his whole body trembled. At that moment, he deeply understood the meaning of the word 'sublime'.

Fly, he was about to fly.

His hair floated up, pointing towards the skies.

He closed his eyes, and felt like he was floating. Two streaks of tears fell from his eyes, flowing across his face.

He cried after eating it…

The others were already mentally prepared, and had eaten the expert's food before, only Taishang Elder was on his first try.

It was impossible to withstand, his heart exploded!

Tens of thousands of thoughts floated into his head. Living a waste, he had been living a waste of a life before! Being able to eat something that delicious left him without regrets in his life, even if he died, he would be content.

'Boohoo, how could I be so happy?'

He did not care about anything else, and only had one thing he wanted to do on his mind – eat dumplings!

"Gulp, gulp, gulp."

The dumplings entered his mouth one by one, it felt too great…

Just as he was submerged in all the flavor, a strange energy bursted out, and his entire body jerked as if it was struck by lightning.

"This, this is…"

His breath turned erratic, and his mind felt a sense of clarity it had never felt before. All the hairs on his body stood, and within his body, an explosion of power was awakening.

In the land, an unlimited power was starting to build. Veins of Wisdom appeared, and spiritual power started to surge out and enter his body.

When he left the Eldritch, it had been with the status of the Eldritch Saint. Being in the Chaos for so long, it was already an immense blessing that he was still alive. And he had still yet to truly achieve the realm of a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal.

That bottleneck had been way too hard to break through, and he had felt helpless and hopeless. Which was why he had felt so despondent when he heard that the Jade Emperor had exceeded him and entered the Chaos realm.

Yet, he would never have expected that the bottleneck would have been just like a thin layer, and would be broken so easily without any effort!

Chaos Golden Daluo Immortal?

After eating some dumplings, he…entered the Chaos stage?

He stood on the spot, and felt like he was dreaming.

That was right, the dumplings!

What kind of godly dumplings were they? Not only were they extremely delicious, they were obviously priceless! There were even traces of Wisdom within, and could help with cultivation, it was an incredible blessing.

His eyes had a deep look of shock as his heart pounded. Respect, excitement and other emotions showed themselves, reddening his old face.

Taishang Elder composed himself, and looked at everyone who was enjoying their dumplings. He gulped and walked to Cultivator Junjun.

He said, "Cultivator Junjun, I've…entered the Chaos stage."

Junjun looked at him casually and unsurprised, calmly saying, "Oh, congratulations."

"It's Chaos! Aren't you supposed to be surprised?"

Taishang Elder felt his mood drop, it was such a large accomplishment, he should at least have been paid a little respect.

Cultivator Junjun waved it off, saying, "Isn't it normal after eating the expert's dumplings? There's nothing to get worked up about."

Taishang Elder licked his lips, staring at Cultivator Junjun's bowl, "These dumplings…"

Cultivator Junjun immediately turned serious, "Mine!"

"I know they're yours."

Taishang Elder's eyes glinted as he weakly said, "Only…you said it earlier as well. The expert's dumplings were given to celebrate the reunion and my return, shouldn't I at least get a few more?"

He did not know the dumplings had been so valuable, and so he controlled his actions, only snatching five. Cultivator Junjun had gotten at least ten, which he envied greatly.

One, just one more was fine!

"Ah."

Cultivator Junjun smiled. "Elder, you really are still too young. This is obviously something impossible."

"But…"

Cultivator Junjun turned around, and Taishang Elder's eyes suddenly brightened, but Junjun continued, "I don't mind sharing some knowledge with you, look."

After that, Cultivator Junjun picked up another dumpling, and slowly bit into it with extreme enjoyment.

He then showed Taishang Elder the bitten part.

Taishang Elder gulped.

"Look at this filling inside, do you know what it is?"

Cultivator Junjun answered it himself, "This meat, it's Taotie meat!"

"Taotie?"

Taishang Elder's heart jumped in great shock.

"Then look at this cabbage, they're Chaos Spiritual Roots!"

Cultivator Junjun exclaimed, and under Taishang Elder's gaze, he put the other half of the dumpling into his mouth, enjoying it immensely.

After Taishang Elder had it introduced to him, his heart ached even more. Unfortunately, not only did Cultivator Junjun have no intentions of sharing it with him, he even deliberately exaggerated his enjoyment.

D*mn it!

'Why did I never notice he was so despicable before?'

Was his noble demeanor back then all fake? And now he's finally starting to stretch his wings?

Those who finished mutely looked at those who still had some left. They could not sit still, and only when everyone finished did the torture end.

The ones who enjoyed it all the most were naturally Yao Mengji, Gu Xirou and Qin Manyun.

The dumplings had been brought by Yao Mengji, so he had naturally hidden a portion, and the three of them had sneakily started their own fire by the side, not needing to fight over it with everyone else.

No one voiced any complaints, and they were only filled with envy.

Gu Xirou wiped her mouth, and could not help but say, "Manyun, why won't you eat even one dumpling?"

"I don't need it."

Manyun shook her head as she smiled. "I'm always by Mr. Li's side, and I've eaten quite a bit. Furthermore, Mr. Li had said that the Tao Tie is too big, and the dumplings could not be finished, so I'll still have more than enough when I go back."

More than enough?

Those words rendered everyone speechless, causing immense envy.

The impact was immense, and caused them to want to cry…

More than enough to eat, what a luxurious lifestyle, they all wanted it too!

Jade Emperor took the crown on his head, looking at and letting out a long sigh.

If he could just help the expert watch the expert's door, it would be a grander position than being the Jade Emperor.

Taishang Elder finally knew how crazy the expert they were talking about was.

He could not help but add in his shock. "This expert is…too unbelievable, I wouldn't even dare imagine it."

"You still don't know too much."

Nuwa took a deep breath, and casually gave a few examples of the expert's achievements, causing Taishang Elder's feelings to deepen.

Cultivator Junjun concluded, "The Eldritch World received a great favor from the expert. Otherwise, both us and this world would have disappeared!"

Bai Chen and Qin zhongshan were also shocked. "So the Area of the Gods had been created on the day of the expert's wedding, it's unbelievable."

Taishang Elder had a thoughtful look as he fell silent for a moment before saying, "Then the expert is definitely at the Wisdom Realm."

Cultivator Junjun raised his eyebrows and said, "You seem to know something?"

"Ah, what do you think I've been doing in the Chaos for so many years?"

Taishang Elder had a pleased smile, and could finally win back some of his honor as he said proudly, "I know some details about Wisdom Realm Deities!"

In truth, the String Master had looked for people to discuss the Dao with throughout the Chaos, and had been to many places. The Elder might not have much of a position, but he still increased his knowledge by quite a bit.

However, he naturally had to bolster his own image with his stories.

Chapter 585

Everyone instantly listened attentively. Cultivator Junjun hurriedly said, "Tell us more."

Taishang Elder finally felt relevant again. He did not delay. He said with a serious face, "In the Chaos, there are endless living beings and species. For example, Humans. We are weak, but we have limitless potential. We'll be ground-breaking once we improve. But actually… Humans aren't the species to rule the Chaos!"

"Humans are on top. Human bodies are the closest to Wisdom. Therefore, the potential is limitless. A lot of living beings have Human forms."

Qin Zhongshan did not look surprised. He continued, "But, no one thinks Humans can rule the Chaos."

Limitless potential was not equivalent to invincible.

The Chaos was far too mysterious and scary. Who dared to rule the Chaos?

Taishang Elder shook his head. He said, "What I want to say is, another species will rule the Chaos!"

"What?"

"Rule the Chaos? Seriously?"

"What species could it be? The Demons?"

Everyone was shocked. They were in disbelief.

'If someone can rule the Chaos, they must be famous.'

Taishang Elder exclaimed, "The species name is the Eldritch!"

He paused. Then, he said, "This species is like the Beasts in the Chaos. They were born from the Chaos. They are naturally powerful and have more potential than Humans. They have been fated to rule the Chaos since birth!"

The Jade Emperor was dumbfounded. "How have we not heard of it?"

"Of course, you haven't heard of it. This is a hidden piece of history that has been lost over time." Taishang Elder sighed with sentimentality. He looked deep and mysterious.

Cultivator Junjun immediately rushed him, "Stop acting cool, hurry up and continue!"

Taishang Elder glanced at Cultivator Junjun. He said, "If you walk in a straight line in the Chaos, you will end up in the Chaos Ocean! In other words, the Chaos is surrounded by the Chaos Ocean!"

"The Chaos Ocean has another unpopular name. It's called… The Forbidden Area!"

"The Forbidden Area?"

Everyone jolted slightly. Things instantly became tense.

They could tell Taishang Elder was telling the truth. Moreover… It was indeed extraordinary!

"I also got this news from a very ancient world."

Taishang Elder said, "There aren't a lot of people who know the truth. Plus, the old worlds were wiped out over the countless years. New worlds were born. They got lesser until barely anyone mentions it anymore."

Goddess Nuwa pondered. She asked, "The Chaos Ocean is called the Forbidden Area. Is it because the Eldritch live in the Chaos Ocean?"

"Right on, Goddess Nuwa!"

Taishang Elder nodded and continued, "According to history records, the Eldritch will battle the Humans. Moreover, the Eldritch once walked out from the Chaos Ocean to battle in the Chaos. Humans couldn't win and they were mercilessly killed! The battle's known as the Godly Punishment!"

"Yikes—"

Everyone gasped. They shivered from the bottom of their hearts.

Cultivator Junjun hurriedly asked, "Do you think it's related to the expert?"

Taishang Elder nodded. "The most recent Godly Punishment occurred three million years ago. Back then, Humans had nine Realm Cultivators in the entire Chaos."

He had to pause. He looked fearful and respectful. His voice was slightly trembling from excitement.

The others did not rush him. They all held their breaths. They felt as if they went back 3,000 000 years ago. They could imagine the majestic history.

Realm Cultivators were too unreal for them. There were no records of those Realm Cultivators. No one could imagine how powerful they were.

"Nine Realm Cultivators!"

Taishang Elder exclaimed with dazed eyes. "The Nine Human Elites were incredible. They fought in the battle of the Godly Punishment! That battle expanded the Chaos Ocean by three inches! It was the only time that Humans were able to fight back. They chased the Eldritch into the Chaos Ocean!"

The Jade Emperor hurriedly asked, "Then what?"

"Who knows?"

Taishang Elder shook his head. "None of the Nine Elites return."

Everyone felt their hearts sink. They instantly stopped talking.

"So… Do you think the expert's one of the Nine Elites?" Qin Manyun covered her mouth with her hand.

Taishang Elder nodded and said, "I think it's possible. After all, who can be so powerful apart from the Nine Elites? Also, the Nine Elites are incredibly talented. I don't believe that they all died." 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Cultivator Junjun had an idea. He made a guess and said, "In that case, I'm afraid the expert pretends to be an ordinary man for a greater purpose."

Bai Chen spoke up, "The expert created the Area of the Gods and gave us endless blessings. Is it because he's training us to fight the Eldritchs?"

Everyone processed what they heard. They were filled with hate and fear toward the Eldridges. They had much more respect for the expert.

…

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Chaos.

On a huge star.

Left Messenger landed on the star. Then, she walked fast. She was inside an antique temple in the blink of an eye.

The temple was creepy. There was no one around but the Left Messenger was frightened. She held her breath and kept her head low. She did not dare to look around.

She walked to a stone door and greeted, "I request to see the Minister. I have something to report."

The stone door did not react. However, an irresistible force moved from within. The Left Messenger could not resist it. She was instantly sucked into the stone door. She dizzily entered another realm.

The place was empty like a gloomy basement. The air around the place was twisted. It felt a bit unreal. The air was filled with Wisdom but it was very messy and complicated. They entangled and opposed each other.

She was very uncomfortable. Cultivating in that place would lead to self-destruction.

A muscular middle-aged man sat in the middle. He had jet-black armor on and was extremely serious. She did not dare to look at him.

Left Messenger carefully bowed and said, "Minister."

The Minister looked at her. He said in an expressionless tone, "Did you fail the task I assigned?"

"I'm sorry for my incompetence. Please, forgive me, Minister."

Left Messenger slightly trembled. She hurriedly knelt to the floor. Then, she said, "But, I failed because of a sudden factor. I can't control it."

The Minister calmly said, "Tell me in detail."

The Left Messenger immediately started to tell him what happened from the Xia Kingdom.

The entire main hall went horrifyingly silent.

A single drop of cold sweat dripped from the Left Messenger's forehead. Seconds passed like years for her. She was extremely nervous.

A while later, the Minister said, "Must be an old friend."

He did not say that in a questioning tone.

The Left Messenger did not dare to speak.

The Minister continued with a reminiscing tone, "Three million years ago, my capabilities were like yours.

"Back then, the Godly Punishment arrived. The powerful cultivators battled the Eldritch. I don't know what the Godly Punishment battle was like, but I know that the battle from three million years ago was the most exciting battle of all time!"

He muttered to himself, "Because, each of the Nine Elites were extremely amazing. They shone through the Chaos and caused the Eldridges to flee!

"That battle shook the Chaos. It destroyed countless worlds. The blood of the Eldritch rained down like water. I followed the Nine Elites into battle, and we went into the Chaos Ocean."

Left Messenger was silent at the side. She wanted to ask what happened but she forced herself to stay quiet. She did not dare to speak…

The Minister fell into reminiscence. His eyes were glossy. He continued to say, "But, the Forbidden Area's forbidden. While we made the Eldritch pay, we were also attacked. The Eldritch were too powerful and they had a secret weapon!

"Luckily, I didn't die after the battle. It was miraculous, but… I was dying.

"Fortunately, there were four Elites nearby. They were severely injured. They could not move and they were basically dead.

"I crawled to them…and devoured them!"

Boom!

Left Messenger was mind blown and frightened. Her mind went blank.

It was too shocking.

She felt like she heard something she should not have heard. She felt as if she was going to die soon.

The Minister calmly said, "Don't be scared. It's not a big deal."

However, the Left Messenger was more frightened after hearing that.

"I knew it. Back then, the Elites were talented and amazing. They couldn't have all died. They could revive through time."

The Minister snickered, "It's a shame that I'm stuck in a special condition. Otherwise, I would love to visit my old friend!"

Left Messenger shivered and asked, "Mi—Minister, I… What should we do next?"

The Minister replied, "Avoid conflict at all cost. Also, I'll send someone new to accompany you since Right Messenger's dead. Find three items for me!"

…

Meanwhile, at the Legendary Beast Sect.

A good-looking young man stood on the hill as the wind blew. Next to him was a jet-black Tiger with black wings. Its fur was as black as ink and its two fangs grew to its chin. The Tiger had shiny orange eyes, making it look extra fierce.

The young man petted the Black Tiger and frowned. He asked coldly, "So, those old folks won't comply?"

A squared-face middle-aged man nodded nearby. He looked pissed off. "Those old folks said that changing the Sect Master's is important, so they rejected our offer."

"Ugh!"

The young man scoffed. "They're so stubborn. That Shi Tuqin isn't dead, but she's half-Demon now. Are they still counting on her?"

The middle-aged man said, "Yu, don't rush. They're only delaying time. Shi Tuqin's clearly out of the way. You're surely the next Sect Master!"

Shi Tuyu snickered coldly, "Dad, they're scared that we'll become too powerful. They don't dare to make me the Sect Master! But… In the future, I'll make them kneel and beg me to become their Sect Master!"

The middle-aged man looked menacing, too. He said, "The Ministry claims to be competent. We told them the whereabouts of Shi Tuqin on purpose but they let her escape. So ridiculous!"

Shi Tuyu asked, "Dad, I heard that Shi Tuqin was depressed and disappointed. She went to study. Is this true?"

"Indeed so."

"Then we don't have to worry anymore." Shi Tuyu laughed. Then, he licked his lips. He said, "However, Shi Tuqin has the blood of the Sky Wing White Tiger in her body. Her blood is beneficial for my Black Tiger. I have to find a way to lure her out!"

…

At the four-part architecture.

Huff puff—

Blackie was sweating hard on the treadmill. He huffed with his tongue out but he looked very serious.

He walked around like an athletic model.

There was a lot of other gym equipment nearby.

On the other hand, Li Nianfan lifted the lid from the pot. He looked at the steam that came out of it. He smiled and said, "The dumplings are cooked. Daji, Fire Phoenix, hurry up and come over with your bowls."

"Oh yeah, Blackie, too. Stop for a while and fetch your Dog bowl. Eating is more important."

He rushed Blackie to come over.

'I wonder what's wrong with this silly dog. Ever since Blackie came back, he insisted on training his body and told me to bring out my gym equipment. He's been working out non-stop.'

Li Nianfan felt speechless at how sweaty Blackie was.

He guessed that Blackie still cared about what happened last time. 'His fur's gone and he was almost abducted. He would be a pot of dog meat if I hadn't rescued him. No, wait, he'd be a turd by now.

'Blackie was traumatized and wants to become stronger.

'However… This trauma might have led to brain damage. Go cultivate if you want to become stronger. Why are you working out with gym equipment?'

Back then, Blackie hated working out. Li Nianfan used to force him to exercise. 'What's the use of working out?'

Li Nianfan felt like he should not traumatize Blackie any further, so he let him be.

Blackie immediately stopped when he heard Li Nianfan. He leaped off the treadmill and ran over with his dog bowl. "Master, give me more dumplings. I'm working out. I need the protein."

Blackie used to be unmotivated in cultivation. He only wanted to be a simple dog with no worries. He had goals to become stronger. He wanted to fight back!

In other words, Blackie needed to fight the Ministry! He was not to be messed with!

"Fine."

Li Nianfan laughed. He filled up the dog bowl. "Here you go. Xiao Bai will fill it up for you if you need more."

Chapter 586

The fresh-out-of-pot dumplings were steaming hot. The comforting scent filled the four-part architecture.

It was lovely.

Before everyone started to eat, Qin Manyun came back. It was merrier.

Everyone gathered around the table and ate dumplings happily.

Li Nianfan asked curiously, "Lady Manyun, what's the result of the zither competition?"

Qin Manyun instantly replied, "I won by a hair. It's all thanks to your teachings, Mr. Li."

"Yo, nice! It's because you worked hard and you're talented."

Li Nianfan laughed. He was not surprised at all. He was already confident in his zither skills. Plus, he gave Qin Manyun a classic music sheet. She probably could not lose.

Qin Manyun looked at Li Nianfan with deep respect and admiration.

She heard about the secrets of the Chaos from the Taishang Elder. Her respect for Li Nianfan was through the roof.

Initially, everyone thought that Li Nianfan was a powerful being that loved to play around. They thought he wanted entertainment in life, so everyone just went along with his acting.

However, they had a huge turn in theory!

'It appears that the expert's one of the Elites! He carries a huge responsibility. He represents the Humans and protects the countless living beings in the Chaos. He's a hero that fought the Eldridges!

'He must have a deeper reason for being an approachable ordinary man. He's probably making plans for the future. This is a much more sound theory than playing around! He's a legend!

'And I'm lucky enough to be chosen as his zither student.

'In the future, they will see me, Qin Manyun, on the path of fighting the Eldridges!'

She was excited and emotional. Her face was slightly flushed.

Li Nianfan noticed the changes in her facial expressions. He thought to himself, 'I only asked casually, but she seems flustered. It seems like it was a tough battle.'

They ate and drank until they were full. Xiao Bai handled washing the dishes. Li Nianfan comfortably laid on the chair like a lazy person.

As for Qin Manyun and Shi Tuqin, they focused on the gym equipment.

They were curious.

Blackie looked at them and asked, "Do you want to try it? It's very useful."

"Alright."

Qin Manyun nodded. She carefully stepped on the treadmill.

Blackie stood up and started to pick a mode for her. Then, the treadmill started to move.

Qin Manyun frantically walked.

She was not aware at first. She thought it was only an exercising toy for Blackie. After all, the treadmill did not look fast to her. Moreover… It was only jogging. How skillful could it be?

However, she widened her eyes when she made the first step. Her body went tense as she moved.

She felt endless pressure over her body. Each step felt exhausting.

She was shocked and wanted to stop. However, the treadmill did not allow her to stop. She jogged with full force.

Qin Manyun had a great body. She was curvy. As she jogged, her long legs moved with her waist and hips. It was very enjoyable to watch.

Li Nianfan saw that. He immediately suggested, "Maintain a steady breathing, control your pace. Jogging is great for your health. Don't stop and keep going."

Qin Manyun was instantly determined to jog.

Then, she felt the blood in her body start to flow. She felt hot. The heat in her blood spread all over her body.

'Strength!

'Powerful strength!'

Qin Manyun felt like she had endless strength! 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝒐𝓶

Meanwhile, the powers in her body started to grow.

Boom!

Her cultivation improved in a matter of seconds like an erupted volcano.

Initially, she was a pre-Daluo Golden Immortal. She breathed in and became a mid-Daluo Golden Immortal. Then, she breathed out and became a post-Daluo Golden Immortal!

She was about to become a Quasi-Saint!

"This…this is…"

Qin Manyun was shocked. She almost fell over.

"This treadmill helps me absorb better!"

The delicious food of the expert and the air in the four-part architecture were all blessings and opportunities. However, it was too much to process. The cultivators could not absorb it all. They had a limit.

After all, it was too much. They could not absorb it properly no matter who it was. They stored a lot of it in their bodies to cultivate in the future. It was impossible to process and absorb it in a short amount of time.

However, the power in her body was absorbed as she jogged!

'Scary, terrifying!

'This is better than Chaos Spiritual Plants!

'The expert knew that I have too much power stored inside me that I can't absorb, so he allowed me to jog on the treadmill. My powers and cultivation have suddenly improved.𝓵𝓲𝓫𝙧𝓮𝙖𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝙢

'He really takes care of everything. He treats me too well!'

"Huh? What's this?"

Shi Tuqin was unaware of how Qin Manyun felt at that moment. She curiously looked at a yoga mat and inspected it. "A mat?"

"That's a yoga mat. Yoga's quite interesting. Let me teach you a few poses."

Li Nianfan was interested. He immediately walked over.

"Come on. First, lay down.

"Tighten your stomach, chest up.

"Bend your knees, legs slightly apart, and lift your waist. Tighten your hips…

"That's right. Lift up more."

Li Nianfan dragged her body and corrected her pose.

He had to say that the body of a cultivator was truly flexible. They were naturals at yoga. With his help, she quickly completed a wonderful yoga pose.

Buzz!

Shi Tuqin felt a heat in her abdomen. A sudden wave of heat shocked through her body like electricity. Her body slightly trembled.

The Spiritual Fruits she ate and the chaotic powers she gained from devouring the Sky Wing White Tiger were instantly calmed. It quickly merged well with her body!

She became a Quasi-Saint!

Shi Tuqin was utterly shocked. She breathed fast. "This pose incorporates Wisdom!"

Li Nianfan turned around and saw Blackie doing pull-ups at the horizontal bar. He instantly laughed. "Nice, Blackie. You look great doing pull-ups. You'll be a muscular dog soon."

…

Time flew by. Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

It was nighttime.

Two figures met in the night.

One of them was Left Messenger, the other cultivator was a middle-aged man with a thin face and a goatee.

The Left Messenger said, "East Shadow Guard, the Minister has assigned us a task."

The Minister had the biggest authority in the Ministry. Followed by the Left Messenger, Right Messenger, and the four Shadow Guards. They were the six guards of the Ministry.

The six guards were powerful Realm Cultivators and they were incredible elites.

They had Realm Cultivators who worked for them. Those were the superior members of the Ministry.

"Assignment for us?"

The six guards were equals. Therefore, they would compete with each other. As powerful cultivators, they were naturally arrogant.

The East Shadow Guard sneered, "You can't even finish a small task. Many superior Ministry members are dead. Even the Right Messenger's dead, too. I'm very worried about collaborating with you."

Left Messenger scoffed. She said, "This is an order from the Minister. You can choose to reject it because I don't want to collaborate with you either!"

The East Shadow Guard asked, "Fine. What's the Minister's assignment?"

"The Minister needs three items." The Left Messenger passed a piece of paper to the East Shadow Guard.

The East Shadow Guard glanced at it. He was instantly surprised. He exclaimed, "The Repose Herb, Pond of Spirits, and the Blood Thirst Spiritual Wood. Does the Lord Minister want these three items now? Is it because there's progress in the experiment?"

Left Messenger said, "Is this what we should worry about? Hurry up and follow the Minister's orders!"

The East Shadow Guard said, "Tell someone to gather information on these three items. I have more important matters at hand."

Left Messenger had to frown. "What is it?"

"Something important!"

The East Shadow Guard had a creepy gaze. "Once I succeed, the rewards will be huge. The Minister will be pleased."

Suddenly, the Left Messenger and the East Shadow Guard sensed something. They looked in the same direction.

The East Shadow Guard smiled and said, "Yikes. I just mentioned it and here he comes."

A young man sat on a Black Tiger under the night sky.

He was Shi Tuyu from the Legendary Beast Sect.

He looked at the East Shadow Guard. He bowed and greeted, "Greetings from Shi Tuyu to the East Shadow Guard."

Left Messenger was surprised. She said, "I can't believe you're working with someone from the Legendary Beast Sect."

The Legendary Beast Sect cultivated alongside Beasts and Demons. The cultivators were close with their Demons—they had a unique relationship. On the other hand, the Ministry loved to capture Demons for breakthroughs in their experiments.

Therefore, the Legendary Beast Sect and the Ministry hated each other. They would fight on sight.

"He isn't an ordinary disciple of the Legendary Beast Sect. Soon, he'll be the Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect!"

The East Shadow Guard made the Left Messenger jolt. She was shocked.

'If that's the case, the young Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect will be an ally of the Ministry. In the future… The Ministry can capture Demons and Beasts like it's our own back garden. Right?

'This is extraordinary.'

She asked, "Why is he working with you?"

"It's simple!"

The East Shadow Guard smiled. He was pleased with himself. "He has a grudge against the Legendary Beast Sect, and I can help him. It's mutually beneficial."

'Surprised. Right? This is my skill.'

The East Shadow Guard was pleased with himself. Left Messenger failed miserably and saw his success. 'She must be feeling sorry for herself.'

Shi Tuyu said, "I want to rule the Legendary Beast Sect. Once it's done, I'll leave the current Sect Master and the others to the Ministry. You can deal with them as you please!"

The East Shadow Guard trusted Shi Tuyu. He said, "The Sect Master's daughter of the Legendary Beast Sect, Shi Tuqin, was betrayed by him. He sold her out so we could capture her."

Left Messenger took a deep breath. She said with seriousness, "The Legendary Beast Sect has powerful cultivators. They have cultivators and Demons that are Realm Cultivators. More importantly, they're stronger when they work together. What are you planning to do next?"

The East Shadow Guard did not answer her question. He looked at Shi Tuyu instead.

Shi Tuyu smiled and said, "Seniors, this isn't a complicated matter. Shi Tuqin is out of the way. The Legendary Beast Sect needs a young Sect Master. First, I'll become the Sect Master. Secondly, I'll get rid of the current Sect Master. We'll basically succeed at that point."

Shi Tuqin was better than Shi Tuyu in every way. She was meant to be the new Sect Master. Shi Tuyu could not do anything about it no matter how much he hated it.

However, Shi Tuqin was now out of the way. All Shi Tuyu needed to do was become the new Sect Master. He would rule the Legendary Beast Sect soon.

He had the powerful outside forces of the Ministry, plus the Legendary Beast Sect had its internal problems. Any powerful force would crumble within a short amount of time.

The East Shadow Guard snickered villainously. He asked, "How can we help you?"

Shi Tuyu said, "I want to become the young Sect Master. It's not hard, but I hope you can fulfill two tasks. They'll be forced to make me the young Sect Master whether they like it or not!"

He paused and sneakily glanced at the East Shadow Guard. He said, "However, the two tasks are slightly difficult."

The East Shadow Guard saw through him. "No need to test us, just spit it out!"

Shi Tuyu said, "First, I want my cultivation and my Black Tiger's cultivation to be better! Especially the Black Tiger. If our blood improves, our talents and powers will be impeccable. The others won't say no to making me the Sect Master!"

The East Shadow Guard retained his facial expression as he asked, "The second task?"

"The second task is…"

Shi Tuyu clenched his jaw. "The Legendary Beast Sect was set up in the Area of the Gods. There's a Taishang Elder who guards the place. I need Black Tiger to be approved by Taishang Elder's Familiar Beast!"

It was… A hard task!

Taishang Elder was without a doubt a powerful Realm Cultivator. His Familiar Beast was naturally powerful, too.

They could not control the approval of Black Tiger.

Moreover, Shi Tuyu most probably brought it up because the Beast did not approve of Black Tiger. Changing the mind of a Familiar Beast was harder than killing the Beast.

The East Shadow Guard did not speak. Everyone went silent.

Shi Tuyu was purely risking it, too. He bet the Ministry had a way to help him become the young Sect Master.

"Ha. Since this is mutually beneficial, we'll help you!"

Finally, the East Shadow Guard spoke. He flicked his wrist and out came two boxes. He tossed it to Shi Tuyu.

"These are the results of the Ministry's experiments. This box can be used to improve your cultivation. This other box has something called the Sync Pill. Find a way to get the Familiar Beast to eat this pill mixed with Black Tiger's blood. The Familiar Beast will like the Black Tiger in three days."

The East Shadow Guard had a slight glint in his eye. He tossed Shi Tuyu another pillbox. "To be safe, you and Black Tiger should eat this pill!"

Chapter 587

Time was insignificant when one lived in the mountains. The days in the four-part architecture quietly went by.

Five days had passed in the blink of an eye.

"One, two, three, four. Alright, left leg in, right foot out.

"Relax, relax.

"Imagine yourself being immersed in water. You're floating with the waves…"

Daji, Fire Phoenix, Qin Manyun, and Shi Tuqin laid flat on the yoga mats. They were stretching their bodies in a row. They were slim and flexible with all sorts of poses.

Xiao Bai was the yoga coach who was speaking the instructions.

Perhaps yoga was liked by women. Ever since the last time, the four girls were obsessed with yoga. They unlocked new poses every day and reaped the benefits.

Li Nianfan was happy to see that at first. It was a sudden entertainment in his boring life. It was enjoyable to watch.

However, he soon felt troubled by it. 'Who can handle a sight like this?'

Moreover, he had to maintain his image. He did not want to embarrass himself. It was a test on his acting skills.

'A real painful and enjoyable experience.'

He had to distract himself by doing something else.

"Blackie, come here."

He put down the needles and waved at Blackie.

Blackie straightened his ears and quickly ran over on all fours. He had puppy eyes as he barked and said, "Master, are my shorts done?"

Blackie knew Li Nianfan was making shorts for him. He had been waiting with anticipation.

Li Nianfan tugged on the shorts to test its flexibility. It felt quite nice. He smiled and said, "Try it and see if it fits."

The shorts were made from the skin of Taotie. Li Nianfan was considerate of Blackie being bald. It was awful to look at. Blackie would embarrass himself, so he wanted to make a pair of shorts for him.

The material was custom made, too.

Taotie was a fierce Beast after all. Its skin seemed very decent. It was stretchable and hard to damage. Moreover, it was very breezy. It was the top material for clothes.

Blackie was not aware that Li Nianfan made the black shorts to distract himself from the girls. He thought his Master loved him. He was utterly excited.

He said excitedly, "Master, you're so nice to me."

Then, Blackie put on the shorts without hesitation.

The size was very fitting. The black shorts made Blackie's buttocks look shiny. It was very sexy.

Li Nianfan asked, "How does it feel?"

"It feels great! It's awesome! This is a wonderful pair of shorts."

Blackie kept nodding and smiling. He felt like it was worth exchanging his dog fur for a pair of shorts!

After all, it was hand-sewn by his Master. It was one-of-a-kind!

Blackie started to hop around with his new clothes. He felt like he was floating. Blackie lifted his butt to the sky and swayed around. It was very flashy.

"The Master made me leather shorts!

"The Master made me leather shorts!"

Blackie could not wait to announce it to the world. He showed it off to the Firefinches. Then, he ran to the backyard to show it off to the Peacock and the Milk Cows.

The leather shorts were a sign of affection from his Master. He would wear it every day.

Li Nianfan suddenly regretted it when he saw how smug and flamboyant Blackie was. 'Why do I feel like the leather shorts are making my dog embarrass himself more…?'

Knock knock.

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door.

The four ladies stopped their yoga cultivation and answered the door. Someone unexpected came to visit.

A small figure bolted in and leaped onto Daji. She cutely said, "Hehe, sister. Do you miss me?"

It was Little Fox. Kunpeng also came along.

Kunpeng bowed and said with respect, "Greetings to the Lord Saint."

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "No need to be courteous. Please, have a seat."

It had been a month since he came back from Demon City. He did not expect them to visit so soon.

Little Fox peaked out from Daji's embrace. She twitched her little nose and looked around with her bright eyes. She immediately leaped away from Daji and leaped onto Li Nianfan. She started to act coquettishly.

She cutely said, "Brother-in-law, I miss you so much~"𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

Li Nianfan saw through her. He laughed and asked, "Do you miss me or do you miss my food?"

"Hm… I miss both."

Little Fox had bright shiny eyes. She straightened her tail. "Brother-in-law, I know you guys made delicious food. What smells so good?"

"Look over there."

Li Nianfan pointed at the dumplings on the nearby table. He said, "You guys came at a coincidental time. We still have the last few dumplings with Taotie's meat." 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝓇ℯ𝘢𝒹.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Taotie was huge. The dumplings were delicious, but Li Nianfan had been eating a lot of dumplings recently. He could not handle it. He wanted to toss it away but Taotie meat was rare to come by…

It was nice that the little foodie had arrived.

"Wow. Thanks, brother-in-law." Little Fox immediately abandoned Li Nianfan and leaped to the table. She sniffed the dumplings with her nose.

Li Nianfan reminded her, "The dumplings are raw. Don't eat them yet."

Little Fox nodded, "I know. I'm going to take away the dumplings."

Kunpeng looked at Little Fox at the side with envy.

'It's so nice being the expert's sister-in-law. Sigh. Why can't I have an excellent sister, too?

'But… It's nice that I'm with Little Fox. I'm considerably lucky.

'I don't have a sister, but I have a nice Demon King! It's nice enough.'

Blackie heard the commotion and ran out from the backyard. He lifted his butt as if it had wings on it. He excitedly said, "Little Fox, hurry up and look at me."

Little Fox blinked. She innocently asked, "Blackie, why are you standing like that? Did you injure your butt?"

Blackie lifted his butt and said, "No, look again. What's different on my butt?"

"Yikes—"

Little Fox widened her eyes and gasped.

She was shocked. She asked, "Your butt has fur again? No, wait, that's not fur, that's black skin! You… Are you a mutant now?"

"This is a pair of leather shorts! The Master's hand-made leather shorts!"

Blackie gave up. He tugged on the leather shorts with his paw. "Do you see it? It's stretchy, too."

Li Nianfan felt completely embarrassed. He wanted to toss Blackie out. He hurriedly changed the topic and asked, "Little Fox, why are you here?"

Kunpeng glanced at Shi Tuqin and said, "Lord Saint, we came here because we got an invitation. This is related to Lady Shi Tuqin."

Shi Tuqin was confused. "Related to me?"

Kunpeng continued to say, "This is about the Legendary Beast Sect. They invited us to attend their Young Sect Master Ceremony and hope that we'll share this news with Lady Shi."

"Young Sect Master Ceremony? The Legendary Beast Sect wants to hold a Young Sect Master Ceremony?" Shi Tuqin went white in the face. She could not accept it.

She had given up on being the young Sect Master, but the new ceremony was too soon. The Legendary Beast Sect would not do that.

She could not accept it. She also felt like it was illogical.

She bit her lips. "Do you know who the new young Sect Master is?"

Kunpeng replied, "It's Shi Tuyu."

"It's him?!"

Shi Tuqin frowned. She furrowed her brows. "Why him?"

Little Fox asked curiously, "Sister Shi, is something wrong with that person?"

"He's the son of my second uncle, so he's my cousin. They never got along with my father, and they always wanted to become the Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect."

Shi Tuqin softly sighed. She said with anger, "I suspect that I was captured by the Ministry because of them."

She was previously the young Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect. Moreover, she was talented. Her Familiar Beast was the Sky Wing White Tiger. Naturally, she was protected by the sect. She should be safe.

However, things went south. She was easily captured by the Ministry.

Li Nianfan asked, "What are you going to do?"

He was not surprised at all. He was used to people fighting for status. The martial arts dramas in his past realm were much more dramatic.

Shi Tuqin looked at Li Nianfan. "Mr. Li, I want to go back. Is… Is that alright?"

Li Nianfan decisively replied, "Of course. Something huge happened in your sect. You should go back to have a look. Moreover, if Shi Tuyu is scheming against you, you should expose him. It's not a good thing if he becomes the young Sect Master."

Shi Tuqin exclaimed with gratefulness, "Thanks, Mr. Li!"

Kunpeng instantly said, "I can accompany Lady Shi."

Blackie glared at Kunpeng and said, "Bring me, too. I have to go."

Li Nianfan had to ask, "Silly dog, why do you need to go?"

Blackie twerked smugly and said, "I can't not go out with my new leather shorts. Who will check out my new outfit if I don't go out?"

Li Nianfan was embarrassed. He waved Blackie off and said, "Fine, hurry up and leave!"

He started to miss the old Blackie that could not talk. Blackie was normal back then. Ever since Blackie started to talk, the dog gradually became more flamboyant.

…

The Area of the Gods was wide with various landmarks. There was a forest in the Southeast region. The hills were steep and the trees were tall. There were a lot of fierce beasts and rare Demons. It was known as the Demon Forest.

The Legendary Beast Sect was built on top of a high mountain in the Demon Forest.

The cultivators were neighbors with the Beasts and Demons. It was beneficial for them to train their disciples and they could tame potential Demons as well.

Countless figures flashed by the Legendary Beast Sect.

It was crowded and bustling.

As a successful sect, the Legendary Beast Sect had a famous reputation. A lot of cultivation sects naturally attended the ceremony. It was the day they announced their new young Sect Master. There were a lot of small sects who came to visit.

A young man stood on an obvious mountain rock, wearing embroidered long-sleeve clothes. He smiled at the incoming guests happily.

"He's the young Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect, Shi Tuyu. He's indeed handsome and talented. He looks like the chosen one."

"He volunteered to go through the tests of the Legendary Beast Sect. He deservedly became the young Sect Master with his capabilities!"

"Amazing! Look at the Black Tiger next to him. So cool. Is that the Black-Gold Flying Tiger? To be honest, that tiger can overpower my entire sect."

"He's young but he has achievements!"

"I wish my son was like Shi Tuyu."

A lot of cultivators did not deserve to chat with him. They could only discuss beneath the stage.

Shi Tuyu's father welcomed the guests nearby as he smiled. He was proud and passionate.

As for the Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect, Shi Tumingri, he sat on his designated seat and watched. He watched the happy crowd and sighed.

His daughter was captured. She was not dead yet but he was hugely impacted. Her rightful place as the young Sect Master was taken away by Shi Tuyu. The constant events made Shi Tumingri feel like he was at rock bottom.

The Legendary Beast Sect was a famous sect with its own traditions. He could not stop Shi Tuyu as the Sect Master as Shi Tuyu passed the test on his own. He had no choice but to accept it.

Two old men stood next to him. They did not look happy either.

They were Elder Zhou and Elder Xu, the ones who went to look for Shi Tuqin at Demon City.

"Shi Tuyu and his father are so secretive. I can't believe Shi Tuyu became a Quasi-Saint overnight. His Familiar Beast has improved blood, too. He was able to pass the test of becoming the young Sect Master."

"That's nothing. I can't believe that the Black Tiger got the approval of the Taishang Elder's Familiar Beast. That's weird."

"Damn, he wouldn't be the young Sect Master if Qin was here."

Suddenly, they heard an excited voice.

"The Sect Master of the Empath Sect, Qin Zhongshan has arrived—"

"The Sect Master of the White Cloud Sect, Bai Chen has arrived—"

The crowd instantly went silent. Then, they cheered. They stared at the two incoming figures in awe. They were stunned.

"The Sect Masters of the Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect are here?"

"Incredible. How amazing is Shi Tuyu? I can't believe he invited them to attend."

"The two sects aren't weaker than the Legendary Beast Sect. I see that they're impressed by Shi Tuyu's potential, so they came here to befriend him."

"Wow. Is this the typical day of a prodigy?"

Shi Tuyu and his father were also awe-struck. Then, they were overjoyed.

Usually, the Young Sect Master Ceremony would be attended by smaller cultivation sects. Some successful sects would send some disciples as a friendly gesture. Almost no Sect Masters would attend ceremonies like that.

However, the Sect Masters of the Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect had arrived. More importantly, they were not close to the Legendary Beast Sect.

Shi Tuyu felt more proud than ever. He was trembling from excitement.

'This must be how things work for the lucky one.'

Shi Tumingri and the others had an opposite reaction. Their faces sank and they felt more awful than ever.

They did not expect the Sect Masters of the Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect to attend Shi Tuyu's ceremony. Shi Tuyu was so secretive!

Shi Tuyu hurriedly straightened up. He went over to welcome them. He said, "I'm the new young Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect, Shi Tuyu. Greetings. Thank you so much for attending the ceremony."

"Don't be mistaken. We didn't come here to congratulate you."

Qin Zhongshan interrupted him by lifting his hand. He said impolitely, "Did Shi Tuqin agree to let you become the new young Sect Master? I won't allow it if you took her rightful place!"

Bai Chen nodded and said, "That's right. I won't allow it either!"

Chapter 588

It was instantly awkward.

Shi Tuyu was dumbfounded. He stood there like an idiot.

'Why are you guys here if you aren't going to congratulate me? Just to say something like that?

'What the heck? You guys are here to crash my ceremony?!

'For that Shi Tuqin?'

His father walked over at a crucial moment. He said with a neutral tone, "Guys, you're our guests. We will naturally be polite to you, but this is a ceremony for the young Sect Master. The private business of our sect is not up to outsiders to interfere."

"Yeah. The Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect are so nosy. This is inappropriate."

"I can't believe Shi Tuqin has such good allies. The Empath Sect and the White Cloud Sect are willing to do this for her."

"Yeah. If she was alright, her future would've been bright."

Everyone loved to watch and comment. They gossiped and discussed.

Qin Zhongshan did not change his facial expression. "Don't worry, we aren't going to interfere. We're only here to talk smack. We want to let you know that we support Shi Tuqin."

Bai Chen smiled and said, "We came here to visit the Sect Master. Are we not allowed to visit the Sect Master during the Young Sect Master Ceremony?"

Then, they went to Shi Tumingri. They saluted and said, "Cultivator Shi, greetings."

They truly came here to befriend the Sect Master.

Shi Tuqin was a study servant of the expert. It was an unimaginable privilege. For example, any drop of ink was more precious than the treasures of an entire sect…

That was the way it was.

They admired Shi Tuqin a lot, especially when they witnessed the performance of Qin Manyun, the zither student of the expert. They also wanted to…please Shi Tuqin.

Shi Tuqin's rightful place as the young Sect Master was taken away from her. They naturally had to come over and crash the ceremony. They also had to befriend her father!

Shi Tumingri was pleasantly surprised. He instantly saluted back and said, "Cultivators, I've heard so much about you.

"Do you know my daughter?"

"Haha, we do, and we also had meals together."

Qin Zhongshan continued to say, "Your daughter's truly the chosen one. Her talents, powers, and capabilities surpass her age. I can't underestimate her. She has a bright future! You have such a wonderful daughter, we're so envious."

"That's right," Bai Chen nodded and said with envy. "What more can a man ask for if I have a daughter like that? I see a successful future for the Legendary Beast Sect."

They were words of compliment, but Shi Tumingri felt awful and bitter.

He would think Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen were there to mock him if it was not for the sincerity in their eyes.

His daughter was talented, but the compliments were too much. Furthermore, Shi Tuqin was worse than crippled. Their compliments were easily mistaken as mockery.

However, he felt happy that Shi Tuqin befriended the Sect Masters.

Shi Tumingri concealed his emotions. He smiled awkwardly and said, "You guys probably don't know yet, but something happened to my daughter. Otherwise, she would've been the young Sect Master."

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen looked at each other. They almost wanted to laugh.

'It seems like… Sect Master Shi doesn't know the huge opportunity his daughter encountered. He'll be mind blown if he knows.'

They did not tell him straight away. They wanted to prank him. His reaction would be priceless.

Shi Tuyu constantly eavesdropped at the side. He overheard their conversation and instantly had an idea. He snickered internally.

He walked over and said, "Seniors, my cousin Shi Tuqin is indeed talented, but she was captured by the Ministry. She survived but was forced to fight her Familiar Beast to death. In the end, she became a Monster. It's such a shame!"

He sighed and acted like it was tragic.

"Who are you? Who are you to interfere with our conversation?"

"Move. You can't compare to Shi Tuqin."

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen waved him off like he was a fly.

Shi Tuyu did not look happy at all. He was enraged. He screamed internally. 'You blind old men! Shi Tuqin's useless now. How can she compete with me? Just you wait, I'll be too successful for you one day. Don't underestimate the youth!'

Then, he silently turned around to welcome his guests.

Soon, several figures appeared and caused a commotion.

"Shi Tuqin's back!"

"Yikes—the rumors are true. She became a Monster."

"Sigh. That's one less prodigy for the world."

"Is that a dog next to her? What's going on? The dog's bald with leather shorts?"

"That dog's here to make us laugh."

Shi Tuqin had already gained a lot of attention. However, Blackie surpassed her. Blackie had a weird appearance and was acting smug with his leather shorts on.

A Nine-Tailed Fox stood on Blackie and curiously looked around.

'My stupid cousin. I can't believe you dared to show up. You have the blood of the Sky Wing White Tiger. My Black Tiger will devour you!'

Shi Tuyu snickered internally. He smiled like a friendly person and welcomed her. "Cousin, long time no see. I miss you so much. I'm so glad you're back."

Blackie suddenly said, "Hey, kid. Watch your kitty. Why is it so arrogant?"

The Black Tiger had a stare-down with Blackie. The Black Tiger obviously looked down on Blackie.

'Bald dog with leather shorts. Ha.'

Of course, Blackie could not stand the Black Tiger. He instantly barked.

Shi Tuyu looked at Blackie. He asked with an unbelievable tone, "You dare speak to me like that?"

'This dog's delusional. How dare he talk smack in front of my Black Tiger? Doesn't he feel my Black Tiger's power?'

Blackie was entertained. "Why not? Who do you think you are when you have such bad breath?"

"How dare you?! You crazy dog. How dare you speak to the young Sect Master like that?!"

One of the bootlickers seized the chance to please Shi Tuyu. He stared at Blackie and said coldly, "Hurry up and kneel. Apologize to the young Sect Master and beg for mercy!"

Blackie calmly said, "Idiot."

"Young Sect Master, this dog's reckless. I can't stand it anymore. Please, allow me to teach him a lesson!"

The bootlicker looked at Blackie with malicious intent and activated his powers.

The aura of a Quasi-Saint washed over Blackie.

Then, he stepped out and attacked Blackie with his fist!

The Power of Law appeared and shone like a rainbow.

Shi Tuyu calmly watched everything. He had to intimidate Shi Tuqin no matter what!

Shi Tuyu thought about how Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen treated him and he got angrier. He would insult Shi Tuqin for her taste in friends after killing the dog!

Then, he saw the dog lift his paw to counter the fist attack.

That was when he witnessed a moth being drawn to a flame.

However, the dog was the flame.

Bam!

The fist of the cultivator shattered. The dog's paw did not stop. Blackie slapped his face and he flew away like an arrow. He crashed into a wall and became a pile of minced flesh.

"Yikes—terrifying, terrifying!"

"What just happened? It's over before I can even react?"

"So terrifyingly powerful. Don't judge a dog by its cover."

Nobody expected the dog to instantly kill a Quasi-Saint.

Shi Tuyu was frightened and shocked, too. Then, he shouted, "How dare you cause havoc in the Legendary Beast Sect. Hurry up and kill that dog!"

"Stop!"

Someone shouted. Shi Tumingri hurriedly walked over. He sternly said, "This is my daughter's guest. Who dares to attack?!"

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen also walked over. "This dog's our friend, too. That cultivator attacked him first. I can assure you it's his own fault." 𝘭𝒾𝑏𝑟𝑒𝒶𝒹.𝘤𝘰𝓂

They glanced at Shi Tuyu in awe. 'You're the first person who dares to speak to Lord Dog like that. Ignorance is bliss…'

Shi Tuyu had an indecisive facial expression. He considered the fact that it was the Young Sect Master Ceremony. He could not make things awkward. So, he complied.

'Calm down. It's only a crazy dog. Don't worry about it. There are a lot of chances to kill the dog later!'

Shi Tumingri passionately greeted Little Fox and the others. He was very friendly toward the friends of his daughter.

Shi Tuyu and his father could not wait any longer. They hinted at the elder. The elder immediately understood. He announced, "Everyone, thank you for attending the Young Sect Master Ceremony of the Legendary Beast Sect. Since everyone's here, let's not delay any further. I hereby announce that the Young Sect Master Ceremony has officially begun!"

"Next up, let us witness the new young Sect Master of the Legendary Beast Sect, Shi Tuyu!"

Shi Tuyu enjoyed being stared at by the crowd. He slowly walked toward the stage.

The emcee almost looked like he wanted to mock someone. He said, "Also, please welcome our ex-young Sect Master, Shi Tuqin, up on stage! She'll pass the Sect Master token to the new young Sect Master!"𝓵𝒊𝒃𝙧𝓮𝙖𝓭.𝙘𝒐𝙢

Everyone instantly looked at Shi Tuqin with mockery, pity, and entertainment.

Shi Tuqin was fine with it. She studied the cultivation of calligraphy from Li Nianfan. She was calm and steady. She did not care about her body either. She generously walked on stage.

There was a token quietly laying up there on display. It was only a symbol of status made with nice materials. Other than that, it was useless.

However, the meaning behind the token was important.

Forcing Shi Tuqin to hand over the token to Shi Tuyu was torturous.

Shi Tumingri felt pain watching it off stage.

The emcee yelled, "Please, complete the handover!"

Shi Tuqin picked up the token and caressed it.

Shi Tuyu grinned. He breathed fast and rushed her, "Hurry up, cousin! Time's precious for everyone."

Shi Tuqin looked at Shi Tuyu. She suddenly said, "There's a tradition for the young Sect Master to hand over the token. The new young Sect Master must defeat the ex young Sect Master!"

"What?"

Shi Tuyu thought he misheard it.

"What does she mean by that? Does she think Shi Tuyu can't defeat her?"

"How's that possible? She must be joking."

"She lost her Familiar Beast and was severely injured. I heard that she became a study servant after her trauma. How can she fight?"

"Is it because she isn't willing to hand over the young Sect Master token?"

Everyone felt like Shi Tuqin was being unreasonable. Shi Tumingri slightly frowned and stood up.

Shi Tuyu laughed. He mocked her and said, "You want to fight me?"

Shi Tuqin said, "I don't want you to be the young Sect Master at the moment."

Naturally, she was not willing to give up being the young Sect Master. Being the study servant of the expert was better than being the young Sect Master. However, she thought of her father and was suspicious of Shi Tuyu, so she did not want him to become the young Sect Master. That was why she rejected him.

"You don't want to?"

Shi Tuyu snickered. "I worked so hard to get here. It is not up to you! Let's battle since you can't accept your fate."

Shi Tuqin calmly nodded. "Fine."

"She said yes! I can't believe she said yes!"

"Are they going to battle? What a mad world!"

Everyone widened their eyes. They felt like Shi Tuqin was digging her own grave.

Shi Tumingri hurriedly scolded her, "Qin, don't be nonsensical!"

He also felt like his daughter was delusional.

He wanted to pull Shi Tuqin off stage. However, Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen stopped him.

"Don't worry. Lady She's got this."

"Watch closely. She'll surprise you."

The two of them acted mysteriously.

"You said it. Everyone heard it, too. Don't blame me for bullying you!"

Shi Tuyu laughed and gestured with a wave. The Black Tiger leaped to his side and stared at Shi Tuqin like a predator observing its prey.

"Wait!"

Blackie suddenly had an idea. He said, "This battle's so not fun. Do you dare make a bet with me?"

Shi Tuyu asked, "What do you want to bet?"

Blackie said something shocking. "I heard that Tiger P*nis is great for health. If you lose, give me that kitty's Tiger P*nis!"

The Black Tiger growled and hissed. He roared, "Master, let's accept the bet. If we win, I want to eat his meat and drink his blood!"

"Of course, I accept it!"

Shi Tuyu underestimated Blackie. He scoffed and said, "What a stupid dog. How dare you make a bet like that? Are you tired of being alive?"

Chapter 589

On the stage.

Shi Tuqin and Shi Tuyu stood on opposite sides. They started to get serious.

Nobody expected the Young Sect Master Ceremony to end up like that.

It was too unexpected.

Shi Tuqin lost her Familiar Beast. Her cultivation was corrupted, so there was no way her powers were what they used to be. 'How can she try to fight Shi Tuyu? She should've handed over the token of the young Sect Master. That would've been the wisest choice.'

'Probably because she isn't willing to.'

A lot of people made guesses.

Shi Tumingri was full of worry. He looked at Bai Chen and Qin Zhongshan and asked, "What are you guys hiding exactly?"

Qin Zhongshan waved it off. He said with a jealous tone, "Man, relax. I have to say, I'm so envious of you!"

Bai Chen also nodded. He sighed with jealousy and said, "Your daughter's unimaginably powerful, especially with her luck. I'm so jealous I could cry."

'If I have a daughter like that, I would laugh in my sleep.'

'Shi Tumingri's not aware of it. When he knows, he'll probably laugh like crazy.'

'Sigh, so jealous…'

Shi Tuyu looked confident. He arrogantly looked at Shi Tuqin with extreme excitement.

He was always overshadowed by Shi Tuqin. He had a grudge against her for the longest time. He finally got the chance to defeat and humiliate Shi Tuqin in public. What was better than that?

He grinned because he could not contain his joy. He said, "Cousin, I know that you feel awful, but what's done is done. You have to let go, or else you'll end up with more injuries!"

Shi Tuqin said, "Tell me about it when you win."

"Alright. Let's begin then!"

Shi Tuyu could not wait. He activated his powers and his tsunami-like aura washed over Shi Tuqin!

Meanwhile, the Black Tiger next to him roared and spread his black wings. The Black Tiger turned to black lightning and bolted toward Shi Tuqin!

"So fast! How's this possible?"

"The Black-Gold Flying Tiger's famous for his speed, but he shouldn't be that fast."

"Did you guys hear that explosion just now? It's obvious that his blood improved again!"

"Moves like thunder and quick like lightning, this must be the Black-Gold Storm Tiger! Amazing. No wonder he became the young Sect Master!"

"If the Sky Wing White Tiger's still with Shi Tuqin, she might have a chance to win. But now…"

They knew the battle would probably end soon.

The Ministry studied cultivators and Demons with great results. The pills that they gave him contained the essence of a Storm Lion. The blood of the Black Tiger was improved along with his powers.

Shi Tuyu secretly grinned.

'Injuries and casualties are unavoidable in a battle. So what if the Black-Gold Storm Tiger bit off a piece of Shi Tuqin's flesh?'

He stared at her tiger paw. 'The blood of the Sky Wing White Tiger would be incredibly useful for my Black Tiger!'

Suddenly, the tiger paw he was staring at moved.

She took out something.

At that moment, a sudden terror crept up. Shi Tuyu tensed up as if she took out a killer treasure.

The Black-Gold Storm Tiger also stopped the attack. He recoiled and flinched to the side in an alarmed state.

"Is that… A brush?"

Shi Tuyu was weirded out. He was confused. 'Is that terrifying feeling… A delusion?'

"Why did Shi Tuqin take out a brush?"

"I heard that she was traumatized. She went to become a study servant, but taking out a brush now isn't fitting for this occasion."

Everyone furrowed their brows in confusion.

However, some of them with great senses stared at the brush.

"Wait a minute, her brush…is extraordinary!"

"I don't care what brush you take out. You can't distract me!"

Shi Tuyu regained his confidence. He thought that Shi Tuqin was trying to distract him. He sneered and tried to attack Shi Tuqin again.

The Black-Gold Storm Tiger did not attack her straight away. He flapped his wings, creating black lightning. The black lightning bolted toward Shi Tuqin!

The black lightning was like shards of glasses. They attacked Shi Tuqin with extreme speed!

Meanwhile, Shi Tuyu launched a fist attack towards Shi Tuqin!

The two attacks were horrifying. No one around their age would be able to handle it.

The battle instantly became tense and nerve-wracking.

Everyone watched as Shi Tuqin calmly picked up her brush and slowly drew a circle mid-air.

The air was like a piece of paper. She could write on it!

Meng Junliang and the others would recognize what she drew if they were there. It was the number '0' in Arabic numbers.

Buzz!

The circle she drew caused the air to buzz and move. A weird aura was emitted with overwhelming powers. It formed a spiral.

The fist attack and black lightning were sucked into the spiral. Then, they disappeared into thin air.

Everything was back to zero!

"She… She blocked the attacks?!"

Shi Tuyu was dumbfounded. 𝑙𝑖𝘣𝓇𝑒𝒶𝘥.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Shi Tumingri was dumbfounded.

The crowd was also dumbfounded.

They could not believe their eyes.

"How's this possible?"

Shi Tuyu started with wide eyes. He stared dead at Shi Tuqin. He could not accept it.

She casually made a brushstroke and made his attacks vanish. It was hard to accept.

Shi Tuqin went to study calligraphy. However… They could not believe it was that kind of calligraphy! 'Seriously?'

"Is that all you've got?"

Shi Tuyu went serious. He was shocked, but that did not mean he would admit defeat. Everyone saw how Shi Tuqin went down. Even if she recovered, she was not his match!

"Attack!"

He yelled as their surroundings echoed with a menacing aura. The air went stiff with a blood-red hue.

Shi Tuyu attacked at the same time as the Black-Gold Storm Tiger. The Black Tiger was surrounded by black lightning. He sizzled like a black lightning orb and attacked Shi Tuqin!

Shi Tuyu activated all his powers. He was surrounded by the Power of Light. He walked toward her like a comet. He slashed down mercilessly!

Boom!

The attack did not hit her yet, but explosions could already be heard on stage!

It was obvious that Shi Tuyu did not hold back on that attack!

"Qin!"

Shi Tumingri, Elder Zhao, and Elder Xu looked worried. Their hearts were in their throats.

Suddenly, Shi Tuqin picked up her brush again. She wrote in the air.

It was a point and stroke!

She made two strokes and wrote a word. 'Knife!'

In an instant, a menacing aura soared into the sky and slashed through the clouds. Red menacing aura rolled in.

A huge knife appeared and menacingly overpowered Shi Tuyu!

Then, the knife trembled and slashed down!

Boom—

The powerful knife made a nice curved angle as it slashed through half of the stage, including Shi Tuyu and the Black Gold Storm Tiger!

The knife knocked the two figures away like it was cutting the strings of kites. They bled from their deep wounds!

Spurt!

They spat out fresh blood. Their arrogance was nowhere to be seen again.

"Damn, Shi Tuyu lost again?"

"So powerful. What happened? Did Shi Tuqin win by making two brushstrokes?"

"Calligraphy Cultivation! That's Calligraphy Cultivation! Her brushstrokes actualize into endless powers. She can even create a world with calligraphy! I can't believe Shi Tuqin's able to cultivate to this level. This is terrifying!"

"They said Shi Tuqin went to study calligraphy. It's true, but… It's not what we expected."

"We didn't notice."

Even Shi Tumingri was stunned. He looked at his daughter and thought he was hallucinating.

Shi Tuyu and his Familiar Beast had improved, and he was almost as good as the previous Shi Tuqin. However, Shi Tuqin had lost her Familiar Beast and her cultivation. He could not believe that she still won. Not to mention, how easily she won.

'When did Qin become so powerful?

'This is unreal.'

"Cal… Calligraphy?"

Elder Zhao and Elder Xu looked at each other with shock and horror.

They recalled the day they heard Shi Tuqin wanted to learn calligraphy. They were mocked by a Boar Demon. The Boar Demon said they did not understand calligraphy.

It seemed like they truly did not understand calligraphy at all.

"It must be a legendary item. Shi Tuqin's brush is a legendary item!"

"Legendary brush. It's a legendary brush!"

A lot of knowledgeable cultivators sensed the aura of the brush. They exclaimed in awe.

"How's this possible? Impossible!" Shi Tuyu could not accept it.

"Nothing's impossible." Blackie was suddenly in front of him. He stared straight at Shi Tuyu, causing him to jolt.

Shi Tuyu alarmingly asked, "What do you want?"

"You lost. I want to claim my reward from our bet!"

Blackie calmly lifted his dog paw and snatched something behind him!

Spurt!

"Ouch!" The Black-Gold Storm Tiger that was laying on the ground instantly trembled. He stood up while shaking.

"No!"

Black Tiger had bloodshot eyes as it screamed, "My pride!"

"No, it's mine now! I'm such a softie, so I'll let you look at it one final time."

Blackie waved that thing in front of the Black-Gold Storm Tiger. Then, he put it in his pocket and left flamboyantly.

They said that 'thing' was good for a married man. 'I'll bring this back to the Master. He'll be pleased. Hehe, I'm so smart.'

The Black Tiger whined and cried behind him. Shi Tuyu was filled with hatred. He shivered from anger.

Shi Tumingri was shocked and surprised. He asked, "I can't believe Qin learned Calligraphy Cultivation. Perhaps she swallowed a legendary pill?"

Qin Zhongshan shook his head. He said, "Narrow, you are too narrow-minded. Make a bolder guess."

Shi Tumingri asked, "Did she understand it on her own? No wonder she wants to learn calligraphy."

Bai Chen said with contempt, "Do you lack imagination or something? Come on, make a bolder guess!"

Shi Tumingri gasped and asked, "Perhaps she got lucky and learned from an eldritch method?!"

"Ha. More!"

Qin Zhongshan mysteriously grinned. "Being weak limits your imagination."

Bai Chen slowly said, "Shi Tuqin learned Calligraphy Cultivation from a Godly expert!"

'Godly expert?'

Shi Tumingri could not believe it. Shi Tuqin coincidentally walked over. He immediately asked, "Qin, did you learn calligraphy from an expert?"

Elder Zhao and Elder Xu listened at the side with shock.

Shi Tuqin shook her head. Then, she said, "I'm only his study servant. I don't deserve to be the expert's student yet, but I followed some of the expert's instructions to cultivate."

Boom!

Shi Tumingri and the others were mind blown. They did not expect Shi Tuqin to say something so pretentious. They felt like their minds short-circuited.

"Study… Study servant?" Elder Xu looked at Shi Tuqin with disbelief.

Shi Tumingri asked, "Qin, how long have you been around the expert?"

"Since I was saved. The expert didn't want to see me suffer from my inner Demon, so he advised me to calm down with calligraphy."

Shi Tuqin looked grateful. She continued to say, "It's been roughly a month."

'A month?'

'And you're so awesome?'

Elder Xu pursed his lips. "Qin, are you a Quasi-Saint now?"

Shi Tuqin nodded.

Elder Xu was dumbfounded. "I remember you were only a Daluo Golden Immortal when you were captured by the Ministry."

'You're at a terrifying level in Calligraphy Cultivation after merely a short month, and your powers sky-rocketed, too.

'This is too much!

'Tell me honestly. Did you cheat or something? I want to freaking choke you!'

Qin Zhongshan had to say, "Enough. We told you it's a Godly expert, stop trying to think with your common knowledge. This is ridiculous!"

Elder Zhao excitedly asked, "Qin, can I look at your brush?"

"Of course."

Shi Tuqin passed him the brush without hesitation.

Everyone gathered to look, including Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen.

"Ultimate treasure. This brush is indeed an ultimate treasure!"

"It's surrounded by Chaos Spiritual Qi. It must be a Chaos Spiritual Treasure!"

"Wow, I've never seen such a high-class treasure. Did you borrow this brush from the expert, too?"

Everyone felt dry in the throat as they looked at the brush.

"Um…"

Shi Tuqin groaned. She said, "No, the expert gave it to me. He has too many brushes. He had all sorts of brushes of different shapes and sizes. He felt like this was an extra brush he had and that it was ordinary, so he simply gave it to me to learn calligraphy."

Everyone went silent.

Then, they simultaneously gasped.

"Yikes—"

Chapter 590

'This is an ordinary brush?'

'How powerful are the other brushes of the expert?'

'Are they encrusted with Diamonds?'

'Moreover, how many brushes does he have? Why did he simply give away something so precious?'

'Unbelievable, incredible, terrifying!'

"Qin, you...you…"

Shi Tumingri felt light-headed. He asked with a trembling voice, "Is it true? How terrifying is this expert?!"

His throat went dry. He struggled to gulp.

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen were right. That was beyond his imagination. Way beyond his imagination!

"Of course, it's true. How do I describe the expert?"

Shi Tuqin groaned for a moment. Then, she said, "I can't describe it. But his place is better than any secret border. Cultivators would fight for the most basic item in there, there are unimaginable treasures!"

Qin Zhongshan helped her conclude. He said, "It's full of blessings and opportunities everywhere you look. A Saintly ground filled with endless Wisdom!"

'Filled with endless Wisdom?'

The four words made Shi Tumingri, Elder Zhao, and Elder Xu numb in the scalps. They all had goosebumps!

'That was such a wild comment. Which cultivator would use 'endless' to describe something?'

'Endless Wisdom. Seriously?'

'Is that the most incredible existence in the entire Chaos?'

Shi Tumingri could not speak for a long while. He took deep breaths to calm down.

He felt like it was nonsensical fiction. However, he knew that the cultivators would not lie about that. Moreover… Shi Tuqin was real-life proof!

She was crippled and became a Monster. However… She turned to a powerful cultivator in a short month because she stayed around the expert. She was also unimaginably powerful. That was beyond the understanding of an ordinary cultivator.

Not to mention, she also got a Chaos Spiritual Treasure brush!

The Legendary Beast Sect did not have any Chaos Spiritual Treasures!

"We got lucky! Thank the Heavens!"

Finally, he cheered. He was shaking from excitement. His eyes were slightly red from his tears of joy. He told Shi Tuqin, "It's nice that you're a study servant! Qin, you must serve the expert, don't you disobey him! This is the biggest turning point of your life!"

"Qin, so this is what you meant when you said you wanted to study calligraphy!"

Elder Xu was utterly embarrassed. Then, he carefully asked, "Back then in Demon City, um… Was the expert there?"

Shi Tuqin nodded and said, "Yeah. The expert's close to Demon City. Little Fox is the expert's sister-in-law."

Everyone immediately jolted. They looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox with respect.

Elder Xu and Elder Zhao went white in the face. They were so frightened that they almost cried. They apologized and confessed, "To be honest, we didn't want Qin to learn calligraphy back in Demon City. We also…troubled Demon City. We're truly embarrassed. Sorry!"

They thought about how they talked smack and swore at the Boar Demon. They felt uncomfortable and anxious. They felt like they were going to die soon.

'No wonder the Boar Demon was so confident. He looked like he was proud about being a door guard. Guarding for the expert is such an honor. He's much better than us elders!'

'Looking back at it, I was a fool all along.'

'We really didn't know. Otherwise, we would've knelt…'

"There's no guilt for the ignorant. My brother-in-law won't mind it."

Little Fox waved her little paw like a true Demon King. She said with generosity, "I don't blame you."

Elder Zhao and Elder Xu felt the weight lifted off their hearts, "Thank you, Lord Demon King. You're so generous, Lord Demon King!"

Suddenly, a figure appeared. The cultivator came from afar and appeared in an instant.

A Golden Green Face Lion with a third eye on its forehead stood next to the cultivator.

He did not announce their appearance. He was already standing there before everyone noticed, so they were unsure whether they had just arrived or they had been there for a long while.

"That's the Taishang Elder of the Legendary Beast Sect, Cultivator Tianhong!"

"What's going on? Taishang Elder's also here?"

"He's a powerful cultivator! The absolute best!" 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝑟𝘦𝘢𝒹.𝘤𝑜𝓂

"Is that the Golden Third Eye Lion next to him? So cool!"

Shi Tuyu was wailing while hugging the Black Tiger. He instantly straightened up when he saw Taishang Elder. He hurriedly crawled over and exclaimed, "Please, help me, Taishang Elder! That crazy dog ruined my Familiar Beast! That dog's trying to instigate the Legendary Beast Sect!

"Please, avenge me, Taishang Elder!"

Shi Tuyu was filled with hatred. He was trembling from anger like he was about to kill someone.

He knew how it felt to fall from Heaven and straight to Hell.

He thought he was at the peak of his life. He was waiting to give a speech about it. Suddenly, things happened one after another. His Familiar Beast was also injured.

He was physically and mentally hurt. It was truly tragic.

His father, Shi Tuhaoyue also ran over. He exclaimed with pain, "Please, help my son, Taishang Elder!"

Blackie looked at them and furrowed his brows. He said in a low voice, "I'll allow you a chance to reform your sentence because of the Tiger P*nis!"

"Shi Tuhaoyue, Shi Tuyu, how dare you?!"

Shi Tumingri immediately scolded them. He hurriedly ran over and yelled, "Everyone saw Shi Tuyu making a bet with Lord Dog. He lost, so he has to bear the consequences! Are you trying to humiliate the Legendary Beast Sect?"

He had to step in!

The dog was the dog of the expert. The Legendary Beast Sect would be goners if they dared attack Blackie.

Shi Tuyu and his father were not aware of anything. That was why they dared to talk smack. If they knew what they were facing, they would probably pee themselves from fear.

"I saw what happened. You need to have the mentality of a cultivator. You must bear your losses since you dared to make the bet!"

Cultivator Tianhong looked cool with his flying white beard. An aura of zen circled him as he spoke. He was calm toward the Shi Tuyu case.

Then, he smiled at Shi Tuqin. He said, "Qin did great. She was severely injured but she still thrived with Calligraphy Cultivation. Her talents are on another level, so she's still our young Sect Master! Nice, very nice!"

The difference in his attitude humiliated Shi Tuyu and his father.

Cultivator Tianhong clearly favored Shi Tuqin. It was a shame that Shi Tuqin was abducted, and his Familiar Beast oddly approved the Black Tiger. That was why he accepted Shi Tuyu as the young Sect Master.

However, things had changed. He was glad to accept it.

Shi Tuyu and his father hated it, but they could not do anything. They buried their heads and tried to stay rational. Deep down, they were screaming in anger.

Somewhere nearby.

A figure kept an eye on the scene. He had to frown.

He was the East Shadow Guard of the Ministry.

"I helped Shi Tuyu and his father so much. I can't believe they let me down in the end. What a bunch of useless trash!"

The East Shadow Guard shook his head and said with a creepy tone, "Thankfully, I have something up my sleeve. It's up to me now!"

He had a glint in his eye as he cast a spell. A magical aura was emitted.

Cultivator Tianhong gave a speech.

He was a powerful cultivator, so he naturally became the center of the spotlight. He had to give a speech before he left in a cool way.

He was about to soar through the horizon. Suddenly, the Golden Green Face Lion next to him jolted and struggled.

There was another Demon figure in its eyes. It controlled the mind and the body of the Lion.

It happened in an instant. Finally, the Golden Green Face Lion roared with a malicious aura, and a laser beam shot out of its third eye!

The golden light shot toward Cultivator Tianhong!

The light was destructive enough to demolish everything in its way!

That was the most powerful skill of the Golden Green Face Lion!

Cultivator Tianhong was naturally unprepared for the attack. It was too late when he sensed the attack. He frantically created a defense but it was too late. His body was pierced through!

Spurt!

There was a gory hole in his chest. Blood streamed and he flew back.

The attack was terrifying!

Cultivator Tianhong was half dead. The Power of Destruction did not allow Cultivator Tianhong to heal fast. He was severely injured.𝙡𝙞𝒃𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝒎

It was too unexpected. No one could predict that.

The powerful cultivator surrounded by Insights who was about to give a speech fell to the floor as he turned. He was dying.

No one could accept it.

Then, they were filled with horror!

"Yikes—"

"Cultivator Tianhong injured!"

"Why did the Golden Green Face Lion attack Cultivator Tianhong? Isn't that his Familiar Beast?"

"It attacked its Master? What happened? Is it crazy?!"

"The attack backfired on the Familiar Beast because they were bonded. I think the Golden Green Face Lion's severely injured, too!"

"Look, the Golden Green Face Lion has bloodshot eyes. It's clearly crazy. Back away, it's insane!"

Roar!

The Golden Green Face Lion roared and trembled. Menacing aura exploded from it as it activated its Demonic powers with ruthlessness.

Thankfully, Cultivator Tianhong suppressed its aura with his mind. Otherwise, most of the cultivators would die from being overpowered!

"What… What's going on?"

Blood leaked out from his mouth. Cultivator Tianhong struggled to stand up. The big hole was still on his chest. He looked at the lion with disbelief and caution.

"Hehe!"

The East Shadow Guard wanted to show his horrifying uniqueness, so he snickered creepily. Then, he made a grand entrance. He appeared in front of everyone like a Ghost.

The aura was instantly overwhelming and cold!

"You did this?" Cultivator Tianhong asked with a pale face. He asked in a terrified tone, "How did you do it?"

"How?"

The East Shadow Guard cruelly grinned. "All thanks to your beloved disciple! It ate my Rongling Demon Pill. How did it taste?"

The Rongling Demon Pill was also invented by the Ministry.

It messed up the minds of Demons. Demons or Beasts that ate the pill would go crazy, and they could be temporarily controlled. However, the process of making the pill was inhumane. That pill made the Legendary Golden Green Face Lion insane because it contained the Primordial Spirit of a Realm Cultivator Demon!

The result was incredible!

It easily injured two Realm Cultivators!

How amazing!

Cultivator Tianhong was weak from the injuries. The injuries backfired on the Golden?Green Face Lion, too. Moreover, the lion was still deranged. It might attack others!

Cultivator Tianhong felt his heart sink. He slowly glanced at everyone and finally laid eyes on Shi Tuyu!

Not a lot of disciples had the chance to feed the Golden Green Face Lion. He connected the pieces as he thought about how the lion approved Shi Tuyu's Black Tiger.

"Ha. That's right. It's me!"

Shi Tuyu laughed evilly as he admitted it. Then, he slowly stood up. He bowed to the East Shadow Guard with respect and said, "Greetings to Lord East Shadow Guard!"

The East Shadow Guard scoffed and said, "Hmph! You useless trash. You wasted my resources. You told me that everything would be fine! All our efforts would go to waste if it wasn't for my backup plan!"

Shi Tuyu was not angry at all. He apologized and said, "You're right. You're so smart, Lord East Shadow Guard. I can't believe that pill has another effect. Thanks for broadening my worldview!"

Cultivator Tianhong said angrily, "Shi Tuyu! You're an important disciple of the Legendary Beast Sect! How can you work with the Ministry?! We noticed you're full of schemes, but we didn't expect you to be so evil!"

Shi Tuyu and his father did a lot of sneaky things for their ambitions. They were shady and unlikeable. It was why most elders preferred Shi Tuqin.

They ignored their behavior most of the time. They did not expect things to end up like this.

"Evil? Me? You forced me to!"

Shi Tuyu had a cold expression. He said with a low voice, "Why do you favor Shi Tuqin? Why did you help her find the Sky Wing White Tiger to become her Familiar Beast?! I hate it, I must replace Shi Tuqin!

"I don't mind revealing the truth at this point! Shi Tuqin was captured by the Ministry because I told them her location! I didn't expect her to survive!

"So what if I worked with the Ministry? You look down on me, but I'm the one who laughs at the very end! Whoever dares to be in my way, I'll kill you!"

Chapter 591

Shi Tuqin and the others changed their facial expressions again.

They suspected Shi Tuyu to be evil, but they could not fully believe it until he confessed himself.

Shi Tumingri scolded, "Scum!"

Elder Xu also sighed and said, "I noticed something was off with what happened to Qin. I can't believe you were behind it!"

Elder Zhao shook his head and said, "I was too soft on you. I should've killed you!"

His father, Shi Tuhaoyue, knew that it was done. His son had confessed. So, he did not try to pretend anymore. He grinned coldly and said, "You're fishes and we're knives. Didn't expect this day to come, right?! You'll all die here today!"

A battle including a Realm Cultivator was naturally important. Moreover, the Legendary Beast Sect had two Realm Cultivators. The two of them worked together, so they were more powerful.

It was why the Ministry would not battle them head-on.

They had a spy on the inside. The Legendary Beast Sect lost its most important defense. It was clear who would win the battle.

The East Shadow Guard looked around like he was choosing his rewards. He smiled and said, "This is my biggest gain of all time!"

There were a lot of Demons and Beasts. A lot of cultivators were powerful, too. It instantly refilled the Ministry's resources. The Minister would be pleased.

"Are you from the Ministry?"

A sudden voice snapped the East Shadow Guard out of it. He furrowed his brows and looked over. He saw a bald dog with leather shorts on.

The dog walked over flamboyantly and calmly looked at him. "What a coincidence. I hate the Ministry the most!"

"A dog?"

The East Shadow Guard had a cold expression. He clearly took notice of Blackie. He would remember Blackie for his behavior.

'This is a… Weird Dog!'

Shi Tuyu was filled with hatred. He instantly said, "Lord East Shadow Guard, I hate this dog! Please, help me. We must make him pay!"

"Don't worry, I won't have mercy on this dog!"

The East Shadow Guard grinned. "The Ministry loves weird Demons or Beasts. Moreover… I was inspired by what happened just now. Your Black Tiger lost his 'thing', so I'll replace it with the bald dog's 'thing'. It's a new experiment. Perhaps we'll make progress with that experiment."

'The Black Tiger and Blackie will be experimented on.'

Shi Tuyu flinched. He clenched his jaw and said, "I'm willing to let you experiment on my Familiar Beast, Lord East Shadow Guard!"

"Good!" The East Shadow Guard gave him a complimentary look.

Suddenly.

A curvy figure came from afar. She glanced and instantly appeared next to the East Shadow Guard.

She had a red dress and a Ghost mask on her head. Invisible pressure emitted from her. Everyone looked over and felt an overwhelming daze.

The East Shadow Guard instantly smiled when she arrived. He said, "Left Messenger, you came just in time."

The Left Messenger asked, "Is it done?"

"Of course. There were a few mishaps in the process, but I'm always reliable and competent. We got more than we expected this time!"

The East Shadow Guard was utterly proud. Previously, Right Messenger died for no reason. That loser made him look more competent than ever. The Left Messenger would probably admire him.

"Look. All of this is mine!"

He waited for the Left Messenger to be stunned.

As expected, she was stunned.

"This…this is…"

The Left Messenger had wide eyes. She saw the familiar bald dog as she glanced at the place. She immediately gasped.

'It's that dog. It definitely is that dog!

'The Dog wears leather shorts now, but there can't be another bald dog like that!

'Why is the dog here? Did the East Shadow Guard fight him?'

She looked into his calm eyes. The Left Messenger's limbs went cold. She had a bad feeling about that.

The feeling was a déjà vu. She felt like she would be goners again!

Everyone went dead in the face when they saw the Left Messenger. They were extremely horrified.

The East Shadow Guard could take on everyone on the spot, but now, another one showed up. They knew they were hopeless because the East Shadow Guard and the Left Messenger were practically invincible.

"Nice one, Left Messenger! You noticed the dog right away."

The East Shadow Guard looked at Blackie and instantly complimented the Left Messenger. He smiled and said, "This dog seems to be extraordinary. A bit on the weird side, but not a weak cultivator. Its mentality is weird, too. It's not the basic type. Consider him as one of our gains."

'One of our gains?

'Why would you mess with this dog?

'You psycho!

'I can't mess with him, I have to run!

'I have to save myself!'

The Left Messenger instantly made up her mind.

"Oh yeah, looks like it's going to rain. I have to go home and fold my clothes. Farewell, goodbye…"

She vanished into the horizon before she finished her sentence. She left faster than when she arrived. She almost left a trail of smoke behind her…

"What clothes? Why did she run so fast?"

The East Shadow Guard was a bit baffled. However, he suddenly felt touched.

"I got it! The Left Messenger must've felt like she didn't do anything, so she didn't want to steal my credit. She made an excuse to leave! Ha, so mature and considerate!"

He looked at Blackie again with a menacing glint in his eye. He said in a low voice, "Little doggy, have some sense and cooperate with me. Take off your leather shorts. I can minimize your pain!"

Blackie walked over to the East Shadow Guard and said, "You're a dead man. Feel the wrath of my new leather shorts!"

"Idiot dog, die!"

The East Shadow Guard grinned and reached out to attack Blackie!

A powerful palm figure that contained endless power went toward Blackie.

Blackie lifted his butt at the palm figure.

Then, the leather shorts shined brightly with a black hue. The magical shine rose to the sky and blew the palm figure away like it was dust in the wind.

The East Shadow Guard was taken aback. "Huh? I underestimated the leather shorts."

Then, Blackie leaped to the sky and attacked the East Shadow Guard!

Blackie suddenly turned around mid-air and aimed his butt at the East Shadow Guard. He lifted his butt and fell from the sky like a comet!

It was an outstanding sight.

"How dare you?! Die!"

The East Shadow Guard was so enraged. He looked at the dog butt and felt the biggest insult in his entire life. His menacing aura was almost boiling.

"How dare you point your butt at me? I'll bust your butt open!" he angrily yelled. Then, an endless Power of Law came over him. His powers were activated and it seemed to be endless. A terrifying aura was emitted from him. It made most of the cultivators fall to the ground because they were overpowered by the aura. They were pressed against the ground.

However, the aura did not affect the butt at all. It continued to fall!

Roar!

He roared and formed a gigantic Human figure behind him with endless Power of Law. The figure raised both hands, attempting to defend against Blackie!

The butt was sparkling as it crashed into the hands!

Fume—

The Human figure was instantly penetrated. The East Shadow Guard looked horrified. It was clear that he could not dodge the attack.

Blackie sat on the East Shadow Guard with his butt!

Poof!

The East Shadow Guard vanished on the spot. He was gone.

Blackie slowly stood up and patted his butt. Everyone finally snapped out of it.

"He… He—he—he died?!"

"Incredible. The Realm Cultivator died because the dog sat on him!"

"What a scary pair of leather shorts! It blocks the attack of a Realm Cultivator and it kills powerful beings! This is such a mystery!"

"I made fun of that dog and his leather shorts earlier. I'm so dumb."

"That dog's an ultimate bigshot!"

The plot twist messed with their brains. They were mind blown.

The Left Messenger was far gone, but she kept her attention on the place. The Left Messenger jolted. She could sense that the East Shadow Guard was no longer alive!

Her new ally was gone before he could even shine…

'Too scary!

'Thankfully, I ran fast!'

The Left Messenger suddenly felt a tingle from her spine. She shivered and fastened her pace.

Blackie looked in the direction where the Left Messenger left. He pondered.

"What a familiar scent. She runs fast every time. So decisive on betraying her teammate, how interesting. Should I capture her and toy with her?"

Roar!

Suddenly, the Golden Green Face Lion interrupted his thoughts with a roar. It finally snapped. It had bloodshot eyes and spiky fur. It was utterly ferocious.

It feared Blackie, so it tried to attack Blackie!

Blackie slightly frowned and raised one of his dog paws. He strangled the lion by the throat and tossed it into the sky. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Then, he flicked his other dog paw.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

He slapped the lion hard on its head—three slaps on the spot.

The Golden Green Face Lion was dizzy from the slaps. Its mane was messy.

It growled meekly.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Blackie slapped it three times again without hesitation.

The Golden Green Face Lion immediately covered with fear. It growled meekly in a soft voice.

Meow—

"Hm. You're back."

Blackie let the lion go and casually tossed it to the ground. He smilingly told Cultivator Tianhong, "It's easy to deal with deranged Beasts. Just slap them like I did and they'll stop being crazy."

Cultivator Tianhong opened his mouth. In the end, he gulped. He weakly said, "Thank… Thanks, Lord Dog."

The others were also baffled. They were speechless.

'Easy to slap a Realm Cultivator Beast?

'Do you think anyone can do it?!'

Everyone had to accept an undeniable truth. Blackie was perverse on the outside, but his powers were even more perverse. He was perverse from the inside out.

Shi Tumingri flew over as he cheered, "Nice one, Lord Dog! Thanks for saving our lives, Lord Dog!"

He was extremely stunned. He had a new profound understanding of how powerful the expert was.

The rumors were not as convincing as witnessing it with his own eyes in the end.𝓵𝒊𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝒅.𝓬𝓸𝙢

The dog of the expert was so powerful. How powerful would the expert be? It was unimaginable.

Blackie casually said, "No need to thank me. My Master made leather shorts for me. I only wanted to try it out. Also, I hate the Ministry!"

Shi Tumingri and the others were taken aback again.

'The expert made the awesome leather shorts?'

'How did he do that?!'

'No wonder he can simply give away a Chaos Spiritual Treasure brush. He probably creates Chaos Spiritual Treasure!'

'Scary, terrifying!'

Shi Tumingri felt his heart thump. He immediately straightened up and said, "Lord Dog, the Legendary Beast Sect is indebted to your Master! Not only for this, but he also saved my daughter, Shi Tuqin. We're too grateful and we're unable to repay him!

"I'll make Qin the Sect Master right away. She's your Master's study servant after all. The Legendary Beast Sect will be one of the expert's small pawns. Feel free to order us anytime."

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen screamed internally. They were too careless. Shi Tumingri was straight-up the king of bootlickers. He bootlicked to the extreme.

They would not allow it. They hurriedly said, "Lord Dog, I'm willing to be the expert's pawn too. Let me do it!"

"To be honest, becoming the expert's pawn is my ultimate dream. Please, fulfill my dream."

Blackie did not care. However, he remembered what Qin Manyun said about the Eldridges. He felt like his Master needed pawns, too. So, he said, "Whatever. Just remember to work hard for my Master."

Qin Zhongshan and the others were overjoyed. They kept nodding with excitement. "For sure! For sure!"

Then, everyone looked at Shi Tuyu and his father.

They looked dead in the face. They clearly had a mental breakdown.

Their good ending had a sudden plot twist. Their failure was hard to watch.

It was too unexpected and unavoidable. The two cool and awesome Realm Cultivators were about to wipe them all out.

Then, without warning, one of them betrayed her teammate. The other Realm Cultivator was killed by a pair of leather shorts within a second. Two helpers were left to say 'oh sh*t'…

Chapter 592

Shi Tuyu and the others had their heads down. They looked pale. They knew it was over for them.

Cultivator Tianhong coldly looked at Shi Tuyu and his father. He said, "Shi Tuhaoyue, Shi Tuyu, how dare you?!"

Shi Tuhaoyue begged, "We were tricked by the Ministry and chose the wrong path. Please, spare our lives since we're from the same sect."

Shi Tumingri shook his head. He said in a low voice, "Shi Tuhaoyue, don't be so immature at this point. Your mistake is unforgivable!"

Shi Tuyu had an idea. He quickly said, "We were in touch with the Ministry, so we heard something. We can tell you their plans! Please, spare us."

Blackie calmly looked at Shi Tuyu and asked, "Oh? What is it? Speak!"

Shi Tuyu wanted to use the information as his bargaining chip, but when he made eye contact with Blackie, he instantly caved. He cowardly said, "The Ministry's looking for three items. The Repose Herb, the Pond of Spirits, and the Blood Thirst Spiritual Wood."

"Oh."𝑙𝒾𝒷𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Blackie remembered it.

He was always a straightforward dog. He would fight the ones he hated!

The Ministry was his enemy. In other words, he would fight them!

'Have they asked for my permission before they do things?'

Then, Shi Tuyu and the others were taken away. According to the rules of the Legendary Beast Sect, they would die.

The Young Sect Master Ceremony was officially over. Everyone was still shocked. They did not dare to speak. They greeted Shi Tuqin with respect and left.

Lord Dog gave them too much pressure.

Before they left, Shi Tumingri nagged Shi Tuqin on the things she needed to be cautious of. "Qin, you're incredibly lucky. However, you must remember to perform well around the expert. Do you understand? You have to put your mind into it. Serving the expert's the most important thing!"

Shi Tuqin said, "Dad, relax. I was saved by the expert. Of course, I'll respect him."

Shi Tumingri nodded and smiled. He said, "Alright then."

Elder Xu and Elder Zhao also looked proud of her. They said, "Qin, be a good study servant. The Legendary Beast Sect relies on you from now on!"

They watched Shi Tuqin grow up. When Shi Tuqin fell into some trouble, they were utterly upset. However, things had changed. She got an enormous blessing. Of course, they were happy for her.

"I'll work hard!"

Shi Tuqin nodded hard. She paused and thought of something. She felt troubled.

She rushed out of the four-part architecture, so she did not bring anything back for her father and the elders. Water from the four-part architecture would be an extremely nice gift!

She had to look at Little Fox. She whispered, "Sister Fox, can you give some dumplings to my father? Thank you so much."

She knew that the expert gave the leftover dumplings to Little Fox.

Kunpeng, who was at the side, did not want to. He hesitantly said, "This…"

'These are dumplings made by an expert!

'Each of them is an exquisite treasure. I haven't even eaten it yet. It's such a waste to give them away.'

"No problem!"

Little Fox generously waved her little paw. She could visit her sister anytime, so she was not worried about it. She ordered, "Kunpeng, we're all friends here. We have to help each other. Stop being stingy. Share half the dumplings with them."

"Alright…"

Kunpeng was quivering. He did not dare to disobey. So, he tremblingly took out the dumplings and shared them.

He slowly gave them the dumplings, one by one. It was clear that he was unwilling.

He was dead in the face like he was about to cry. He watched as the dumplings decreased in numbers. In the end, he could not endure it anymore. Kunpeng started to sob.

Little Fox was the sister-in-law of the expert. Shi Tuqin was the study servant of the expert. He could not mess with them. Therefore, he was forced to obey.

"Um… Cultivator."

Shi Tumingri felt sorry for Kunpeng because of how upset he looked. He said, "It's fine if you don't want to. We have a lot already."

That was music to Kunpeng's ears. He brightened up and quickly took the leftover dumplings. He laughed and said, "Oh, come on. I'll take it if you insist, cultivator. You're so nice!"

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen pointed at Shi Tumingri. They looked at him like he was a giant idiot. They loudly scolded him, "Cultivator Shi, you're crazy! Do you know what you're talking about?!"

Shi Tumingri felt confused. He furrowed his brows and said, "I do! What's wrong?"

Kunpeng did not dare to stay any longer. He was afraid he would change his mind. He rushed Little Fox, "Lord Demon King, we have to hurry back to Demon City. Let's go and say our farewells."

Little Fox nodded. He immediately left with Little Fox.

Kunpeng even went into bird form and left with the fastest speed ever…

Qin Zhongshan said, "I counted. We lost eight dumplings. Eight whole dumplings!"

Bai Chen nodded. "This is an astronomical loss!"

At that moment, they labeled Shi Tumingri as the biggest idiot of all time. He was a classic example of a rich idiot.

Cultivator Tianhong and the others were indifferent. They thought Qin Zhongshan and Bai Shen were too stingy. He proudly said, "It's just dumplings. The Legendary Beast Sect's famous for being generous. That's not necessary."

Qin Zhongshan and Bai Chen had an idea. They asked, "How about we eat them together?"

"Sure. Come on, let's eat them together."

A moment later.

"Holy sh*t, what kind of Godly dumpling is this?! Oh no, I'm going to fly away!"

"It's a blessing. This dumpling's a huge blessing!"

"Shi Tumingri, you idiot loser, what have you done? We lost eight whole dumplings because of you!"

"Boohoo, my dumplings, my dumplings!"

"No wonder Qin requested them for us. I had eight dumplings in front of me but I didn't seize them. I want to die!"

"Qin Zhongshan, Bai Chen, enough! Stop eating the dumplings of the Legendary Beast Sect. Are you trying to start a war with us? Stop eating, stop!"

Shi Tumingri was crying in waves. He cursed himself out. "I'm an idiot, I'm a pig!"

…

Blackie went back to the four-part architecture with Shi Tuqin.

They realized they had visitors in the yard.

It was the Food God and Xiao Chengfeng.

They both had fruit juices in their hands. They carefully sipped with enjoyment. They looked like they were filled with happiness.

'I knew it. Visiting the expert has its perks.'

They came to deliver something new to Li Nianfan.

The expert liked rare things. Everybody knew that. There were a lot of new things as time passed, especially after the Eldritch World upgraded to the Area of the Gods. Everyone from the Heavenly Palace kept an eye out for new discoveries.

They discovered a Spiritual Plant that looked like a bright green flower. After the inspection of the Food God, he concluded that it might be an ingredient. So, they came to give it to the expert.

Unexpectedly, the expert liked it.

Li Nianfan held the Spiritual Plant in his hand. Then, he smiled. He said, "This is a type of vegetable called Broccoli. It's quite nutritious. Very nice."

Xiao Chengfeng smiled and said, "We found it by luck. As long as you like it, Lord Saint."

Li Nianfan said, "Haha, the changes of the world also expanded my yard. I feel like my backyard's empty. I need new vegetables to fill up the space. Thank you so much, this came just in time."

Xiao Chengfeng and the Food God were energetic. 'The expert gave an obvious hint. It seems like I have to work harder!'

The Food God hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Lord Saint. We'll keep an eye out for new discoveries."

Li Nianfan nodded and said, "Thanks then."

Blackie saw that. He immediately went over and said, "Master, we brought back something for you, too."

"Oh? Take it out then. Let's have a look." Li Nianfan was excited.

Blackie hesitated. He mysteriously said, "Excuse us."

Li Nianfan followed Blackie to the room.

Blackie took out a box. "Master, look."

Li Nianfan looked at the 'thing' in the box. He slapped Blackie without any hesitation.

"Where did you learn this from? Do I look like I need something like that? Hm?"

Li Nianfan felt insulted. He rubbed Blackie hard on the head. Then, he said, "Fine. It's your gift, after all. Tell Xiao Bai to deep fry it later. Don't let Daji and the others find out. Also… Don't do it again next time!"

Blackie nodded. "I got it. I understand!"

Li Nianfan went back to the yard. He looked at Food God and said, "Food God, didn't you want to learn how to cook? I'm quite bored. Let's discuss food together. I can also introduce you to some vegetables so you can identify them in the future.

"I'm looking forward to new delicacies."

Li Nianfan did that to thank the Food God. Moreover, a lot of ingredients looked odd. Most people would not recognize them. It would be a waste to miss out.

For example, the Cocoa Beans. Cultivators naturally had no clue how to use them. However, they were the main ingredient to create Chocolate. Also, Coffee Beans could be ground to create Coffee. 𝘭𝑖𝘣𝓇ℯ𝘢𝒹.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He could try out all sorts of delicacies from his past realm. It would be fun.

The chubby Food God jolted. He smiled and said, "Alright. I'm honored!"

He did not dare to ask Li Nianfan to teach him because he was afraid that Li Nianfan would be annoyed. He did not expect to be chosen by Li Nianfan because he sent him some Broccoli. He felt too happy!

Meanwhile,

On the same star.

The Left Messenger stepped onto it and stood in front of the Minister.

The Minister was surprised. He asked, "Back so soon? Did you find the items?"

The Left Messenger forced herself to say, "No. Also… The East Shadow Guard's goners…"

Silence.

She felt pressured again.

"The East Shadow Guard's gone too?" The Minister had a different tone in his voice. He was in disbelief.

He looked at the Left Messenger.

For someone on his level, he was indifferent to deaths.

However, he was forced to care. He even counted in his mind.

'How many people from the Ministry died in this short time? Around ten Realm Cultivators!

'These powerful cultivators are rare resources!

'The last time the Left Messenger came back, it was the Right Messenger who died. I sent her out for a new mission. It's only been days. Now, she's back to tell me that the East Shadow Guard's dead.

'Is the Left Messenger a messenger of teammate deaths?'

The Ministry could not handle the deaths of 10 Realm Cultivators. They were seriously lacking in staff members. 'Who can handle it if this goes on? I'll be a lone ranger very soon.'

The Minister asked, "How did the East Shadow Guard die?"

"It's also because of that dog. Actually, I told him to look for the three items first and not cause unnecessary trouble. But he thought he had everything sorted. Then…"

The Left Messenger told the Minister everything. However, she omitted the part where she ran…

The Minister frowned. "It seems like my old friend isn't as friendly towards me. He keeps attacking me."

Suddenly, he sensed something.

"I sense the aura of a new realm!"

The Minister sounded excited. It was as if he could look past everything in the endless Chaos.

A bright red star was being engulfed by red flames as it slashed through the universe. It fell like a meteor!

The meteor was surrounded by a real aura. It was unstoppable.

Its target was the Area of the Gods!

"It looks like a secret border that was transformed by an old friend of mine before he died!"

The Minister had a hoarse voice.

Back then, the Chaos created the Nine Elites! Four of them died in front of him. He devoured them. The other five Elites were nowhere to be found.

The secret border appeared. It meant that all of them were practically dead. They left the secret border for future generations.

The Left Messenger felt her heart thump. Her blood was overflowing with excitement.

That was a secret border created by an Elite. It was too precious!

"The Area of the Gods is full of Luck! It seems like the secret border was attracted to the Area of the Gods. It's about to land there."

The Minister analyzed and smiled. He said, "Everything I need is in that secret border. Look for the West Shadow Guard. Remember, don't cause unnecessary trouble. Just look for what I need!"

Chapter 593

In the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan was teaching the Food God how to cook.

"The basic quality of food is in the presentation, smell, and taste! These three things are decided by the hands of chefs."

Li Nianfan pointed at all sorts of sauces and seasoning in front of him. He continued to say, "There are a lot of ways you can transform food. The most common method is through seasoning and knife skills!"

The Food God nodded but he barely understood. He asked curiously, "Lord Saint, may I ask to what level you can transform food?"

"To what level?"

Li Nianfan laughed. "To whatever you want!"

He had to be confident since he was teaching the Food God. Thus, he was also a bit mysterious and pretentious.

He casually picked up the cooking knife and slashed through the Pumpkin. The blades shined and danced like a butterfly.

The Food God did not blink as he stared. He carefully learned Food Cultivation under the knife. He felt the Wisdom surround him like shadows. He kept hearing loud noises.

In a matter of seconds, the Pumpkin skin was sliced away. Also, the Pumpkin transformed into the shape of a bear paw!

It was not big—approximately the size of a baby bear paw.

"This is the presentation of delicacies. I used my knife skills to create the appearance of a bear paw!"

Li Nianfan looked at the Food God. He smiled and asked, "Do you think I can make the Pumpkin taste exactly like a bear paw?"

"This…"

The Food God paused. His rationality told him that it was impossible. However, the expert probably asked that because he could. Moreover, the expert could do anything.

"I know you won't believe it. But, it's possible." Li Nianfan laughed. "Watch closely!"

Then, Li Nianfan ignited the fire and showed the Food God how to cook.

He started to cook. A special aura appeared around him. His moves were smooth and flowed with ease. It was mesmerizing to watch.

The Food God bafflingly watched as he was surrounded by Wisdom. He was learning and understanding.

At that moment, he cheered internally. 'A world. He's clearly creating a world!'

Each delicacy was a whole new world!

The world was handled by the chefs. He could do whatever he wanted. He was the Master of delicious food!

The Food God stood still. He was mind blown.

Suddenly, a nice smell slowly entered his senses. The nice smell was almost touchable. He was awestruck. He almost felt like flying.

'The smell of Wisdom! This is the smell of Wisdom!'

The Food God felt like his senses were activated. His skin could not wait to take in the smell. He absorbed every drop of Wisdom in the air.

His cultivation sky-rocketed. He was having an incredible breakthrough.

Mid-Taiyi Golden Immortal, Post-Taiyi Golden Immortal, Pre-Daluo Golden Immortal, Mid-Daluo Golden Immortal!

He was not an Immortal who took part in battles. So, his cultivation was always slow. However, he became a super powerful cultivator just by observing and breathing!

It was unimaginable. A lot of Immortals would be shocked to death!

"Done."

Li Nianfan snapped the Food God out of it. He looked closely.

He saw a black bear paw on the plate. It was covered with a thick sauce, and it smelled appetizing.

From the presentation and smell, the Food God concluded that it was a bear paw!

However, he knew that it was a Pumpkin!

Li Nianfan smiled and said, "Try it."

"Yeah. Thanks, Lord Saint."

The Food God carefully picked it up with his chopsticks. Then, he ate it.

At that moment, the aroma of meat appeared. It teased his taste palette. He also felt the texture of meat!

Most importantly, he could taste the aura of a Beast!

He would never believe that it was made from a Pumpkin, but he saw it himself.

'Magical!

'This is an unnatural transformation!

'Is this the power of Food Cultivation?'

Li Nianfan noticed that the Food God looked shocked. He felt slightly proud. He asked, "How is it?"

"It's… Awesome!" exclaimed the Food God. "I wouldn't be able to think of something like this."

"It's actually not hard. Let me teach you, step-by-step. Start from the knife skills and food carving."

…

On that day. 𝙡𝓲𝙗𝒓𝙚𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝒐𝙢

A flame slashed through the sky with endless power. It fell right in the Area of the Gods!

The meteor was extremely fast. It was like a momentary flash. It crashed onto the ground!

The earth shook as the realm rumbled. Thunder could be heard!

The terrifying phenomenon formed a storm and spread out in all directions!

The ground was instantly demolished. Everything around it was turned to dust. The nearest Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal even died from the crash. The faraway cultivators were also affected by the earthquake. They were heavily injured!

Endless Demons and Beast shivered and knelt in worship.

Rumble!

The world echoed and started to create a terrifying storm cloud!

At that moment, every powerful cultivator in the Area of the Gods sensed it. They were anxious, but they were more excited.

"Oh my God, what's that aura? So scary. I feel like I should kneel and worship!"

"This is more astounding than the Power of Heaven. Perhaps a powerful cultivator landed?"

"It must be a secret border. It's absolutely a super powerful secret border. Unimaginable opportunities await!"

At the Legendary Beast Sect.

Cultivator Tianhong was healing at that moment. He suddenly opened his eyes. He teleported to the Sect in a flash.

Shi Tumingri and the others gathered at the Sect. They all looked toward the direction of the secret border. They noticed Cultivator Tianhong, so they bowed and said, "Greetings to Taishang Elder."

Cultivator Tianhong cut to the chase. He said, "That is the aura of Wisdom! That secret border must be what's left of an Elite before they die!"

"Yikes—"

Everyone gasped in shock.

The word 'Elite' was too shocking. Elites were extremely powerful cultivators that could turn the Chaos upside down.

Their power was unimaginable. They only existed in myths and legends.

However… The secret border of an Elite appeared. 'What opportunities await us?'

'Perhaps we have a slither of hope in becoming an Elite, too!'

Everyone had to feel excited. They were flushed from excitement.

"It's a shame that I'm still healing. This can't be delayed and I can't go there."

Cultivator Tianhong was disappointed. He sighed. Then, he said, "Shi Tumingri, bring someone along with you. Check the place out. The secret border must be complicated. I'll be there as soon as I heal!"

Shi Tumingri instantly said, "Don't worry, Taishang Elder. I'll go right away!"

At the White Cloud Sect.

A healthy elder with robes and white hair looked in the direction of the secret border. He predicted by calculating with his fingers and instantly looked excited.

"This secret border is left by one of the Nine Elites that fought the Eldritch back then!"

The elder was so excited to explore the secret border. Then, he suddenly exclaimed, "This means trouble! This means trouble!"

He looked at Bai Chen and said, "If what you said is true, I'm afraid that person's an Elite, too! He may be one of the Nine Elites, right? The Area of the Gods appeared, and now the secret border has also appeared. I'm afraid that the history of the Chaos would recur!"

Bai Chen said sternly, "Elder Yun, what I said is true! I'm not a powerful cultivator, but I wouldn't dare to lie. The expert must be more powerful than an Elite!"

Elder Yun nodded. Then, he said, "Let's put that aside for the moment. We have to head toward the secret border right now. Come with me, let's depart immediately!"

At the Heavenly Palace.

Cultivator Junjun and the others gathered at the Linxiao Palace. They looked serious.

However, compared to the other forces, they were very calm.

It was all because… They had seen too much.

Goddess Nuwa said, "The treasure from the Chaos had landed. The secret border appeared. The blessings and opportunities must be extraordinary!"

"Right."

Cultivator Junjun nodded. Then, he said, "But, no matter how big the opportunity is, it must be nothing much compared to the expert."

Everyone nodded at the same time.

They were constantly blessed by the experts. They felt baptized by opportunities every time, so they were used to it. They had trained a calm mentality.

The Jade Emperor said with excitement, "There must be a lot of treasure in a secret border like this. If we find something and give it to the expert, the expert will be pleased. It'll be great."

In a situation like that, their first thought was of finding treasures for the expert as a gift.

The Empress had to say, "It'll be great if we can find new vegetables or fruits."

How the expert treated the Food God was not a secret.

The expert taught him Food Cultivation just because he gave the expert Broccoli. His life was like a cheat code and his powers improved every day. His status was also not the same.

He was a bigshot chef. Even the Jade Emperor had to beg for a meal from him.

Juling Shen could not wait. He volunteered and said, "Emperor, please, allow me to go to the secret border. I'm experienced in finding vegetables and fruits."

"You?"

Yang Jing sneered. He stepped forward and said, "I'll be honest. My third eye was created to look for vegetables and fruits! Please, allow me to go!"

The Seven Princesses also said, "Emperor, we can sense plants. We can find vegetables and fruits."

"Enough!"

The Jade Emperor said with seriousness, "This secret border's extraordinary. You're all not powerful cultivators, so it'll be useless if you go. I'll go myself!"

Cultivator Junjun instantly agreed and said, "That's right. Stop arguing. The Jade Emperor and I will go."

…

At the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan was teaching the Food God how to cook at that moment. He sensed something and looked at the faraway horizon. He had to ask, "What's going on? What's with the commotion? There's even a storm cloud in the sky."

Daji replied, "I think a secret border appeared."

"Secret border?"

Li Nianfan arched his eyebrow. He was familiar with that term. It was like a side quest for main characters in video games to gain treasures.

However, he was only curious. He did not want to fight for treasures and cause trouble for himself.

He casually said, "Judging by the commotion, the secret border must be huge. The treasure in it must be extraordinary."

The Food God went along with it and said, "You're right, Lord Saint."

He considered the entire event to be a small mishap. The Food God continued to follow Li Nianfan's cooking instructions. He worked hard on practicing how to cook. He said his farewells and left as the sky went dark.

However, Blackie turned into a black shadow and snuck out soon after he left.

The Food God was confused. He asked with respect, "Lord Dog, why did you follow me?"

"You silly little fool."

Blackie rolled his eyes. He said, "Are you seriously going to leave like that? You're more stupid than I am."

The Food God was not angry at all. He asked with confusion, "What do you mean by that, Lord Dog?"

"My Master said 'the treasure in the secret border must be extraordinary'. Do you seriously think it's over with a 'you're right, Lord Saint'?"

Blackie shook his head. "That'd be ridiculous."

The Food God jolted. The hint from Blackie enlightened him instantly.

Imagine if one's boss said 'This is nice', and one merely replied with 'You're right, boss'…

That would be awkward. Would one get that promotion or not?

He felt afraid. He said, "Thanks for the reminder, Lord Dog. The expert's giving me a hint to look for treasures in the secret border. I almost missed it. I almost disappointed the expert."

Blackie nodded and said, "Good, you finally understand. My Master didn't teach you how to cook for nothing."

The Food God genuinely said, "You're right to scold me, Lord Dog. I'll complete the expert's task with all my might."

"Let's go. I'll go to the secret border with you. Let's go get some nice things for my Master."

Then, Blackie picked up the Food God and walked toward the secret border.

The Area of the Gods was huge. It was split into five areas. East, South, West, North, and Center Area.

The Fallen Immortal Mountain belonged to the Center Area.

The secret border landed in the East. It landed on a mountain, but the mountain was demolished into a field with a huge meteor hole.

The hole was bottomless and pitch black, but strong Power of Law surrounded the place. It was like a volcano that was about to erupt. Weird phenomena glimmered and shined.

That hole was without a doubt the entrance of the secret border…

Chapter 594

Multiple figures flashed by from afar. They landed at the entrance of the secret border and took in the misty Insights. They all looked excited.

The cultivators nearby were the first ones to arrive.

"Such a powerful aura. It must be an extraordinary secret border!"

"I can feel my powers moving just from inhaling the Spiritual Qi."

"It came from the Chaos, so it must be a secret border created by a Realm Cultivator!"

"Haha, thank God the secret border landed in front of us. What are we waiting for? Follow me and let's go!"

Someone could not wait anymore. They roared and activated their powers to form a defense shield. Then, they sprinted toward the secret border's entrance!

The others followed and sprinted toward the entrance with their Immortal Items.

Suddenly, a holographic light shined just when they were about to enter. The hole beamed with a blinding light and instantly drowned them out like a fountain.

The light faded along with those cultivators. None of their ashes were left. Even their Immortal Items had vanished.

Everyone went cold because of that instantaneous horror show. They instantly stopped being excited. They had to back away.

Some of the cultivators immediately sneered, "Idiots. Do you seriously think the secret border would be so easy to enter?"

"What a scary trap! It also contains a hint of Wisdom. Not even Realm Cultivators can enter. Right?"

"It's too hard, it's too difficult!"

"The source of this secret border's unimaginable!"

…

Gradually, more cultivators gathered. A lot of forces thought they were powerful enough to enter the secret border. They all tried to no avail. They died from the backfire without exception. They could not get past the entrance.

Bai Chen from the White Cloud Sect showed up late with Elder Yun. They looked at the secret border with seriousness.

Elder Yun was astounded. He said, "This is a worldly trap naturally born from Wisdom!" 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝙧𝙚𝓪𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝓶

An Elite was more powerful than a Realm Cultivator. Their powers were immeasurable. They could change the lives of countless beings with their minds and change the course of civilization with a single act. Realm Cultivators could not do that.

An Elite was traceless. They hid well and had no type of cultivation either. They had a bit of everything in their cultivation. They were anonymous and an enigma.

There were no methods in becoming an Elite. They could only figure it out by themselves.

The secret border was created from an Elite, but it had its own mind. It had its own evolution. No one could understand it.

Bai Chen asked, "No one broke the worldly trap yet, right?"

Elder Yun shook his head and said, "No, but never say never. Someone will enter the secret border sooner or later, but time is required to understand the hidden clues. It's like a test. You can't easily decipher a puzzle created by an Elite."

Suddenly, Bai Chen sensed a familiar aura. He looked over and instantly smiled. He said, "Elder Yun, that's our cultivator friends from the Empath Sect and the Legendary Beast Sect."

Elder Yun nodded and asked, "Oh? Let's go."

He was very curious and respectful toward the expert Bai Chen described. He wanted to know more about him. He had to befriend the cultivators.

It was not because he did not trust Bai Chen, but what Bai Chen said was too unbelievable. He felt like he was exaggerating.

Qin Zhongshan and Shi Tumingri chatted with Cultivator Junjun. They noticed that Bai Chen and Elder Yun were walking toward them. They instantly greeted each other with friendliness. They brainstormed and discussed strategies to enter the secret border.

Suddenly, a powerful aura befell the place.

Several figures appeared. They were from the Ministry.

The Left Messenger and the West Shadow Guard were the leaders.

The West Shadow Guard was a fat and buff middle-aged man. He had tiny eyes and a friendly smile. He looked unique for a cultivator. After all… Not a lot of cultivators were fat.

The Ministry squad looked weaker than usual.

There were only two Realm Cultivators—the West Shadow Guard and the Left Messenger. The others were Chaos Daluo Golden Immortals. It seemed like their members died in groups. They were indeed weakened.

After all, Realm Cultivators were too limited. There was only one Realm Cultivator in the Empath Sect…

"Back then, I had at least two Realm Cultivators as helpers for my missions, but now…"

The West Shadow Guard sighed. He cursed, "That loser Right Messenger! We can't afford to lose so many cultivators because of him! Thank God he's dead!"

Qin Zhongshan and the others recognized the Left Messenger. They did not look happy at all. "It's her. She's from the Ministry!"

'The Ministry has their eyes on the secret border, too. This is bad!'

The Left Messenger also noticed Qin Zhongshan and the others. She instantly felt her heart sink. She quickly looked around. She did not see any signs of the bald dog. She sighed in relief and calmed down.

Then, she talked to the West Shadow Guard with telepathy.

The West Shadow Guard quietly glanced at Shi Tumingri. He had a menacing glint in his eye.

The East Shadow Guard tried to destroy the Legendary Beast Sect. They should destroy them too because they ran into them.

It was the right of powerful cultivators to be bossy!

The West Shadow Guard said, "The secret border's extraordinary. Listen to me. How about we work together to enter the secret border? There will be a lot of treasures inside, we'll just take what we need."

"We don't mind working with you if it means breaking the trap."

"Fine. Let's enter the secret border first."

"Let's not waste time then. What do we need to do?"

Everyone could tell the West Shadow Guard was extraordinary. They felt hopeful.

"No need to rush. Allow me to kill somebody first!"

The West Shadow Guard smilingly looked at Shi Tumingri. Then, he cast a palm attack toward him without a second thought!

His target was not just Shi Tumingri. The cultivators of the Heavenly Palace were also included. He wanted to kill them at the same time!

Boom!

At that moment, the wind and the clouds changed.

The powers were strong. It released a terrifying phenomenon toward Shi Tumingri!

The surrounding space twisted and the power washed over them like a wave.

It was an attack from a powerful Realm Cultivator. Most people could not even think about dodging it.

Elder Yun stepped forward and whipped out his horsetail whisk. He said with a hoarse voice, "Turn off a Thousand Strands."

The strands of the horsetail whisk elongated with the wind and formed a shield. It blocked the attack of the West Shadow Guard.

"I'll kill you, too!"

The West Shadow Guard sneered and raised his hand again. Endless power formed a huge hand out of thin air. It covered Elder Yun and the others like they were flies.

Elder Yun looked serious. He cast a spell and expanded the strands again. The strands went out like tentacles, almost as if they were going to hold up the sky!

The Left Messenger did not want to waste time. She also attacked. She pointed at the horsetail whisk!

Boom!

Elder Yun was outmatched. He instantly lost. His horsetail whisk snapped along with the countless strands. He was flung back. Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Cultivator Junjun and the others were also affected. They groaned with pale faces.

They looked at the West Shadow Guard with desperation and helplessness.

They could not escape the hands of the Ministry.

The West Shadow Guard had the same facial expression. He was still smiling even after erasing countless lives!

He did not give them time to breathe. He attacked again.

The endless power was strong. It turned into a black tornado that was about to engulf everyone like a Beast!

The tornado was sharper than any blade. It almost tore the space up into a space storm.

Elder Yun looked serious. His robe was moving without the wind. The Yin Yang Fish shined and moved. It slowly came out from the robe and formed a huge shield. Everyone was protected by the Yin Yang Fish!

The West Shadow Guard squinted and chuckled. He raised his hand and attacked again.

The tornado was stronger and roaring with shadows.𝓵𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝓪𝓭.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Fume!

A portion of the tornado pierced through the Yin Yang Fish's defense, causing cuts to appear on Elder Yun!

Cultivator Junjun and the others clenched their jaws and activated all their powers. However, it was like a firefly versus the moon. The difference was too wide.

The Left Messenger was about to attack, too. Suddenly, she jolted after catching a glimpse of something. She was too terrified to attack.

She hurriedly looked at the West Shadow Guard and said, "Run. We can't waste time. That bald dog's here!"

The West Shadow Guard glanced over and frowned. The Minister ordered them to avoid unnecessary conflict, so he should carry out the task.

He attacked Elder Yun with a huge palm attack. The palm figure fell and crashed on them like a mountain.

Then, he flicked his wrist and took out a neon blue Lightning Sword. He slashed through the trap and created a cut. He said, "Those who want to enter the secret border, follow me!"

Then, he went into the secret border with the cultivators from the Ministry.

The other cultivators excitedly followed them. Cultivator Junjun and the others were left to endure the attack.

Spurt!

Elder Yun spat out another mouthful of blood. His robes were completely ruined. The tornado's wind slashed his body while the palm figure was about to crush everyone!

An attack like that was hard to defend, but he did not need to take the hit like that. However, he needed to protect Bai Chen and the others. So, he forced himself to take the hit.

Even if he sacrificed himself to protect them, Bai Chen and the others were still damaged. They also took the hit.

If the situation continued, they would vanish within half an hour. Elder Yun would be fine, but they would be demolished!

The Jade Emperor started to feel dizzy. He was about to pass out from the enormous pressure from the palm. He was at a breaking point.

"Am I about to die?"

"That cultivator from the Ministry's too powerful. He must be an extraordinary Realm Cultivator!"

"Will somebody save me?"

Suddenly, he hazily saw a figure of a dog walking toward him.

"Lord… Lord Dog."

The Jade Emperor was slightly startled. Then, he was overjoyed. He almost cried.

"Let go!"

Everyone was surprised by the calm voice.

Elder Yun looked over and saw Blackie walking in the tornado. He was not affected at all.

That dog was very unique. He heard Bai Chen mention him before.

He groaned for a moment before he let go.

Boom!

The palm figure crashed straight down from the sky!

Blackie pointed his butt at the sky. The leather shorts started to glow and turned the palm into a breeze. It vanished completely.

"Awesome… Leather shorts!" Elder Yun had wide eyes.

Cultivator Junjun was used to it. He thanked Blackie, "Thanks for saving our lives, Lord Dog."

Blackie nodded. "Let's go to the secret border."

Elder Yun shook his head. He said with worry, "I'm afraid the secret border isn't that easy to enter. The Ministry used a Lightning Sword to slash through the worldly trap."

"It's not hard at all. Just follow me."

Blackie glanced at Elder Yun and walked towards the secret border.

At the edge of the secret border, Blackie turned around and pointed his butt at the trap.

Beep. Leather shorts pass.

Elder Yun was dumbfounded. The secret border opened up.

'Amazing!'

'The leather shorts must be a legendary item!'

'The Master of the Dog must be what Bai Chen described. He must be the highest being in the Chaos!'

They entered the secret border. Traps were set everywhere. They were signs of destruction all over. However, Blackie led the way by using his butt. They soon arrived at the first treasure of the secret border with no issues.

Meanwhile,

The West Shadow Guard and the others were fighting for their lives.

He brought a lot of cultivators because of the traps. The more cultivators the better.

Boom!

A terrifying laser wiped out 10 cultivators in one go!

"Move on. Don't be cowards, danger brings opportunities!

"The first treasure vault must be nearby. Word harder, everyone. Let's activate our powers together. The traps are getting weaker now!"

"Let's go. Blessings and opportunities await us!"

"I can almost taste the Spiritual Treasure and it's wonderful. Let's go!"

…

Chapter 595

At the first Treasure Vault.

"So… So many treasures!"

Their eyes sparkled with delight and became very excited when they felt the treasures' aura. Every space was taken up by the floating Ultimate Treasure—be it an Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure or a Deluxe Merit Ultimate Treasure.

Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures were created out of the Heavenly World in limited quantities. They were all indispensable treasures to a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal.

Like the Chaos Bell for example. If a Quasi Saint were to hide inside the bell, he would be able to withstand the many attacks of a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal. Not only that, a Quasi-Saint would not be able to unleash the full potential of an Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure with his level of spiritual cultivation. At most, he would be able to unleash only 30 percent of its usefulness.

As a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm, Cultivator Tianhong wanted to protect everyone. The horsetail whisk was an Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure.

An Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure was hard to get. Whoever had their hands on it would be able to walk this world with confidence. The Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures that were born out of the Yunhuang World could be counted on one hand but here, at a glance, there were at least 100 Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures.

No wonder this was called the Wisdom secret border. For there to be so many Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure on the first floor seemed like child's play to them, as if they were nothing but junk.

Cultivator Junjun bowed to Blackie. "Lord Dog, you should take all the Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasures."

No one dared to raise a voice of dissent. Blackie had a higher social standing and he was the one who saved them. Besides, it was all due to Blackie's effort that they were able to enter the secret border. Although having a treasure was a good thing, they did not feel any greed toward it.

"You call these treasures?" Blackie shook his head, disdain showing in his eyes. Then, he waved his paws. "Take whatever you want but be quick about it. I want to continue forward."

Blackie wanted to search for the item that his master was interested in and to destroy the Ministry's plan. The group was speechless at his nonchalance. However, after giving some thought, they were quick to realize that any junk belonging to the expert would be more powerful than any treasures here.

Although it pained them to think that, it was the truth after all.

Cultivator Junjun smiled bitterly. "It's only natural for you to look down on the treasures. We're the ignorant party here."

Then they started to gather the treasures they wanted without saying anything further. They shoved as many treasures as they could into their bags. Even if they themselves would not be able to use them all, they could give the treasures to their own sect to increase the groups' power.

This made it worthwhile for them to come to the secret border. It was truly the secret border of all secret borders. Of course, they would need to be careful about deciding which treasures to take because each of them contained a taboo that caused them to resist being taken.

But they were able to work it out between themselves. They were, after all, comrades in battle. The chances of in-fighting were very low.

In a blink of an eye, the whole space was cleared out and the treasures were equally divided between the group.

Blackie looked at the empty Treasure Vault and after some consideration said, "This is after all the first Treasure Vault. We should leave something here for the people that come after."

"Lord Dog, why are we leaving some treasures for them?" asked the Food God.

"Are you crazy? Why would you leave treasures for your opponents?" said Blackie mockingly while rolling his eyes. "We're leaving something to provoke them even more so they'd be all pumped up."

Then, his face broke out in a smile and he raised his paws to write something in the thin air—'The fact that you're here means you're very talented. Well done! More exciting things are waiting for you up ahead'.

He looked at his finished work, obviously pleased. "That should be enough. Follow me. Don't say I didn't show you the way."

With that, he took the first step to lead the way, walking as if he was on smooth plains.

At the same time, the Ministry group was still continuing forward with the many taboos limiting them. With every step, the spells blanketed the sky and ground as they contended with the light of taboo.

They never expected to lose one-third of their men before even reaching the first Treasure Vault. However, they were undeterred. "Work hard, people! Victory's ours!"

The West Shadow Guard looked at the Left Messenger who seemed as if her soul had left her body.

"Don't worry. We're at the Wisdom secret border after all, and you can only enter with the Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword given to us by our Minister. There's no way that dog would have entered in such a short time."

He had noticed the strange behavior of the Left Messenger ever since entering the secret border. She kept looking worryingly behind her. It was obvious to him that the failure of many missions had caused some trauma in her. She had lost much confidence.

"I know," said the Left Messenger, her lips in a tight line.

"Besides, I'm different from the Right Messenger and East Shadow Guard. I'm the epitome of the word 'stable'! I'm confident everything will go according to plan. You'll get back your confidence by working with me," said the West Shadow Messenger cockily.

No one could escape the fate of trodding on others to make themselves look better. It was almost a crime to not toot one's own horn if one really had the talent to back them up.

His familiar words caused her to frown slightly. She quickly told herself she was overthinking things.

"See, we've already arrived at the first Treasure Vault," announced the West Shadow Guard.

They felt relieved to see the gate opening and sensed their future was bright. Some of them were even crying out in anticipation of all the treasures they would see.

But that was not to be.

"Huh?"

"What happened?"

"Why's the vault empty"

The smile disappeared from the group's faces.

"Where are the treasures?"

"Is this it?"

The West Shadow Guard was shocked and confused, too.

"Everyone, look up! There are some words there!" cried out someone agitatedly.

They all noticed the message left by Blackie. Their expressions were all different.

"I know what's going on here!" said the West Shadow Messenger with sparkles in his eyes as a smile broke out of his face. He knew some of the hidden secrets from many years ago so he was able to put two and two together. "Everyone, don't be surprised. The owner of this secret border comes from an extraordinary background. He must've fought fiercely and destroyed all his magic weapons. Therefore, he couldn't leave any magic weapons here."

"I see!"

"Makes sense. The battle was obviously very hard to make such a strong person fall. It makes sense for him to destroy all the treasures."

"How nice of him to leave such a comforting message for us. He probably knew we'd be feeling down on our luck."

"Look at the words! It looks like there are still some Insights swirling about. It's truly extraordinary. I feel like I'm about to gain some enlightenment."

"Only a matchless high-level warrior would be about to leave such words. I can't help but bow down to it."

"We must move quickly! There's bound to be some powerful treasures waiting for us!"

Although they received nothing in the end, they were able to keep their mood high. With a motivated roar, they advanced towards the second Treasure Vault.

Meanwhile, Blackie and his group had already arrived. Here, there was a green grassland with the fragrance of birds and flowers in the air. The sun was warm and the clouds were floating in the air. In the center of the grass, there was a blue pond. The surface of the pond was rippling and sparkling with lights. The powers had transformed into a mist, rising like smoke.

Cultivator Tianhong was a very knowledgeable man. He cried out when he saw the pond, "The aura of life is so thick! The vitality's like a rainbow and the aura was born out of it naturally! This must be the Pond of Spirits!"

Anyone could detect the excitement in his voice. This Pond of Spirits must be extremely invaluable to be able to make a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm act like a child in a candy shop.

Cultivator Tianhong continued, "The Pond of Spirits has the ability to bring the dead back to life, giving them a second chance in life. It can also heal any trauma on the Origin of Life."

The ability to grow flesh over a skeleton! However, this Pond of Spirits did not work on everyone. One had to be a Chaos Daluo Golden Immortal to reap its healing power.

Cultivator Tianhong gulped some air. "Lord Dog, may I drink from the Pond of Spirits?" he asked with anticipation.

"Help yourself," answered Blackie calmly.

"Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" said Cultivator Tianhong, dancing with joy. He rushed to the pond and took small sips.

The injury caused by the West Shadow Guard damaged Cultivator Tianhong's Origin of Life. He was sure he would be healed by drinking from the Pond of Spirits.

The rest of the group followed him from behind and started drinking excitedly. Their minds and Primordial Spirits recovered instantly and they never felt better in their lives.

Blackie walked up to the pond at a much slower pace. He lowered his head and took a sip. However, he frowned and immediately spat out the water.

"The taste is too ordinary. It's worse than the tap water provided by the master," he said disappointedly. 𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝙚𝙖𝙙.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Cultivator Tianhong stared at him in disbelief. How could Blackie look down on the Pond of Spirits? What kind of life did one have to lead to be able to not think much of a luxury like this?

"It seems like the Pond of Spirits is exactly what the Ministry's looking for?"

The wheels started to spin in Blackie's mind and his face broke out in a sinister smile. "Do you still want the water?" he asked.

"Yes! Yes!"

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group took out a specially made treasure bottle and filled it up with the pond water.

Blackie looked at what was left of the pond water and raised one of his hind legs. Then, a stream of pee landed right in the middle of the pond.

Both Cultivator Junjun and Qin Zhongshan were rendered speechless. In fact, all of them had their mouths wide open with shock,

Did he just pee into the Pond of Spirits? This was definitely an abuse of treasures!

They clutched at their chests with their hands, pain making it difficult for them to breathe.

Blackie calmly put down his hind leg and said, "A little extra something for the Ministry. Do any of you want to add to it?"

They became excited at this question, raring to give it a go. Doing something as crazy as peeing into the Pond of Spirits would earn them enough bragging rights for a lifetime.

Not to mention Blackie already did it. How could they let this chance pass them by?

"Now that you've mentioned it, I do need to pee."

"Should we all…do it at the same time?"

The sound of water hitting water rang throughout the place as the pond's surface rose again to its original water level.

Blackie wrote something in the air again. ' The water from the Pond of Spirits is extremely valuable. Please, do not waste it'.

"Let's go to the next stop!" shouted Blackie.

Two hours later, a blast of explosion rang in the air and there were sparks all around. The taboo became looser. The Ministry people charged in with excitement after overcoming many obstacles.

The deeper they went, the stronger the taboo. Even the West Shadow Guard, along with the rest of the group, had to find ways to reverse it.

"Ahhh!"

"Charge!"

"This is the biggest chance in my life. I'd rather die than let it pass me by!"

"A little further! I can already smell it! It smells so good!"

Compared to the number of men in the first Treasure Vault, they were further cut down by half. Their bodies were covered with injuries. They had definitely been through a lot.

Finally, they saw the light at the end of the tunnel and with a final push, reached the second Treasure Vault.

"The air's thick with the aura of life! There must be a big fortune here!"

"The Pond of Spirits! It's actually the Pond of Spirits! The owner of the secret border didn't lie to us. There's actually a big treasure in the second Treasure Vault!"

"So much water in the Pond of Spirits! It could only be birthed from Chaos! We've struck gold!"

Everyone rushed to the pond and drank hungrily with sparkly eyes.

"Hey, don't you think the water's kind of yellow?"

"It's golden holy water! It must be the essence of the Pond of Spirits!"

"The scent alone is enough to make me feel better!"

"What good fortune it is to drink from this pond!"

Both the West Shadow Guard and the Left Messenger walked over to the pond with a smile. "This is exactly what the Minister wants."

The others did not dare to refute them. "We wouldn't have been able to reach here if it weren't for the two of you. By right, the two of you should have the first drink."

"Good that you all know that," said the West Shadow Guard with a smile. He raised his hand and a scoop of the pond water entered his mouth. He savored it as if it was wine. "The taste is sweet and full of life. It's the real Pond of Spirits. Do you want to give it a try, Left Messenger?"

The Left Messenger was very anxious. She had become very cautious due to the recent events. "No thanks. Let's get some for the Minister first."

"My lords, the golden essence floating must be the best part!" said someone, trying to earn some brownie points.

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me that!" said the West Shadow Guard with a cocky smile. "The best part belongs to the Minister! Scoop it all up and don't even think of sneaking in a sip!"

The rest of the group could only take their turn once the bottle had been filled. They were contorting with impatience and let out a roar of excitement once they had been given the green light by the West Shadow Guard. They all jumped into the pond and drank in big gulps.

"This is too good! So, this is what the Pond of Spirits tastes like! I can feel my life changing for the better!"

"All my injuries from the taboo have recovered!"

"Huh? There's a slightly salty taste to the water. How curious."

"Doesn't it taste great? The saltiness must be what makes it special."

"Get out once you've had your fill! Don't be too greedy. Leave some for the rest of the group!"

After an hour, some of their bellies were filled to the brim with the pond water. They all wiped their mouths with satisfaction. They had earned the right to drink from the pond first since they had a higher level of spiritual cultivation.

Behind them, the lowly members of the group had no choice but to madly lick the bottom and sides of the pond for it was already depleted.

"Look! There's another message in the sky telling us not to waste any of it!"

"The owner of the secret border has a good sense of humor! Of course, we wouldn't waste such precious pond water. I'd be a loser if I did that."

Chapter 596

Boop!

Blackie's butt appeared out of the void along with the distortion of space. It was as if there were two spaces folded together that were then separated by Blackie's butt. He started to wiggle his butt and little by little, the pressure began to make the hole bigger until it became large enough for everyone else to tumble out of it.

The space they arrived in looked ordinary compared to the previous two spaces. It was practically indistinguishable from a mountain village. Green trees, green grass, a few winding dirt paths, and right in the middle was a simple thatched house. Its roof was made of hay and its walls were made from mud. There was nothing else in the space.

The Spiritual Qi here was nothing out of the ordinary as well. There were little animals—not demons—rustling between the bushes. They were frolicking around in harmony and without a care in the world. It was truly no different than a human village.

Suddenly, a group of children ran out from the thatched house, trying to catch the little animals in the woods. Their laughter floated continuously up the air, giving off a sense of ordinary happiness.

Qin Zhongshan's eyes were filled with nostalgia, not willing to disturb the peace. "This must be the owner's deepest desire," he said softly.

Elder Yun let out a long sigh and said with mixed feelings, "An ordinary birth breeds an ordinary life."

They were all touched, including Blackie. A monk's training was full of danger, so they had to be careful at every step. Even if one managed to reach the status of being an Immortal, they knew they had to do it all over again when they were reborn into the world.

Once one had reached the peak and looked back, the softest memories would be the beginning of the journey.

Blackie thought back to the time when he was just an ordinary puppy. He followed his master everywhere, his tail wagging. He felt truly blissful and treasured these early memories. He probably would have done the same thing as the owner of the secret border by building a space like this if he was at the end of his life. After all, home was where the heart was.

"Lord Dog, look at the tree next to the thatched house!" cried the Food God with his wide eyes and an excited expression on his face.

The tree was a lot taller than the thatched house. Its green leaves were long as they hung low, as shiny as a jade. At a glance, one could feel the Wisdom's great current imbued with a great aura.

"The aura comes from Chaos!" cried Elder Yun with a gasp. He was stunned and his expressions kept changing. "It's a Chaos Spiritual Root! There's no doubt about it!"

He danced with joy as if he had suddenly seen a beautiful woman after not having seen one for many decades. His smile was one of no care in the world.

Suddenly, he felt something off in the air.

'Huh? Why am I the only one dancing?' he thought. He felt embarrassed about this foolish behavior.

After all, he had the highest spiritual cultivation after Blackie. His behavior was not acceptable for a person with a standing such as his.

He calmed down and asked, "Bai Chen, why aren't you dancing?"

"Why should I be dancing?" asked Bai Chen quizzically.

"This is Chaos Spiritual Root with the ability to create Dao in the body and bring us closer to enlightenment. It also means it can nurture our juniors so they can enjoy an infinitely bright future. How could you not be excited? How could you not be happy? Have you seen one before?" asked Elder Yun incessantly because he was too excited.

"I've seen it many times and have eaten some, too," said Bai Chen calmly. "The expert treats the roots as fruits. I've even eaten a dumpling filled with Taotie meat and Chaos Spiritual Root, too." 𝓁𝑖𝘣𝘳ℯ𝘢𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝑚

In other words, this was nothing but child's play to him and Elder Yun was the one who was overreacting.

"Elder Yun, it's not my intention to show off by telling the truth. I know you're excited, so please, continue with your dance. No one here will laugh at you," said Bai Chen to the dazed Elder Yun.

'As if I'd continue after what you said! I shouldn't have come,' thought Elder Yun tiredly. He felt like a clown.

"Judging by the shape of the fruit, this is definitely the cocoa bean described by Master!" said Blackie with a smile on his face. He was happy to be of use to Li Nianfan.

There were many gray pine nut-like fruits on the tree. The fruits were not large and the quantity not many. It looked like there were only about 10 or so fruits on the tree.

It was a Chaos Spiritual Root after all so it was only natural for the fruits to be of little quantity for one fruit would take 10,000 years or so to grow.

Blackie had no interest in the Chaos Spiritual Root. He was more interested in the cocoa bean.

"You all can divide the fruits amongst yourself. I only want the tree as I plan to present it to the Master," said Blackie.

"Thank you, Lord Dog." The group started to pick the fruits from the tree.

Blackie did not take the tree even after the fruits had all been picked for he suddenly thought of a good idea.

"Hey, do the fruits here look similar to those things over there?" he asked the group.

The group looked in the direction Blackie was pointing at. Their expressions suddenly changed and their hearts were beating wildly.

It was happening again. Blackie was going to do something evil again.

Over where Blackie was pointing was a group of grazing white sheep. Underneath their feet were piles of black droppings.

"Lord Dog, this…this.." Qin Zhongshan compared the poo to the cocoa bean he was holding. "This looks exactly like it!" he exclaimed.

"I'm going to make it worthwhile for the Ministry to come here by preparing some gifts for them," said Blackie with a smile.

Another gift! The rest of the group's scalps tingled with glee. It was better not to accept Blackie's 'gifts'.

The group walked over to the flock of sheep and were greeted with a foul smell, causing them to retch in disgust. Their stomachs turned when they thought about Blackie's plan.

"Wow, it has a strong sheep smell! It's so smelly!"

"I cannot hold it in…" Puke!

"Won't one die from eating this?"

"This is too much! Too much!"

Their entire bodies went cold with fear and swore to themselves never to cross the Lord Dog for they could not even imagine how they would be punished.

"Lord Dog, I don't think the Ministry would eat these," said Bai Chen.

"Well, that depends on you," said Blackie, directing his words at Food God. "Didn't the master teach you that anything could be turned into gourmet cuisine? It's up to you to step up now. Try putting lots of cumin on it to get rid of the smell."

The Food God felt fearful about having to make a gourmet dish out of the smelly ingredient for the consumption of the high-level member of the Heavenly Realm. "I'll do my best," he said determinedly.

One hour later.

"Just a little bit more, people! The third Treasure Vault's right in front!"

"I bet the third Treasure Vault contains a very valuable treasure. A hundred times more valuable than the Pond of Spirits!"

"That goes without saying! I can't wait!"

"Haha, we're almost there! I can smell the fragrance of the treasure!"

The Ministry people were high on the thought of the treasure and cheered each other on. Their numbers were further decreased and there were only less than 100 men at that point. Although it was a high price to pay, they felt it was worth it.

The West Shadow Guard sliced the entrance space of the third Treasure Vault and the entire group rushed inside. Finally, they had arrived!

Their eyes were full of excitement and anticipation as if they had already gotten the treasures they had all been dreaming about.

However, their excitement turned into shock when they noticed the other group of people. The Left Messenger's eyes became as wide as saucers. She wished her eyes were lying to her, that it was only a hallucination.

'Why are they here? Why's that dog here? This is too scary! Way too scary!' she thought. She made herself as small as possible and retreated to the end of the troop without hesitation. She wished she could be invisible at that very moment.𝓁𝑖𝘣𝘳ℯ𝘢𝘥.𝒸ℴ𝑚

"How did you get in?" shouted the West Shadow Guard in disbelief.

Blackie and the Food God were standing underneath the cocoa tree, mixing something. There were many round gray-black beans 'growing' on the trees, emitting a special fragrance.

"Oh my god! This tree's actually a Chaos Spiritual Root!"

"That means it bears Chaos Spiritual Fruit! We've struck gold!"

"Take your paws away from the fruits, you bald dog! Don't dirty the Chaos Spiritual Root!"

"Leave if you don't want to die. The tree belongs to us!"

The Ministry group's eyes were full of fire as they rushed up to the tree.

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group glanced at each other, their faces contorted weirdly as they silently left.

"Everyone, calm down!" cried someone in the Ministry group. "Chaos Spiritual Root is hard to come by. Under such special circumstances, we should let Lord West Shadow Guard have the first taste!"

"You're right. After you, Lord West Shadow Guard."

The West Shadow Guard smiled and walked to the front of the group. "This Chaos Spiritual Root is truly extraordinary and must've been one of very old age. If not, how could one explain the many Chaos Spiritual Fruits on the tree? But this is a good sign! As you all wish, I'm going to dig in now!"

He raised his hand and a few Chaos Spiritual Fruit flew into his wide opened mouth. He started to savor it slowly.

"It's truly a Chaos Spiritual Fruit. It contains the aura of Wisdom and the taste is great. The texture's soft, but I don't like how it sticks to my teeth," said the West Shadow Guard while eating. Then, he waved his hand and said, "Everyone, have a taste."

The group pounced on the Chaos Spiritual Fruits.

"Wow, this tastes great! It tastes like beef!"

"Mine tastes like chicken."

"Mine's a little spicy. It's amazing how all the Chaos Spiritual Fruit tastes different."

"Mine tastes a little weird and it smells. Maybe it's a bit rotten."

"Even so, don't waste it. This is good stuff. I feel like I'm leveling up!"

"You don't need to remind me."

Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group observed the scene in front of them. The Ministry group pounced on the fruits, happily eating them and singing their glowing evaluations.

They felt their stomachs turn and a shred of pity grew in their hearts. How could one still deem something delicious when it was poo they were eating? Are there any people who were more pitiful than them?

However, the Ministry group mistook their expressions for another meaning. They started to gloat.

"Hahaha, look at you all! It's a pity you can only watch us eat."

"It's a good thing we've arrived in time. If not, they would've eaten it all."

Suddenly, someone cried out, "Hey look! Look at the ground over there. Why are there Chaos Spiritual Fruits on the ground?"

"You fool! Those are sheep droppings."

As soon as the words were out, the Ministry group stopped chewing at the same time. Their brain buzzed loudly while they stared at the sheep poo.

"How could it look so similar?"

"Because the main ingredient's sheep poo," answered Blackie.

"Impossible! You're lying! We would've known if it was sheep poo. The fact that it tastes like it contains spiritual Qi is the best proof that this is Chaos Spiritual Fruit!"

"Yes! Don't think you can pull a fast one over us!"

"He must be jealous of us!"

Blackie kept quiet while signaling the Food God with his eyes.

Getting his message, Food God took out a pile of sheep poo, fried it in the wok, and dipped it in a sauce before sprinkling some cumin over it. All this happened in front of the Ministry group's eyes.

"Anyone want the beef flavored 'fruit'? It's freshly made. You can choose the flavor you like. We have many flavors to choose from," said the Food God.

Gasp!

"I'm eating sh*t?"

"No!"

The Ministry's group face became green and their expressions became bitter. They started to lose control of their body as if they were about to go berserk any moment.

Blackie was obviously not done with them. He gestured with his paw and a scene appeared before them. It was the scene of Qin Zhongshan and the rest of the group peeing in the Pond of Spirits.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"This must be fake! There's no way it can be true!"

"I drank dog pee and ate sheep poo!"

"Oh, God, how could you be so cruel!"

"I can't take it anymore. I can feel my body rotting!"

Puke!

The Ministry group started puking. They vehemently wished they could empty out all the contents in their stomachs. All their focus was on puking out everything. Even the grim reaper could not distract them.

Most of the faces became red, having puked out bile. Even the female monks were not spared. They, who used to be graceful and feminine, were trembling, pale, and wished they were able to take their own life.

Their Dao Heart had been utterly destroyed, shattering into a million pieces, never to be put back together.

The always-smiling West Shadow Guard finally stopped smiling. His fat body heaved with the effort of puking out everything—even water and oil. He felt like he had been tarnished.

His face was distorted and he squeezed out a raspy voice from his throat. "Too cruel! You're too cruel!"

The Left Messenger watched all this unfold before her from her hiding place not far away. She was trembling, her face drained of color, and her heart felt as if it was being squeezed.

The horror! She was thankful she was spared from all these due to her knowledge of Blackie's treachery and her caution. She could not imagine how she would react if the same thing were to happen to her. She would definitely go mad. Thinking of that made her hair stand up.

Chapter 597

"Why, why?" The West Shadow Guard's obese body shrank. His eyes were bloodshot and he would have a mild seizure from time to time. He had never been plunged to a depth of darkness so deep before. His path had been blocked and not only that, he could feel his spiritual cultivation decreasing. His Dao Heart was unstable so it was easily destroyed by the feeling of disgust.

He was not the only one feeling that way. The same thing was happening to the other monks. After all the obstacles they had overcome, betting their lives on so many missions, training with all the sincerity and hope in the world—after all that, they were defeated by this.

Puke!

"I'm going to kill you all!"

All of them went mad. The punishment for cutting off a monk's spiritual training path was death! They were filled with shame and felt they had nothing to live for. They were confident they would be able to eliminate a group made of seven people and a dog. The group was definitely no match for the Ministry!

"Die, die, die!" The Ministry group attacked at the same time and their spells blotted out the sky. They descended on Blackie and the group like a tsunami. Their aura was strong with the scent of bloodlust. It was truly terrifying.

"Please, protect us, Lord Dog!" Cultivator Junjun had high self-awareness. He knew his power would not be able to protect himself and he would need to rely on Blackie to come out of this alive.

Blackie did not move at all. By the side, Elder Yun, who had been studying the wooden door just now, had a glimmer of light in his eyes. He raised his hand and slammed onto a certain place on the wooden door. The aura became more pronounced and started resonating.

In the next instant, seven colors of light suddenly burst from the void and the space was distorted, like the firstborn sun descending into the world, driving out all darkness.

The Ministry's attacks melted away like ice and snow, directly erased as if they had never appeared before. Ripples started to flow in the space, like a flower's reflection in the river. Then, the attacks dissipated with them.

Everyone watched all these unfold before their eyes as if the winners had already been decided, not daring to move.

A projection of an old man in white robes slowly walked out from the wooden door. His face was expressionless, while his body exuded a very profound aura with the ability to stun the world as if his appearance was the very meaning of the world!

"Is he the owner of the secret border?"

Everyone was shocked and had an impulse to start bowing to him.

"He's the real powerhouse! He stands at the pinnacle of the Power of Chaos!"

Elder Yun gulped out of nervousness. Although there was only a one-word difference between the Heavenly Realm and the Wisdom Realm, and although it was only the projection of the old man, he still dared not display any signs of disrespect.

The old man was a pioneer who has surpassed the ways of heaven and entered a new realm!

The flowers and trees disappeared, along with the animals and the cabin. Instead, there was a long ladder, emitting a dazzling golden light that rose all the way to the sky!

"After so many years, someone finally came. It seems there will be chaos in the Chaos again." The white-robed old man sighed and waved his hand casually, allowing everyone to regain the ability to move.

Cultivator Junjun had heard the Taishang Elder mentioned this not long ago, and thoughtfully said, "Are you talking about the Eldridges?"

"I never expected someone to still remember their existence." The white-robed old man glanced at Cultivator Junjun. Then, he nodded and said, "Yes, it's the Eldritch. They will bring great calamity to the Chaos, also known as Ancient Disaster! The secret border I set up will only reappear in the world when I foresee that the Ancient Disaster is about to fall."

The white-robed old man looked at the group and shook his head, seeming to be quite disappointed, "To be able to come to this level, there should be a super genius who's not even one-in-a-billion, but…your group is the worst. It disappoints me too much."

He looked worried, obviously not feeling optimistic about the people he was looking at. He did not think this group of people were capable of fighting the Ancient Disaster.

Everyone was slightly embarrassed. It could not be denied that luck played a big part in their ability to reach this place, especially for Qin Zhongshan and the others. Actually, it was Blackie who did most of the work. They merely had to tag along. Their powers were probably very, very far from the old man's requirements.

"Oh, well. There's no point in fighting with fate. Do what you can." The white-robed old man looked down and said, "I… I'm of an elite human race, and I've been tasked with leaving the Elite Tinder to the human race. Ascend the ladder to the next level! I'm waiting for you at the highest point!"

With that, he turned around, took a step forward, and appeared at the highest point of the ladder. He looked down at them with condescending eyes.

"Elite Tinder?"

With those two words, everyone became fired up, energy and hot blood surging through their entire bodies.

Obviously, this was the path of the Wisdom Realm! The old man would pass it on once they had reached the highest point of the ladder. It made reaching the last level truly worthwhile.

This chance was too precious to pass up. It was countless times more precious than any treasure since this was the gateway to achieve peak power!

"Elder, wait for me! I'm coming!"

"Me too, master!"

"Give it to me! The others aren't worthy!"

The crowd went mad, forgetting everything. Their brains only had one thing in mind—peak power!

Whoosh!

One by one, they flew up to the sky, climbing up the ladder!

Although this old man was standing at the highest point, the height of the ladder was actually no more than 100 feet. For the higher ranking cultivators, it was not much of a distance at all and it could be reached with a single thought.

However, this was clearly not the case.

At the very start, one-third of the people who flew a distance of 10 feet were pushed back by an inexplicable force. Their entire bodies went into shock. These people, who had managed to survive until now were certainly of extraordinary powers, but they could only manage to fly a tenth of the distance before falling down.

In addition to them, the others were suppressed by the tremendous pressure, unable to fly. They could only carefully climb up the ladder step by step! This ladder contained the Power of Wisdom. The more one climbed, the stronger the strength of the Power of Wisdom. Regardless of how much mana one had, one would still have to resist using one's Dao.

Out of the whole group, only Blackie stood motionless where he was. He yawned a little and then fell to the ground, resting his chin on his paws as he watched silently. It was as if he was enjoying a TV show. He already found the cocoa tree that Li Nianfan wanted and he was content with that. As for the Elite Tinder? He was not interested in that.

Looking from the outside, one could see the entire ladder creating ripples in the space due to the clashing of Dao. Not only that, many Dao began to manifest, giving birth to strange visions in the sky.

The scorching sun, the hurricane, the cold ice, and other visions varied. The collision of the monk's emotions even made the sound of thunder-like explosions.𝓵𝓲𝙗𝓻𝓮𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝓸𝒎

There were a total of five figures who were in the lead. They were the Food God, Cultivator Junjun, Elder Yun, West Shadow Guard, and the Left Messenger. They had already crossed quite a distance.

The latter three were all high-level members of the Heavenly Realm and the fact that the Food God and Cultivator Junjun were able to keep up with their pace spoke about their own remarkability.

The Food God had been training under Li Nianfan for a while now, so he had a very deep understanding of Dao. Cultivator Junjun also received the favor of Li Nianfan when the latter showed him the CD which benefited him tremendously.

The white-robed old man's gaze fell on the Food God, and he said in amazement, "For a Daluo Golden Immortal to have such deep understanding is truly strange and amazing!"

Behind these five people were Qin Zhongshan, Bai Chen, and others who were struggling to climb the ladder. Under the suppression of the Wisdom, every step became extremely difficult for them, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

More and more people struggled to handle it and were shaken down the steps. In the end, only the five people in the front were still climbing, and the highest point was only 30 feet away!

At this time, the Left Messenger became a little unstable and felt she could not handle more, so she voluntarily retreated down the ladder. Bai Chen, Shi Tumingri, and Qin Zhongshan also retired one after another.

When there was only 20 feet left to the highest point, Cultivator Junjun sighed and finally, could no longer take another step. He retreated sadly.

"How is this possible that a Daluo Golden Immortal can handle it?!"

"A miracle, it's a miracle!"

"How did a weakling get in here? And reach until that point?"

"I think you're all forgetting the main point! Look at all the things his Dao emotions are manifesting—they're all delicious food!"

"It's amazing how he could actually cultivate Wisdom of Food to this level!"

Looking up, they could see layers of Dao emotions rippling and converging into a dish. Occasionally, roast duck would appear, then roast chicken would appear, and then soup stew would appear.

Just looking at the dishes made them hungry as if they could really smell their fragrance. The Wisdom of Food surrounded the onlookers and clashed with the Wisdom.

"D*mn! It's him, the one who made the sheep poo into the Spiritual Root!"

"Come on, West Shadow Guard! Don't lose to this scum!"

"This cook is evil, take revenge!"

The West Shadow Guard's face became gloomy. He glanced at the Food God and was also surprised. When he saw the food around the Food God, he could not help but think of what he had just eaten.

Puke!

He quickly composed himself and got rid of distracting thoughts. 'I can't lose, I mustn't lose to this scum cook! The Wisdom of Food is only a small path of Dao. He's no match to me!' He took a deep breath and continued to move forward with increased energy!

The Food God's face became red and his body was already faintly trembling. In his mind, he started to recall Li Nianfan's teachings. 'A qualified cook has no distracting thoughts in his mind, making his cooking naturally delicious!'

"Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roasted duck, roasted chicken, roasted goose…" He began to silently recite the recipes that Li Nianfan told him to recite. The thousands of dishes were intertwined and became a beacon to his Dao.

One step, two steps… They were no more than 10 feet away from the highest point!

The Jade Emperor was struck with awe. "Way to go, Food God!" He never expected the Food God to become so powerful. The painting style of the Heavenly Court might have to change, and the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were no longer as powerful as the Food God.

"The expert's really too powerful! The luck of the Food God is simply out of this world!" exclaimed Cultivator Junjun. This just proved that even a pig could fly to the sky just by following the expert to study.

In the last 10 feet, the pressure suddenly doubled! The crowd of onlookers could even see that a crack had appeared in the sky. It was without a doubt the pressure was truly terrible.

The Food God and West Shadow Guard stopped at the same time. 𝘭𝒾𝑏𝑟𝑒𝒶𝒹.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"You can't beat me!" said the West Shadow Guard with a sneer. He glanced at the Food God and when he raised his palm, the Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword appeared in his hand.

Thunder exploded around him with the Power of Wisdom transforming into thunder as it resisted the pressure of Wisdom.

"This is the weapon given to me by our Minister and there's a trace of his great aura attached to it. I bet you don't have something like this with you!" said the West Shadow Guard with pride. He swung his sword forward and continued climbing.

"Victory belongs to the West Shadow Guard now! I'm amazed he still has this trick up his sleeves!"

"Awesome, look, that chef has been struck dumb!"

"What treasure could a mere Daluo Golden Immortal have? He should just give up."

Everyone held a deep hatred for the Food God, so they were naturally happy to see the situation play out this way.

The Food God did not say a word. He simply raised his palm and a spatula appeared in his hand. From the surface, it looked no different from the spatula used by ordinary people for stir-frying dishes. He started to perform the motion of stir-frying in thin air.

Following his movements, everyone clearly saw that the surrounding Wisdom began to be disrupted, as if they were turned into dishes, being stirred by the spatula…

"Gosh, what kind of spatula is that? It doesn't make sense!"

"How can a spatula stir-fry Wisdom? Is it possible that it can be made into a dish?"

"I thought that chef was scary enough, but I didn't expect him to have an even scarier spatula! It's turning my worldview upside down!"

Everyone could not believe what they were seeing and they became dizzy.

Hearing the movement behind him, the West Shadow Guard frowned and looked down slightly. At the sight of the Food God stir-frying, his eyeballs almost dropped out and his chin almost fell to the ground.

"Is he moving forward while cooking?" The West Shadow Guard was dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes, stared at the spatula, and exclaimed again, "It's a Chaos Spiritual Treasure! It's actually a Chaos Spiritual Treasure Spatula! Where did you get this? How could Chaos create such a thing like this?!"

The Food God ignored him and wielded his spatula as if he was really stir-frying a dish in front of him. He advanced silently forward until he had surpassed the West Shadow Guard.

"So what if it's a Chaos Spiritual Treasure! You still can't beat me!"The West Shadow Guard's eyes sank and he gritted his teeth while frantically brandishing the Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword, cutting out a path for himself.

However, he became desperate when he was only five feet away from the highest point because no matter how hard he slashed, he was not able to create a path. He could only helplessly stop in his tracks and looked at the Food God seethingly as he continued moving onward with his spatula.

Looking at the Food God standing in front of him, the white-robed old man was also a little dumbfounded. After a moment, he said, "Although it's a bit unbelievable, there's no doubt that the final candidate has been chosen!"

If not for the fact everyone saw it with their own eyes, no one would dare to think that it would be the chef with the lowest spiritual cultivation amongst them to win the final victory.

The Left Messenger screamed internally when she saw what was happening. Pain tore through her heart. She realized any situation involving that bald dog would ultimately end up badly for them. It was at the same time truly illogical and too terrifying to speak of!

Chapter 598

"The others may leave!" The white-robed old man raised his hand and the secret border became momentarily distorted. The West Shadow Guard and his group were cast out of the space before they could say anything.

Then, with a change of scenery, the ladder disappeared and the white-robed old man appeared in front of everyone.

Cultivator Junjun and the others bowed respectfully. "Greetings to you, our elder."

"If my guess is correct, you all must have other luck, which means I'm not that much stronger than you all!" The white-robed old man's eyes were burning, watching everyone carefully, especially the spatula in the hands of the Food God. Then, he looked at Blackie, his eyes thoughtful.

'Stronger than us all? No way, we're definitely stronger than you,' thought Cultivator Junjun. Then, he nodded and said, "There's indeed luck with us."

"And whose secret border might that be?" asked the white-robed old man.

"What we encountered isn't a secret border but a powerful Master," replied the Food God with deference in his tone. "It's the same master who trained me under the Wisdom of Food. I wouldn't have been able to pass your test in a million years if not for him."

"A living person?" The pupils of the white-robed old man suddenly widened as he said in surprise. "Where did you get this spatula?"

"It was bestowed upon me by my Master. He has many similar treasures there!" said the Food God.

The white-robed old man stared at the Food God. "Are they all Chaos Spiritual Treasures?"

The Food God nodded. "Yes, all of them!"

'There's more!' he silently thought to himself at the same time.

"A living Elite Being. There's actually still a living Elite Being in the Chaos!" The eyes of the white-robed old man flashed brightly as there seemed to be tears. He trembled with excitement and whispered, "There must be more to this! So many years have passed, maybe it has reached that point!"

His eyes were bright when suddenly, he grabbed the Food God asked in a shaky voice, "Is it a woman?"

Everyone could hear the tension and admiration in his voice. His emotion infected everyone. Vaguely, a phantom of a graceful woman appeared in front of everyone.

The Food God shook his head and solemnly said, "It's not a woman but a man."

"A man?"

The white-robed old man was stunned. He exclaimed, "How is it possible? Who else can it be besides her?"

"We can also testify, it's indeed a man. Can you tell us who's the woman you're speaking of?" asked Cultivator Junjun.

The white-robed old man frowned, his eyes filled with reminiscence. He said, "She's the lord of all souls. We call her the Soul Master. She rose in the dynasty and lived in the eternal age, an invincible woman with the power to suppress the world!"

As the white-robed old man reminisced about the endless past, the scenes in the secret border changed accordingly. Suddenly, a river appeared under everyone's feet.

The river was wide and had no end in sight. The current was very rapid and roared like wild beasts. Everyone felt a simple aura from it, silent but with enough power to annihilate everything, making it unstoppable and unassailable!

This is the breath of time.

Elder Yun's eyes widened. His face could not hide the look of surprise. "This is the River of Time! Is he taking us back to the past?"

The white-robed old man did not speak. He kept looking at the far distance with a deep look in his eyes.

In the next instant, everyone went upstream along the long River of Time and entered a time during the ancient Chaos.

The Chaos at this time did not seem to be that much different from the Chaos today. Just when everyone was looking at the surrounding environment, the chaotic space fluctuated and exuded an elite aura. The sense of dignity and fierceness made people cower in awe and become totally mind blown by it all.

Then, a living entity walked out of the void. He…was not a human being.

His entire body was red-gold and his figure was tall and straight, more than 30 feet high. His shoulder-length hair was purple and his eyes were a bluish-purple with double pupils inside. His gaze seemed to be able to penetrate everything!

The moment they saw him, the muscles of Cultivator Junjun and others tensed suddenly, as if they had seen a natural enemy. Their hearts were full of hatred and caution.

At the same time, the opposing party's powerful pressure also made them feel a little uneasy.

"He's a creature of the Eldridges and he feeds on the monks' mana and Dao," said the white-robed old man.

The Eldritch creature held a baby in his hands, flying through the Chaos, passing one world after another. Finally, after choosing a world, he threw the baby into that world.

The baby sank into the ground in the most central position of the stars, absorbing the nutrients of the world. As time went by, the River of Time jumped forward by 100,000 years.

The star began to decay and the aura withered. With the Dao emotions lacking, the life span of the creatures in that world was greatly reduced when their life force was sucked away. By then, the baby had grown up and was a teenager of 15 or 16 years of age.

Another 10,000 years passed and the world became one without any living things. Billions of creatures and not one trace of life could be found. It had finally become an abandoned star in the vast Chaos.

The baby had grown up to be close to two meters, walking out of the abandoned stars, looking for a new world in the Chaos.

"The Eldritch creature devours vitality so that it can feed on the monks' mana and Dao. Once it appears, it'll bring great calamity and it'll be the enemy of all living creatures in the Chaos!" emphasized the old man in the white robes. His tone was deep with hatred.

Everyone nodded at the same time. They did not know much about the Eldritch before, but now they finally understood why they were seen as a catastrophe. This was a race that viewed monks as their food!

That meant the Chaos had been a farm all along!

Suddenly, an overbearing and holy aura rose across the endless distance. The power to suppress the world was transformed into a slender hand in the void.

The child showed fear and wanted to avoid it but found itself unable to. The slender hand patted the child and immediately annihilated it in the River of Time.

The next moment, the space in the Chaos trembled and three Eldritchs walked out quickly, exuding an extremely cold murderous aura as they angrily besieged and killed the woman.

These three Eldritchs' cultivations went against Fate. Every move made was unbearable, even to the Chaos, and a hole appeared from where each attack landed, annihilating the creatures of all worlds.

Although they could not see the woman's face clearly, they could not help but feel that she exhibited unparalleled grace at that very moment.

It was three against one but she made it all seem so effortless. She was covered with a layer of shining white light as if she was born to be the protagonist between heaven and earth. She was not going to retreat from the three Eldritchs' attacks. Instead, she would suppress them!

Chaos in the world and a war broke out.

Cultivator Junjun and others witnessed this battle countless years ago. Although they knew it had nothing to do with them, the hair on their bodies still stood up uncontrollably and all they felt was shock.

In this kind of battle, forget about intervening or watching from a close range. They could not even bear the slightest residue from the attacks.

At this moment, the woman did not retreat but moved forward. She stepped forward and willingly entered the trap they laid out for her. Then, she raised her slender hand and a black flag appeared in her hand!

The pitch-black flag unfurled with the wind. Even though there were no patterns on it, it gave off the feeling there were countless words printed on it, like a mirror of the Chaos.

At the moment the flag appeared, the three Eldritchs' expressions changed drastically before they offered their weapons, one after another. At the same time, they retreated violently.

The woman held the flag in both hands and started waving!

With the first wave, Wisdom flowed out like water, transforming into terrifying ripples spreading in all directions, slashing on the weapons of the three Eldridges and annihilating them.

Without giving them time to react, with the second wave that came immediately afterward, a ripple like a big formless hand appeared and smashed everything in its path into a million pieces.

The three Eldritchs were horrified and were instantly annihilated by the force, forever gone.

However, the woman did not stop waving the flag as it continued to dance, igniting the sun, the moon, and the stars across the chaotic worlds. It released a wave of Wisdom, spreading to every corner, causing the Chaos ocean to boil!

The entire Chaos seemed to be empty with only the figure of the woman waving the flag. Suddenly, the Chaos started to vibrate and began to change drastically!

The Chaos Ocean was actually pushed out by her!

A 100 feet, a 1,000 feet, 10,000 feet!

The entire Chaos expanded because of her!

"So, this is the lord of all souls, the Soul Master!" said Elder Yun with awe.

"She's so powerful."

The Jade Emperor gulped some air and felt his blood burning with fervor.

In his life, he had the honor to witness two drastic changes!

The first time was when the expert used an infinite amount of Chaos Thunderbolt and created the Area of The Gods with the spirit rain brought on by the thunderstorm.

The second time was now, witnessing a graceful woman, wanting to buck against the trend, expanding the Chaos for the sake of all the creatures in the Chaos with the waving of her flag. All this happened in the time before there was anything.

It was an indescribable feat! A miracle of the Chaos!

The most powerful of them all… as it should be!

Just when everyone was intoxicated, the woman suddenly turned her head and looked in their direction.

Vaguely, everyone seemed to see a pair of eyes before them.

What a pair of eyes indeed! They were as clear as water, holy and noble. Not one pair of eyes in all of the Chaos could hold a candle to them. All words fell short to describe them.

'Can she see us?' wondered everyone.

The woman's eyes saw through the endless river of years, condensed all that happened in the endless road, and fell on everyone.

Everyone's mind became blank and the River of Time began to roar, speeding up its current and bringing everyone out.

The scene in front of them dissipated and a voice floated into their ears.

"Come…and…find…me!"

"Go and find her! Did you hear that? The Soul Master asked us to find her!"

Everyone had returned to the present and found it difficult to calm their hearts which were going up and down like ocean waves. Their breaths were ragged.

"She's still alive! I knew it! How could the Soul Master be eliminated so easily!" The white-robed old man shouted in excitement, his eyes fixed on the crowd. "It must be the Soul Master who's about to be born again. There will be major events happening. Go find her, quickly!"

"Are you not coming with us?" asked Elder Yun.

"I'm just a strand of a broken soul, coexisting with the secret border. I'll soon dissipate." The white-robed old man shook his head without any sadness on his face. With a wave of his hand, a long black sword suddenly shot out from the depths of the secret border and floated above the void.

The long sword exuded a bloodthirsty aura, raring to attack. Even the space around it was unable to withstand the pressure as one crack after another started forming.

The sword aura was mighty, and like a black hole, shattered everything in its path! Even light could not escape it!

Ultimate Slaughter Treasure! It was the Swordsmanship of the Ultimate Slaughter Treasure!

Everyone felt a sense of horror while looking at the sword.

The tip of the sword was stained with a few drops of blood and waves of terror radiated from it, making it truly horrifying to look at.

"This sword is called the Sword of Slaughter! It was conceived from the Chaos, imbued with the Dao of Slaughter with death accompanying it." The old man in white robes looked at the long sword, and with a soft light in his eyes, he proudly said, "I've killed two elite members of the Eldritch with this sword!"

Everyone's heart jumped while looking at the blood-stained on the long sword with awe.

The white-robed old man waved his hand and the long sword appeared in front of the Food God. "Since you've passed my test, this sword should naturally be given to you. It contains the heritage of my swordsmanship!"

After a pause, the old man continued, "However, your cultivation of the way of food is far from my way. This heritage is not suitable for you."

The Food God understood and said, "Don't worry. I'll only follow the path that's suitable for me. I'll find a suitable person to inherit this sword once I'm out of here."

It was all due to the expert's effort he was able to obtain this sword. He dared not be greedy so he made up his mind to hand this sword to the expert once he was back. As to whom the expert wanted to pass on this sword to would be totally up to him. He would accept his decision unequivocally. 𝑙𝑖𝘣𝓇𝑒𝒶𝘥.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Besides, what was so great about inheriting this sword anyway? Was it not better to train under the expert?

"Thank you." The white-robed old man smiled and thanked him! "By the way, this token is our original token. It should be able to help you sense the location of the Soul Master. This matter mustn't be delayed. Please, make it your priority!"

He became very solemn and said while sighing, "I can only help you out this much."

Everyone stayed quiet and felt bleak.

"Leave now." The white-robed old man waved them away nonchalantly.

The scene in the secret border once again changed to its original appearance with a forest, a small wooden house, and a few playful animals moving around. It was a picture of serenity.

The white-robed old man turned around and entered the wooden house. Then, the secret border began to disappear with the wind.

Everyone's body shook slightly. Then, they bowed respectfully. "Farewell to you, our elder!"

Meanwhile, outside the secret border, the West Shadow Guard's face was sullen. The rest of the group stood guard around the secret border, waiting for the Food God and the others to come out.

"So what if they inherited the Elite Being's power? All that belongs to them would be mine in the end!"

The West Shadow Guard's eyes flickered with cold light. The tension in his body became heightened and he said in a deep voice, "Set up a formation. Kill them immediately once they're out!"

The Left Messenger was fearfully watching all this from the sidelines. She did not want to stay there at all because she was terrified and wanted to run away.

However, whenever she went to persuade the West Shadow Guard, he would roar at her with fury. "You weren't the one who ate sh*t so you don't understand the pain we're going through right now! Those people must die today!"

Chapter 599

When the West Shadow Guard and the others thought of their own experience, their hearts became twisted with pain, their body felt drained of blood, and they almost threw up again. They felt as if something putrid was rushing up from their stomach as soon as they opened their mouths. Their stomachs flipped and retched.

What's the point of being alive if they did not take revenge!

Moreover, the West Shadow Guard was not a fool, he had estimated the combat power of the other party. The opposing party had a small number of people with only Blackie and Elder being high-level members of the Heavenly Realm. In his party, there was him and the Left Messenger. Not to mention, they had numbers on their side. Then, there was the Slaughter formation they had set up beforehand. It could be said victory was already theirs for the taking!

It was like shooting fish in the barrel! Blackie and the rest of the group had nothing on them!

Suddenly, waves after waves started to ripple at the entrance of the secret border. A mighty aura emerged, overflowing like a tide.

"They're coming! Everyone at your station!"

There was a smirk on the West Shadow Guard's face. This was his inner demon, he had to remove it no matter what, unable to disguise his murderous intent.

The rest of the Ministry group felt the same — faces were contorted with rage, murderous, and crazy.

'Be prepared to feel our wrath for doing such a thing to us!'

Only the Left Messenger maintained a sense of rationality but felt too timid to reason with her group. She frowned slightly and after some hesitation, chose to retreat from the impending battle to watch from the sidelines. So she slowly retreated from the group without anyone's notice.

Finally, Blackie who was the first to get out. It did not seem like he sensed any danger because he was walking as if he was doing a catwalk. Behind him, Elder Yun and the others followed silently.

It was not until they saw the scene outside that they stopped.

"They're out! They've all come out!"

"Hahaha, kill them all!"

"Make them eat sh*t, make them eat sh*t!"

Everyone's attention was fixed on Blackie and the group in an instant — their powerful murderous aura and anger created a shocking pressure, which caused the expressions of Taoist Junjun and the rest of the group to become grave.

"You all…should die!" The West Shadow Guard stepped forward, like a king above the world, and sentenced everyone to death. His eyes were full of cruelty, and he said in a low voice, "Activate Incinerate Immortal Cancel Dao Spell!"

As soon as the words were uttered, everyone's mana started to surge, and with only a thought — the big formation that was prepared beforehand became activated.

The terrifying halo light shot up into the sky, forming a pillar of light high up in the sky. It had even surpassed the Area of the Gods, continuing on to the Chaos!

A barrier had been formed, one filled with Wisdom aura. Layers and layers of golden flame suddenly rose up, surrounding everyone!

The flame contained the Power of Wisdom, which was enough to burn everything and anything. A burst of aura of destruction rose from the flames, forming a force of suppression, making everyone's mana to become stagnant.

Taoist Junjun and others looked solemn and frightened. They did not waste any time in taking out treasures to protect themselves.

They had obtained a lot of Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure in the secret border and some of them possessed amazing defensive power. They used their power to activate the treasures and an enchanting light manifested, falling down endlessly to counter the flames.

The West Shadow Guard smiled contemptuously. "Did you think you have bested me?"

He raised his hand and he manipulated the flames to gather themselves to form numerous long dragons which began to twist and turn above the formation.

These flame dragons were fiercer than real dragons. The scales on them were burning flames, layers after layers, nearly causing the surrounding areas to burst into flame.

The dragons had surrounded Blackie and the group and with a slight sweep of their tails destroyed their defense formation. The Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure began to dim as they were damaged by the flames causing them to lose their spiritual power.

The flames could even incinerate Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure!

"Incinerate Immortal Cancel Dao Spell happens to be a spell from the Ancient Chaos period. It can condense the Wisdom Divine Fire and incinerate all the worlds in the Heavenly Realm in a matter of instant. Give up now and you might enjoy a quick death. If not, feel the pain of the slow burning!"

The West Shadow Guard smiled triumphantly. The others from the Ministry were giddy with glee, their eyes were full of hatred.

"Give up your mana and Dao Heart and become our urinal and we'll consider sparing your lives!" Someone said, still holding on to a grudge, causing the group to erupt in laughter.

Taoist Junjun and the others wore a heavy expression. The moisture in their bodies was rapidly evaporating although not a bead of sweat could be found on their body as they were directly vaporized by the high temperature. Their mana was visibly reduced at a speed and they would surely become ashes soon.

They were too careless! They had actually forgotten to be on the defense against the Ministry people when they walked out from the secret border. They came out unprepared and thus, reaped what they sowed.

This spell was truly terrifying for it came from a period of Ancient Chaos. Its power was extraordinary, containing a shred of the Fire of Wisdom — there was no way anyone could withstand it.

"Lord Dog, we won't be able to withstand it much longer. We have no choice but to surrender ourselves," the Jade Emperor said sadly.

"Are you sure about that?" Blackie turned his head and glanced at everyone with a deep knowing in his eyes. "Don't move. Stay where you are."

Then he took a step forward and walked straight into the blazing flames of the spell without any means of defense. His mind was clear and he advanced unhesitatingly. The endless golden flame enveloped him in an instant.

"This dog is so brave! He wanted to end it quickly to cut short the torture!"

"It's a wise choice. Better to enjoy a quick death."

"I have been upset with this bald dog for a long time, it's a pity he died so quickly!"

Everyone smiled with satisfaction.

Suddenly, their smiles became frozen, their eyes widened, and they thought they were seeing hallucinations.

They saw Blackie standing in the sea of fire with a calm face — his body was not damaged at all. He just stood silently there, unbothered by the flames licking his body.

The golden flame surrounded him, flowing like waves. One might have mistakenly thought that the flames were not hot at all!

Blackie slowly frowned and he walked around the fire for a while. "That's it? It's not even hot enough to boil my bath water! I give it one star!"

What he said did not cause any physical damage but caused a huge mental damage for it was extremely insulting.

"Why is he not hurt?"

"Impossible, this is impossible!"

"He's a demon dog! He's poisonous!"

The Ministry people could not accept what was happening right in front of their eyes and started to have a breakdown.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Blackie raised his hand impatiently and a giant paw print rushed towards the crowd.

An infinite amount of mana swirled above the sky and transformed into a giant phantom paw print. It descended on the crowd, like a fly swatter, as soon as Blackie swung down his hand.

Slap!

In an instant, more than a dozen Ministry members were turned into ashes and were carried away by the wind.

"The fire refines the sky, burning the Dao into disintegration!" The Left Shadow Guard's eyes were cold and he had a hideous expression on his face. His hatred towards Blackie had reached the point of explosion. He would combine two spells together to land a killing blow. All the flames gathered together and entwined Blackie like a python. The temperature had increased sky high and burned all of the water from the air.

The clouds in the sky were also turned golden by the light of the fire, and the flames became unstoppable. They pierced through the sky, passed through outer space, before finally reaching Chaos!

The flame was only targeting Blackie. However, the pressure faced by Taoist Junjun and others had also increased. Even the Ultimate Heavenly Spiritual Treasure showed signs of melting and would become liquid metal soon!

They looked at Blackie who was completely engulfed by flames, and their hearts trembled. It was really hard to imagine how much worse the attack was on Blackie!

Even the entire Eastern region of the Area of the Gods was affected by this heat, causing the temperature to rise as if ten suns had appeared in the sky, just like during the time of the Eldritch!

Such a terrifying power shocked the major forces of the Area of the Gods and caused a big sensation!

All the Immortals in the Heavenly Palace were toasted by the flames and they all activated their mana to dissipate heat while constantly looking down at the battle scene.

The sight of the golden flame beam penetrating the sky and the earth and exuding terrifying waves was truly a spectacular sight to behold.

The Heavenly Soldiers and the Heavenly Guards looked at the scene before them with anxiousness and a little bit of amazement.

"What terrifying power! It's coming from the secret border."

"The Jade Emperor and Taoist Junjun are still there. Do you think they would be able to handle the attack?"

"Of course not! Isn't it obvious?"

"Return to your station and no discussions allowed!" Suddenly, Yang Jian, Xiao Chengfeng and others walked swiftly over with solemn expressions to suppress the commotion.

Then, Yang Jian raised his hand, and the third eye on his forehead burst into light which shot out into the far distance.

"What kind of flame is this? It's terrifying!" Yang Jian's complexion had changed to shock and fear. "Taoist Junjun, Jade Emperor, and Food God are all in danger, but the opponent…is too strong, just too strong! This flame is powerful enough to incinerate the whole sky!"

"It can't be!" He was taken aback for a moment and gasped out in horror, a layer of goosebumps formed all over his body. "Among the flames, it's…it's Lord Dog!"

It was completely silent at the exit of the secret border.

The light of the flame was shining and with unparalleled power, the high temperature burned everything. Everyone was staring at the flames, reveling in its power.

However, in the next moment, the invincible flame suddenly moved, and a huge dog paw broke out of the flame, passed through the flame, bringing with it a shocking heat wave, and aimed straight at the West Shadow Guard!

The West Shadow Guard's pupils shrank violently, disbelief coloring his expression. But he reacted quickly and with a lift of his foot teleported to another place.

The dog's paw did not slow down in its path and along the way, took out a few more Ministry people. They did not even have enough time to react before disappearing in a cloud of gas.

How was this possible? The West Shadow Guard looked at Blackie who was still under the flames, shock undisguised on his face — a feeling of deep terror surged through his heart and his scalp became numb with a tingling sensation.

"Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword!" The sword appeared in the West Shadow Guard's hand and lightning began to crackle in the sky accompanied by the roar of the rumbling thunder.

He held up his sword and pointed at the sky.

"O magic sword which is alive, listen to my call, the invisible Wisdom would be manifested as a thunderbolt!"

Boom!

Above the Chaos, a divine thunder shocked the world, coming from afar, piercing through the clouds, and shooting straight into the Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword!

It was the Chaos Thunderbolt!

In an instant, with the aura of devastation nearing its peak, no one dared to be near the sword with Wisdom of Thunder swirling around it.𝒍𝙞𝙗𝓻𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝒄𝙤𝙢

"This attack uses a shred of the Wisdom aura from my master as the catalyst. It is very close to an attack from the Wisdom Elite Being. You would go down in the history of Chaos as the dog who was able to die by this attack!" The West Shadow Guard said to himself. His eyes were dyed blue by the thunderbolt, clenching his long sword, his body transformed into a long rainbow, and aimed straight at Blackie.

At this moment, Blackie's back was left defenseless but he did not care at all. All he cared about was taking out as many Ministry people as possible with his dog paws. It was as easy as killing mosquitoes.

"Lord Dog, lookout!" Taoist Junjun and the others shouted. They feared for his life and one after another shielded his backside with treasures, trying to cancel out the blow.

"Ha!" The flashing thunderbolt easily broke through the heavy defenses and was unfettered. It arrived behind Blackie in a flash.

"Die!" The West Shadow Guard shouted frantically, all the hatred in his heart exploded, hoping to quell all his anger with this blow.

'This dog is too cocky! He deserves to die!' The West Shadow Guard thought while fixing his stare of Blackie's backside and the stupid leather pants he was wearing. He would concentrate all his grievances on this blow!

'I'm going to stab your leather pants, your *ss, and your soul!' He thought.

Ahhhhh!

The sword made contact.

Screech!

Inch by inch, the entire Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword became shattered as if it was glass hitting on a wall. In the end, the West Shadow Guard was left with only the hilt of the sword resting against Blackie's backside.

He was wide eyed and stunned.

All around only the sound of silence could be heard which formed a sharp contrast with the yelling of the West Shadow Guard just now.

Blackie turned his head and looked at the bewildered West Shadow Guard, staring at him with big eyes.

"F you for daring to stab me in the *ss!"

Before the West Shadow Guard came back to his senses, he felt a heavy slap on his face. The force was enough to rearrange all the features on his face and his body was also not spared. He instantly flew out upside down like a beam of light.

However, not risking the chance of having his body landing on the ground, with a twist of his body, the West Shadow Guard righted himself in the air and fled towards the far distance.

'Terrifying! Truly terrifying! That dog's *ss is so hard that even the Shinto Thunder Slashing Sword given to me by the lord was no match against it. It's horrifying just thinking about it! Although he is not at the level of Wisdom, he definitely has the power to defeat all the high-level members in the Wisdom Realm! This bald dog is invincible! Why did we even wronged him in the first place? Run, I have to run away from here!' thought the West Shadow Guard. He was so frightened that he wished he had an extra pair of legs to take him away as fast as possible.

From now, Blackie's face would color all his dreams, turning them into nightmares.

However, just as he was desperately running away, a dog paw big enough to cover the sky descended forcefully from above him. 𝒍𝒊𝒃𝓻𝒆𝓪𝙙.𝒄𝙤𝒎

"No! Spare me some mercy!" The West Shadow Guard let out a desperate roar, and his whole body was quickly pressed down by the dog's paw from the sky to the ground making any resistance futile.

In the process of falling from the sky, his blood swelled and he unleashed everything he had. Vaguely, he saw a red figure in the distance.

The figure was running fast and escaped from the Area of the Gods and into the Chaos without once looking back. He was envious of her.

'Wait a minute. She looks familiar! It's the Left Messenger! She has been waiting for the chance to escape all along. No wonder I didn't sense her power in the battle. Not to mention, she was the only who escaped the fate of drinking p*ss and eating sh*t! It must be nice to be her.' The Left Shadow Guard thought.

"You b*tch!" The West Shadow Guard roared, saving his last breath for this.

Boom!

The dog paw along with the West Shadow Guard finally landed on the ground, causing dust to swirl around, and the earth to crack. His life force was completely severed.

Chapter 600

The giant phantom dog paw stood horizontally between heaven and earth making it a truly majestic sight to behold. Gradually, it disappeared with the wind and the world regained its tranquility.

Taoist Junjun and others stood behind Blackie, staring at his back. There was never a moment in their lives, unlike this moment, where they truly felt a dog's back could paint such an imposing picture.

Blackie was as powerful as ever and they did not think that would ever change in the future. Though it was a pity he was still bald for the picture was lacking something without his fur dancing in the wind.

"Thank you, Lord Dog, for saving us!"

"Lord Dog saved us again."

"Lord Dog is truly mighty."

"I knew from the moment when I saw Lord Dog taking that step that victory would be ours!"

Qin Chongshan and the others immediately smoothly and courteously piled on the praises.

Blackie coldly waved his hand. "Save your flattery. It's only natural for me to kill each and every Ministry person I see."

Qin Zhongshan looked into the distance and said, "The Left Messenger is quickly escaping. She must have a lot of experience in running away."

"As if." The corners of Blackie's smile curved up in a sneer. "Did you really think she would be able to run away if I didn't decide to let her live? She looked so pitiful. Besides, I have other plans for her."

"Whatever do you mean, Lord Dog?" The Taoist Junjun asked curiously.

"What do you think would go through the Ministry's Lord mind if every time she went back from a group mission as the sole survivor?"

Elder Yun's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "We cannot keep a person such as this in the organization! I would rather kill her to be on the safe side of caution!"

The Jade Emperor nodded. "Meaning to say she would be eliminated without us having to lift a finger! What a splendid plan!"

Blackie rolled his eyes and said with contempt, "A splendid plan, my *ss! She is just a scum, not worth me coming up with such an elaborate plan!"

Shame washed over all of them. No matter what, the Left Messenger was a high-level member of the Heavenly Realm after all. Some would even say she was cream of the crop! If according to Blackie, she was really a scum, then what was to say about the rest of them?

Lesser than scum?

"Your analysis capabilities are narrow, too narrow," Blackie said with a shake of his head. "The Left Messenger will definitely want to redeem herself to the Minister and the only thing she can present to him is the Pond of Spirits!"

After considering for some moment, all of them let out a collective gasp as their pupils widened. They were all frightened by Blackie's capability of analysis.

The Left Messenger would have no choice — even with the knowledge of the pee mixed in — but to give the Minister the water from the Pond of Spirits for that was what he desired. Only by doing that would she be able to save herself.

Doing so would mean the Minister would be…

Gasp! Just thinking about what would happen next made them excited.

'You've gotta hand it to the Lord Dog! Not only is he powerful but he's smart as well. Although we've never seen the Minister before, it doesn't take much to guess he's a very powerful figure. And to think he's being tricked by the Lord Dog into drinking everyone's pee. It's a pity we cannot spread the news. If not it would have been the biggest news in the century!' The group thought.

Taoist Junjun and others were struck with awe. "We're really nothing compared to the Lord Dog!"

Blackie basked in their admiration with a smile on his face. "I might be lazy under most circumstances but would come at you with everything I have if anyone dares to provoke me. Let's quickly return now, I must present the cocoa tree to the master."

"Yes, the same goes with the sword," the Food God said.

The Jade Emperor and the others looked at the Food God with envy for he was free to visit the expert as he pleased. What a great honor it must be. Not to mention the guidance he received from his training with the expert meant he was able to progress at an infinitely fast speed.

"We won't be joining you two as we don't want to disturb the expert," the rest of the group said.

They had already obtained so much from his mission and it was all due to Blackie's effort. They did not want to seem greedy by visiting the expert's place and so they parted ways.

In the Heavenly Palace, numerous Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Guards looked at Yang Jian who was turning away from the scene below, and immediately gathered around him to get some answers from their questions.

"Lord Erlang, what's the result of the battle? Is Jade Emperor and the rest of the group ok?"

"It seems to be quiet down there. Is the battle already over?

"Was the fight exciting to watch?"

Erlang Shen glanced at the crowd, a sense of self-satisfaction arose spontaneously. This was the beauty of having three eyes.

He smiled and said, "Need you all ask? How can anything bad happen when Lord Dog is there?"

Then he gave a sigh of admiration. "I wished you all could see the moment the dog paw came down on the ground. It was absolutely shocking! Even an Elite Being would cower before it. Let me tell you all the details!"

Meanwhile, Blackie and the Food God were already back in the four-part architecture.

Li Nianfan was not in the inner yard. Blackie asked for his whereabouts from the chicken who was trying to lay eggs, and received the answer that he was in the backyard, so he rushed toward the backyard happily.

Li Nianfan, Daji and Fire Phoenix were picking fruits. It was a good activity meant to strengthen their bonds without the use of magic. They portrayed a picture of ordinary people playing in the mountains.

"Just a little bit more, master! Just hold me up a little higher!"

Li Nianfan was holding Da Ji' by the waist and lifting her up high to pick the apples on the tree.,

It was a truly beautiful scene only to be destroyed by a bald dog suddenly rushing in.

"Master, master!" Blackiei ran over happily, still dragging a tree in his mouth, hoping to receive some praise. "Master, check out what I've brought back for you!"

"Oh, what do you have there?" Li Nianfan smiled and his eyes lit up as they fell on the tree brought back by Blackie. "This is…the cocoa bean tree!"

He carefully looked over the tree, his eyes brightening all the while. Then, he smiled and said, "You're the best tree-hunter in the world for even being able to find a cocoa bean tree! You deserve much praise!"

Technically speaking the cocoa bean could not bear fruit, it could however bear cocoa beans which could be used to make chocolate!

Chocolate is the ultimate snack! Especially the good ones, which can be crowned king of all snacks, especially good chocolate. He had given up hope of ever eating chocolate in the Immortal Realm but thanks to Blackie's effort, had his hope fulfilled!

"I shouldn't waste anymore time. I need to immediately plant it on the ground." Li Nianfan said impatiently and immediately began to choose a location for the tree.

After the cocoa tree was planted he immediately went to the storage room to bring out the ripening agent. He squeezed out a few drops of the ripening agent on the cocoa bean tree.

Immediately, little cocoa beans started to grow on the previously bare cocoa bean tree. The number of fruits began to increase until the whole tree was covered with cocoa beans.

The Food God watched all of this happening right in front of his eyes and he was filled with mixed emotions. He thought back to the time at the secret border where they were fighting with themselves over who would get the few cocoa beans on the tree. His past behavior made him blush with the foolishness of it all.

"These are some good quality cocoa beans!" Li Nianfan said with a smile. Then he turned to Daji. "Little Daji, I can make a new snack for you with this. A snack that tastes better than candy!"

Daji and Fire Phoenix's eyes brimmed with happiness. "Thank you, master."

They picked some cocoa beans from the tree and went back into the inner courtyard.

The Food God took out the black longsword and presented it to Li Nianfan. "Lord Saint, I was given this sword at the secret border which contained the heritage of swordsmanship."

"Are you giving it to me?" Li Nianfan was taken aback. He shook his head and said, "This thing is useless to me since I can't use magic."

He glanced at the Food God with a trace of suspicion in his eyes. He had guessed correctly that the Food God and Blackie had entered the secret border together and that was how they had managed to obtain the cocoa bean tree and this longsword.

The Food God must have wanted to give him this longsword as a sign of gratitude for his tutelage.

The secret border was probably one of the more ordinary ones which meant both the cocoa bean tree and this longsword were ordinary as well.

After all, Li Nianfan had a good grasp of what Blackie was capable of. He was a low-level demon dog after all. As for Food God, the name itself did not exactly lend an image of a powerful warrior, did it?

Since the longsword contained some heritage, it must be a priceless treasure for mere mortals. He decided to pass on the longsword to a suitable candidate in the future so that person would owe him a favor. Besides, knowing the candidate could end up as a famous swordsman made him excited.

Li Nianfan reorganized his thoughts and said, "Well, since you've already brought it, I might as well accept it. Thank you."

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine," the Food God gushed with a satisfied smile on his face.

"By the way, there was a big commotion in the Area of the Gods. Is something about to happen?" asked Li Nianfan suddenly.

A few days ago, a secret border galaxy smashed down on the world, causing a huge shock. Then not long ago, a golden flame soared magnificently through the sky.

Li Nianfan felt his senses tingling and was curious to know what was going on. He, being the expert, knew something big was about to happen.

The Food God was not surprised by the question. He nodded and said gravely, "There's a rumor about an impending catastrophe befalling the Chaos soon!"

"A catastrophe?" Li Nianfan was taken aback. He felt an imminent sense of doom and wondered whether his fragile body would be able to withstand all of this.

It was truly devastating news.

He quickly estimated how many protective amulets and networks he had. Then he composed himself slightly and asked, "Would it be very terrifying?"

"Yes! Very!" The Food God said with a nod.

Li Nianfan waved his hand. "It's not my place to worry about these things for someone would always step up to the plate in situations like this. It's my only hope that the strong would not hide from this."

Upon hearing Li Nianfan's words, Blackie immediately turned around and went straight to the backyard with a wiggle of his butt.

As soon as he came to the pond in the middle of the backyard, he jumped directly into the water without saying a word. Then, seeing the Golden Dragon, he grabbed hold of its neck.

"Don't think you can run away from this! You should get out of here now!" Blackie shouted, bubbles coming out of his mouth.

"Calm down, calm down. I'm not running away. Can't you see I'm training. I'll come out once I've become invincible!" The Golden Dragon corrected.

"Bullsh*t!" Blackie shook the Golden Dragon's head. "You've been here long enough. Haven't you heard what the master said? Don't pretend he wasn't talking about you!" His tone became angrier and angrier. "I was tortured and had all my fur shaved off! And you still want to run away? Not on my watch! So I'm asking this one last time — Are you coming out or not?!"

"I am, I will!" Golden Dragon had also heard what Li Nianfan said, so naturally he did not dare to disobey. "I will do something now."

A golden light flashed from the pool and disappeared above the sky.

Meanwhile, the Left Messenger was advancing on the red star at a breakneck speed, not daring to look back. She had used every spell at her arsenal, even went as far as vomiting out blood, to increase her speed. She only breathed a sigh of relief after making sure she was safe.

She had survived an unimaginable horror! She wanted to burst out in tears at the realization of how precious one's life could be after so many near-death experiences.

That dog is too terrifying and his owner even more terrifying. It was as if death became inevitable for any of their enemies. She really wanted to quit the whole thing and just lived out the rest of her life not caring about anything.

However, she knew that now was not the time to think about such things, because there was a more serious problem waiting for her — how should she explain all that had happened to the Minister?

The Left Messenger walked slowly to the palace entrance with her heart in a state of panic.

"Why don't you come in?" A deep voice said from inside the hall.

The Left Messenger's body trembled slightly and she nervously entered the place. She did not dare to look up, but faintly felt that in this hall, besides the Minister, there seemed to be another person.

The Minister's eyes darkened. "You came back alone again? Where are the rest of the group?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"They have all been… annihilated," the Left Messenger answered in a shaky voice and with a deep frown.

"What?!" Although the Minister had mentally prepared himself to expect the worst, he was still shocked. He narrowed his eyes at the Left Messenger and the aura he exuded was akin to those of a wild tiger. His mouth was left hanging open.

They had been defeated one battle after another to the extent that he had lost count of the number of defeats.

Each loss was painful to take and each time Left Messenger alone survived. It seemed like she could be blamed for single-handedly and unwittingly bringing the downfall of the Ministry's combat power. 𝒍𝒊𝙗𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅.𝓬𝒐𝓶

The Left Messenger started to panic even more. She decided to use the Pond of Spirits to appease the Minister. "O Lord, we ran into the bald dog in the secret border. But! I didn't come back empty-handed. I've managed to bring the Pond of Spirits back!"

The leader's eyes lit up. "Oh? Show me!"

The Left Messenger waved her hand and the jade bottle containing the water from the Pond of Spirits flew out. Her hands were shaky and fine beads of sweat started to appear.

Only she knew what was in this bottle.

Only now, she had no choice.

The Minister raised his hand and the jade bottle flew to him. He opened the lid, looked at the liquid inside, and suddenly smiled.

"Judging by the aura, it's indeed water from the Pond of Spirits. But shouldn't the water be pure and clear? Why is the water in the bottle so yellow?" The Minister asked, visibly confused.

The Left Messenger pursed her mouth to keep herself from crying. She forced down the panic she was feeling and said, "There was a Pond of Spirits in the secret border and we think the golden holy water is the essence of the pond so we specially collected as much of the essence as we could."

'Golden holy water my *ss! It's nothing but p*ss! But do I say it out loud?' The Left Messenger said. 'I'll definitely die for lying to the Minister!'

"I see. You've done well." The Minister nodded. He then proceeded to tip out the content into his mouth and swallowed.

The Left Messenger watched all this happen and suddenly her mind went blank. She felt her faith crumbling to nothing.

The thought of the Minister drinking p*ss repeatedly played in her mind.