Chapter 201: Martial Arts of Origin
Suiren-Shi and the rest fell into a silence after hearing what Musen said. Neither Cangjie nor the Three Royals and Five Emperors could understand the persistence of Suiren-Shi, Youchao-Shi, Ziyi-Shi, and Musen in regard to the Human Tribe. They had walked with the tribe since its birth and put in so much effort into them. Letting go was easier said than done.
Musen noticed the hesitant looks on Suiren-Shi, Youchao-Shi, and Ziyi-Shi. "Brothers and sister, it's time to let go. The Human Tribe has become the ruler of Heaven and Earth after the era of the Three Royals and Five Emperors. We've accomplished our goal. It's time to let them develop on their own."
Everyone inside the palace became silent again. Cangjie, as well as the Three Royals and Five Emperors, was not as obsessed with the Human Tribe compared to Suiren-Shi. From their perspective, they thought Musen was right. For Suiren-Shi and the other two, however, it was a big decision to make.
It seemed like a long time had passed before they looked at each other. Suiren-Shi took a deep breath and said, "Fine then! We'll listen to you." They were aware that it was now time to let go of the Human Tribe. It might not a good thing for the tribe to
continue under perpetual interference.
Musen smiled, nodding. "Okay. We'll formally summon all Martial Artists and immortals garrisoning at the borders of the tribe from today onward. We'll close the Holy Land of Human Tribe and people inside won't be allowed to leave or intervene in the development of the Human Tribe if there aren't any serious events."
Presently, the Martial Artists and immortals from the Holy Land of Human Tribe were scattered across the territory of the Human Tribe. The Human Sovereign was also under the protection of the immortals. An army of immortals and warriors were stationed at the borders of the nine provinces to prevent the invasion and interference of the Demon Tribe.
Now that Musen intended to withdraw everyone from the Holy Land beside the army of immortals and warriors, the tribe now had to rely on itself. What was more, the tribes outside the Coast of the East Sea would be classified as the territory of all Sages. This was such a thorough abandonment.
Suiren-Shi immediately asked, "Isn't this too fast? Without anyone guarding the tribe, what if there's a turmoil? What if the tribe declines like the Sorcerer and Demon tribes? What if..." From his expression, it was clear he hadn't truly let go of the Human Tribe.
Musen interrupted him, saying, "We should do it thoroughly if we're letting go of them. If there's an upheaval, the Human Sovereign will take care of it. What we should do is guard them silently. As long as the Holy Land of Human Tribe stands, the Human Tribe will never decline. Even if that day comes, we can still help them. Let it go, Brother."
He then walked away, seemingly having completely let go of the Human Tribe. Fuxi and Cangjie were stunned to watch him leave. Suiren-Shi, Youchao-Shi, and Ziyi-Shi had only lived for over 20,000 years. Besides Fuxi, the Three Royals and Five Emperors had lived for a mere several hundred years. They naturally couldn't detect any difference in Musen.
But in his preexistence, Fuxi was the Sovereign of the Demon tribe and Goddess Nvywa's brother. Cangjie, as well, was once Ancestor Hongyun who had experienced many things in his preexistence. They noticed a unique vital force in Musen which was found only in a few. It was that of the Eight Sages of Untainted Land as well as... Minghe. This was the vital force of the Realm of Origin! Fuxi and Cangjie were astonished. Was Musen going to actualize the Realm of Origin? That was incredible. Musen was the Self- centric Separation of Minghe, that much was known to the entire Untainted Land. But who would believe that he would actually succeed in actualizing the Realm of Origin?
The method of Origin was every cultivator's dream, but only a few could pull it off. Though Eight Sages of the Untainted Land had succeeded, they still had to resort to the power of Hong Meng Immortal Qi. And what they actualized was the Realm of Sages rather than the Da Luo Golden Immortal of Origin. It truly shocked Fuxi and Cangjie that Musen was going to actualize the Realm of Origin.
Could any of the Three Separations actualize the Realm of Origin? As they still considered this question, a grand aura came from the rear of the Sacred Palace of Human Ancestors and the entire Coast of East Sea was suddenly swept by a strong wind. The Heaven and Earth were filled with a strong Way of Martial Arts. The ferocious aura shocked all living beings of Untainted Land.
Fuxi and Cangjie looked in the direction of the rear palace in shock. Musen had actually done it! It had only been seconds since Musen left and since they noticed the vital force in him, yet he had succeeded in such a short time. Was it really so easy to actualize the Realm of Origin?
Suiren-Shi and the rest also sensed Musen's vital force and became delighted. Though they were Sages-to-be, the Origin was a faraway dream for them. Musen's success meant that there would be a master in the Human Tribe who could rival the Sages. Though Musen was the Self-centric Separation of Minghe and they knew nothing about the meaning of the actualization of the Three Separations, it didn't stop their excitement.
The whole Holy Land of Human Tribe was overjoyed with the good news. Numerous Martial Artists started cheering for him. "Ancestor of Martial arts! Ancestor of Martial arts! Ancestor of Martial arts!" The Countless Way of Martial Arts skyrocketed, entwining Musen's Way of Martial Arts and prompting his vital force to spread within the Human Tribe.
When Cangjie created characters, the humans learned how to cultivate Martial Arts from the character Wu. However, most were simply ordinary humans and the Way of Celestial Immortality was too far a dream. Even if they could embark on the Way of Celestial Immortality, only a few would finally become Immortals. In comparison, the Martial Arts were more practical and useful for their physical fitness.
As the Way of Martial Arts continued to spread, the Martial Artists in the Human Tribe also felt it and followed up with their cheers. "Ancestor of Martial arts! Ancestor of Martial arts! Ancestor of Martial arts!" The entire Human Tribe could hear their voices now.
What excited them the most was that their own Martial Arts were being improved as well when they sensed the Way of Martial Arts. As their acclamation swept through Untainted Land, the other tribes were shocked speechless.
The Human Tribe, once again, had shown their great power to the Untainted Land, more than enough to surpass the other tribes. The current Human Tribe was on par with the Sorcerer and Demon tribes in the past, perhaps even surpassing them. Undeniably, they were no longer the weak tribe they once were. They had become the strongest tribe in the Untainted Land.
The Sages were more concerned about Musen's inconceivable actualization of the Realm of Origin rather than the power of the Human Tribe. It was such a difficult task that Minghe was the only one to actualize the Realm of Origin so far, but now his Self-centric Separation was the second one to actualize the Realm of Origin. It truly startled them.
They were silent as they looked in the direction of the Blood Sea. They really didn't know how to describe Minghe. He first actualized the Realm of Origin and made a breakthrough into the Middle Stage of Origin. Before long, his Self-centric Separation also actualized the Realm of Origin as well. That was incredibly odd.
The Sages now held a deep fear of Minghe. He had power, treasures, strategies, and influence, each of which wasn't weaker than that of the Sages. More importantly, they didn't know if this was everything to Minghe. Perhaps he had even more deeply buried secrets and this terrified them more than anything.
Over the Blood Sea, Minghe naturally felt Musen's vital force as well. Musen was converted from his obsession, thus having a unique affection for the Human Tribe. He had always put the interests of the tribe first, sometimes above that of Minghe.
But it was precisely because of this that the tribe had become Musen's burden, impeding him from actualizing the Realm of Origin. He was, in the first place, Minghe's obsession. With his obsession with the Human Tribe, he would never be able to actualize the Realm of Origin if he didn't let go of that obsession.
Therefore, when Musen understood he should let go of the Human Tribe, he had let go of his obsession as well. Once his State of Mind was emancipated, his Origin could be actualized as well. What Minghe didn't expect was how quickly Musen would make his Breakthrough, so quickly that he wasn't even prepared for it. Musen had actually actualized the Realm of Origin in front of all tribes in the Untainted Land.
But so be it. With his current strength, there wasn't anything for Minghe to hide anymore. Minghe and Three Separations had all actualized the Realm of Origin, so their combat power was far superior to all Sages. Power triumphed everything in the Untainted Land after all. Musen's actualization had merely opened the curtains to Minghe's legend.
Chapter 202: A New Situation
With the governance of the Three Royals and Five Emperors, the Human Tribe became extremely prosperous. Qi, the son of Yu the Great, restored force by staging a coup and became Sovereign of Human Tribe. He also established the Xia Dynasty and used the hereditary system in the feudal dynasty to replace the Abdication System for the Three Royals and Five Emperors. This began a new chapter for the Human Tribe.
Musen actualized the Realm of Origin and made a big splash in the Human Tribe. The whole tribe was ecstatic about the revival of Martial Arts. This was actually the third time that the practice of Martial Arts had sprung up in the Human Tribe.
The first rise of Martial Arts had occurred when Musen created it; it had laid a foundation for the strength of the tribe. The second rise was during the tribe's Cultivation Tribulation. At that time, Musen had defeated the Demon Tribe with Martial Arts. And now, Musen had actualized the Realm of Origin. Martial Arts were rising within the tribe once again.
This made the tribe realize that Martial Arts was more suitable for them than The Way of Celestial Immortality. Though the tribe was still alive today, both their constitution and aptitude were not as good as before. Although humans had learned three religions and the Western Religious Sect had preached in the tribe, few of the tribe members could truly step in The Way of Celestial Immortality.
But Martial Arts was different from the Way of Celestial Immortality. The Way of Celestial Immortality focused on aptitude and innate quality while Martial Arts paid more attention to perseverance. The humans without aptitude could achieve cultivation even if they had a little power of understanding. Even if they could not enter the places of Primordial Martial Arts like the place of immortals, the effect of a strong body in Martial Arts was popular.
Since the Sorcerer and Demon tribes' fighting had finished and Martial Arts practice had been getting worse and worse, the Sages had spread The Way of Celestial Immortality in the tribe. But now Musen had actualized the Realm of Origin and The Way of Martial Arts spread to nine provinces. This made the Human Tribe realize the power of Martial Arts again and feel the practice of Martial Arts in the Origin and the Way of Martial Arts. It was more effective than Sage's preaching.
All Sages were upset because of this. They had been preaching to the Human Tribe ever since the Sorcerer and Demon tribes' had ceased fighting. They had even made their religious sect prosperous with the help of the Three Royals and Five Emperors. But now, Martial Arts was becoming popular in the Human Tribe once again and even had the trend of keeping pace with the Way of Celestial Immortality.
The reason the Sages preached in the Human Tribe was for the Luck. Now that Martial Arts were popular again, it would take up more of the Luck. This naturally concerned all Sages. The Luck of the Human Tribe was just like a big cake. If Martial Arts took more Luck, the Sages would get less.
The Luck of the Human Tribe was 30 percent taken up by Musen for Martial Arts. Suiren-shi, Youchao-shi, and Ziyi-shi took 10 percent in total. Cangjie took up 10 percent for character creation; the Three Royals and Five Emperors and Goddess Nvywa each took 10 percent. Laozi, as well as the Tribe of Humanity, took five percent, and the Origin and Clan of Enlightenment were the same. Tongtian and the Tribe of Severity took 10 percent, neglecting the Two Sages of the West and Western Religious Sect. The last 10 percent belonged to the Human Tribe.
Musen owned 30 percent of the Luck of Human Tribe. The Sages were jealous, but they could do nothing. Although Musen was Minghe's Self-centric Separation, he was a human and he held the identity of Martial Ancestor of the Human Tribe. Therefore, he'd had advantages over them since his birth. What made them feel even more helpless was that most of Luck was still in the humans' hands, no matter what they preached.
At first, Qi established the Xia Dynasty in favor of the Tribe of Severity. As a result, the Tribe of Severity was prevalent in the Human Tribe. However, Qi began to advocate the Martial Ancestor of the Human Tribe heavily. He built temples everywhere. He addressed Musen respectfully as Martial Saint once Musen had actualized the Realm of Origin. Qi's actions were supported by Martial Artists in the Human Tribe so the Xia Dynasty became much stronger.
The Tribe of Severity was in an embarrassing place. Qi had become the emperor with their help, but he heavily propagated the "Ancestor of Martial Arts," Musen. Although it was an unalterable principle, he gave Musen more support than the Tribe of Severity. This caused many followers to leave, leaving only a few with a low level of practice to maintain preaching in the Human Tribe.
Thus, the Human Tribe could develop peacefully with Qi reigning. The other tribes were also getting stronger. But after his death, his son, Taikang, succeeded to his reign. Taikang was only interested in entertainment and didn't care about politics. Xia's authority was weakened during his reign and many competitors decided to pursue regime in the Human Tribe.
The Sages could see opportunity in this. The Clan of Enlightenment and Western Religious Sect had chosen to preach in each powerful tribe and they had a stalemate with the Xia Dynasty. It was only peaceful in Laozi's Tribe of Humanity as his intention was still unknown.
The Western Religious Sect chose Eastern Yi of the Human Tribe. The Eastern Yi clan was one of the
strongest tribes in the Human Tribe. They held great power and were much closer to the west than other tribes. With the help of the Western Religious Sect, they started a rebellion and causing a constant disturbance for the Xia Dynasty.
With the Eastern Yi clan's constant attack, Taikang gradually lost some of his power. However, popular support tended to the Xia Dynasty at that time so that they could not exterminate the Xia. Later, the Xia crushed the rebellion of the Eastern Yi clan. This happened after Shaokang had reigned because of three emperors' efforts.
No matter what happened in the Human Tribe, the Holy Land of Human Tribe remained serene. It observed the changes in the Human Tribe, but as long as they were not on the edge of being exterminated, it would not disturb its development.
Cultivation was prevalent in the Holy Land of Human Tribe. Once he actualized The Origin of Martial Arts, Musen began to advocate Martial Arts in the Holy Land. Both Fuxi and Cangjie were guests at the Zixiao Palace and had a unique understanding of cultivation. Therefore, they could teach the Way of Celestial Immortality in the Holy Land naturally. No matter what happened, the Human tribe in the Holy Land was making constant progress.
Of course, it was not just the Holy Land of Human Tribe saving strength, so was Heavenly Court. Haotian would hold a Feast of Peaches every once in a while and invite the Human Tribe as well as immortals in the Untainted Land. Many humans added to the fortune in Heavenly Court so that its power was steadily improving.
Heavenly Court was becoming busy with more and more immortals. In Jasper Lake, Yaoji, Haotian's sister, was happy to see the gifts given by immortals who attended the Feast of Peaches and played with them all day.
She was curious about the human world. She often borrowed Haotian's Mirror to observe the world and she was attracted by the beautiful views. She was not satisfied to just appreciate the scenery from afar; she wanted to see it for herself. Haotian refused and she had to forget about it. Nevertheless, her curiosity regarding the human world grew day by day. Eventually, she secretly descended to Earth.
Untainted Land was peaceful with the Three Royals and Five Emperors. But something unpredictable happened in the Blood Sea causing Minghe to leave his Closed Door Meditation. The person he saw was a great surprise.
Chapter 203: Kunpeng Returns
The Sacred Island visitor had hawk eyes and a hook nose; he was insidious. It seemed that he felt quite horrible at present. His grey robe was completely bloodstained, and his vital force fluctuated about precariously. Evidently, he was seriously injured. Now that his cultivation had reached the Late Stage of the Sage-to-be, who in the Untainted Land could have hurt him like this?
Minghe smiled and gave him three drops of Three Light Holy Water, the most precious healing medicine. The visitor had not only damaged his human body but also suffered great pain in the Original Spirit. Without the help of the Three Light Holy Water, it would take him a very long time to recover.
As soon as the Three Light Holy Water began to work, he felt much better. He regulated his breathing for a while and then stood up. Knowing that he had almost recovered, Minghe asked,
"Kunpeng, you've been traveling in the Chaos for hundreds of years. How did you get so hurt? Did you encounter dangers in the Chaos?" This man was Kunpeng. He had been ordered by Minghe to explore the mysteries of the Chaos and had stayed there for eight hundred years. Now he'd come back in such a state, it was obvious that he had met great troubles in the Chaos. Minghe was extremely anxious to know whether Kunpeng brought the news he had longed for.
Kunpeng paid great efforts to hold his temper and stared at Minghe emotionlessly. He tried to calm down before replying, "Minghe, why didn't you tell me that there was a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of Origin in the Chaos? Luckily enough he was only at the Early Stage of the Origin and poor at speed. Otherwise, I would have been killed."
Hearing this, Minghe showed a satisfied look for he realized that Kunpeng had returned with significant news. He smiled and said, "Kunpeng, I could only guess what was in the Chaos. But I gave you three Space-transmitting Talismans, just in case. You've used two of them, right?"
The Space-transmitting Talisman had been refined by the Heaven and Earth Taoist and Minghe together. The talisman provided one with a great chance to escape from any situation and could be transmitted to a far distance. It was quite hard to trace it by general means. Only when a person had a higher cultivation than Minghe or greater achievements in the Law of Space than the Heaven and Earth Taoist, could he successfully block it.
As Minghe spoke, Kunpeng's anger gradually subsided. Truly he would have been killed if it weren't for the Space- transmitting Talisman. Thinking of this, Kunpeng was still slightly fearful of the man who had been hunting him in the Chaos. He said, "The man had his own way of tracing the vital force. I used two talismans to escape from his chasing. However, all your Clone of Blood God has died."
Minghe smiled at Kunpeng's words. He waved his hand and instantly several rays of silver light rose from Kunpeng's body. Kunpeng changed his expressions at once. All the rays were the remaining Spiritual Thoughts of Minghe's Clone of Blood God. Kunpeng had been completely unaware that they had adhered to his body soundless and stir less. What a dreadful thing!
Kunpeng had been eager to escape the Chaos and had had no extra energy to notice anything else.
Otherwise, as a cultivator at the Late Stage of Sage-to-be, he would naturally have perceived the existence of the Spiritual Thoughts. Although Minghe had removed the Spiritual Thoughts, Kunpeng still felt worried. He looked it over thoroughly and made sure that there were no remaining Spiritual Thoughts.
Seeing Kunpeng's actions, Minghe did not care at all. His real concern was the residual information of the Spiritual Thoughts. It was not really important whether the Clone of Blood God died or not. Anyway, he could easily reforge them.
Reading through the Spiritual Thoughts, Minghe was enchanted by the intriguing Chaos. He looked at Kunpeng, laughed and said, "Kunpeng, you've done a very good job. You were so clever to hinder the enemy's chase by using the Clones of Blood God to imitate your vital force."
When Kunpeng met the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal of Origin in the Chaos, he had immediately intended to run away. However, he had been hurt by the Immortal's Spiritual Treasure. Kunpeng had had no other choice but to use the talisman given by the Heaven and Earth Taoist to run for safety. He had never thought that the Immortal could trace his position using the Spiritual Treasure's remaining vital force. As a result, Kunpeng had been caught by the Immortal and wounded again. Kunpeng had helplessly decided to cause the Self-explosion of over ten thousand Clones of Blood God in order to gain himself a bit of time. He had then used one more Space-transmitting Talisman to escape. The Clone of Blood God were Minghe's Avatars. They knew precisely that Kunpeng had been sent here by Minghe and that the news, of course, should be brought back by Kunpeng. The Clone of Blood God, equal to Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals or Primordial Unity Golden Immortals, could not help Kunpeng traverse the Chaos with their low-grade cultivations. Therefore, they could only sacrifice themselves giving him a chance to escape.
When Kunpeng finally escaped again, he had drawn out several wisps of his Original Spirit and given them to the remaining Clone of Blood God. The Clones had carried the wisps of the Original Spirit fleeing in all directions, while Kunpeng ran straight toward the Untainted Land, thus getting away with a lucky escape.
Kunpeng felt nervous about Minghe's smiles and explained at once. He said, "Fellow Taoist Minghe, there was no alternative. I had to sacrifice the Clones. If I had been killed or captured by the enemy, you would certainly miss the information of the Chaos. Perhaps even the existence of the Untainted Land would also be revealed." Looking at Kunpeng's nervous expressions, Minghe laughed and said, "All right, for the sake of the most important information you've brought back to me, so that's it. Here is your Natal Original Spirit. Now I return it to you and off you go."
The Natal Original Spirit was sent to Kunpeng, who was staring at Minghe in disbelief. Kunpeng wondered why Minghe had become so nice and given the Natal Original Spirit back to him even before he asked. It seemed too good to be true.
Having taken the Natal Original Spirit back, Kunpeng left the Sacred Island at a very slow pace. It was strange that Minghe had let him go so easily and did not seem to be worried about him revealing the secrets of how the Heaven and Earth Taoist had actualized the Realm of Origin. Was it possible that something had happened in the Untainted Land when he was absent?
On the way back to the Northern Underworld, Kunpeng inquired about what had happened recently in Untainted Land. He heard that the Human Tribe had set up the Three Royals and Five Emperors. And Hongyun had gotten an incarnation and become the Ancestor of Chinese Characters of the Human Tribe, Cangjie. This news came as a great surprise to Kunpeng. Nine Sage-to-be masters had appeared in the Human Tribe. What was more, one of them was his long-term enemy, Hongyun.
Hongyun had come back after the incarnation and obtained a cultivation of the Peak Level of Sage-to-be. Kunpeng was unsure what the outcome would be if Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi decided to take revenge on him. Then he heard that the Martial Ancestors of the Human Tribe had actualized the Realm of Origin. This was totally unacceptable to him. It was well known to the Almighty in Untainted Land that the Martial Ancestor of the Human Tribe was Minghe's Self-centric Separation. Unexpectedly, he had actualized fair and square.
The most terrible thing was that Minghe himself had made an advancement and obtained cultivation of the Middle Stage of Origin. He was extremely well-matched when confronted with the Ancestor of Sorcery Houtu, which was extremely dreadful. The three people, Minghe, the Heaven and Earth Taoist, and the Ancestor of Martial Arts Musen equaled the Original Power of Three Lords. Besides, there was one more Evil Separation who had never appeared before. No one knew the cultivation of the Evil Separation. Maybe he had reached the Realm of Origin as well.
Kunpeng finally understood why Minghe had let him go so easily and even given his Original Spirit back. Because Minghe had never worried about Kunpeng revealing the secrets of the actualization of the Heaven and Earth Taoist. Even if Kunpeng was 100 times bolder, he dared not to let out the secrets. Otherwise, with Minghe's character and strength, he would be killed very soon. He didn't want to die, of course.
While Kunpeng was making blind and disorderly conjectures, he suddenly felt several Spiritual Thoughts scanning over him. This was absolutely terrifying. Although they were only Spiritual Thoughts, they still made his hair stand on end. Indeed they were the Spiritual Thoughts of a Sage. Ironically, Kunpeng had forgotten to hide his figure when he left the Blood Sea and gone straight to the Northern Underworld.
It seemed that he was asking for trouble. How foolish he was!
Minghe's Self-centric Separation had actualized the Realm of Origin. This was powerful enough to change the pattern of Untainted Land. It was such big news that all Sages had naturally fixed their eyes on the Blood Sea. Kunpeng looked around the Blood Sea in a fury of grief. He realized that he had been trapped by Minghe again.
Minghe had easily let Kunpeng go but had not told him the whole truth; it was obvious that Minghe had intended to entrap him. Now that all Sages had witnessed Kunpeng coming out from the Blood Sea, they would apparently think that he had traded something with Minghe. They would even think that he had already surrendered to him. Under such circumstances, Kunpeng would find it extremely difficult to clear himself.
Normally, a Sage-to-be master as powerful as Kunpeng should have been very welcomed to all tribes in Untainted Land, including the Sages. However, Kunpeng had rebelled against the Demon Tribe and then got in touch with Minghe. Even the Two Sages of the West who had been thirsty for talents dared not to extend the olive branch to him now. They were all afraid of falling into Minghe's traps.
Kunpeng was clever enough that the whole thing became immediately clear. Looking at the Blood Sea, Kunpeng had more fear than hatred. He not only dreaded Minghe's overwhelming strength but also his astonishing wisdom. He had unconsciously fallen into Minghe's trap and would not be able to escape.
Chapter 204: The Menace Intent of Goddess Nvywa
Even if Kunpeng decided to go and seek refuge with one of the Sages or the Heavenly Court ruled by Haotian, he would not be easily accepted by them. How could they be sure that Kunpeng was not a spy sent by Minghe? Thinking of the meaningful smiles on Minghe's face as he left the Blood Sea, Kunpeng could not help shivering.
Kunpeng scolded Minghe in his heart. Although he had been set free by Minghe, it made no difference. Now all the tribes in the Untainted Land believed that he was under Minghe's control, thus no one dared to accept him. There were two paths before him. He could either live on his own or surrender to Minghe.
In this way, Minghe had forced him to make a final decision. Kunpeng gnashed his teeth in anger and then shapeshifted into the large extraordinary bird, Peng. He flew directly to the sea of the Northern Underworld. When he dove into the sea, he transformed into the spectacular sea monster, Kun. He then disappeared into the vast Northern Underworld.
Although Kunpeng had disappeared, the lingering winds he'd caused had not subsided. On the one hand, he was one of the best Sage-to-be masters in the Untainted Land. On the other hand, it was Minghe that he had contacted. Even the Sages could not help but wonder why Kunpeng would attempt to go with Minghe. In other words, why had Minghe met with Kunpeng?
People who'd had acquaintance with Minghe had all sprung up in Untainted Land and their cultivations were all at top levels; Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun were two examples. They had both obtained the cultivation of the Peak Level of Sage-to-be. One was the ruler of the Earth Immortal's Residence, the other was the Ancestor of Chinese Characters of the Human Tribe. The evidence was strong and did not admit doubt.
...
In Wahuang Heaven, Goddess Nvywa saw Kunpeng walking out from the Blood Sea in a disgrace. She instantly showed a grim look and revealed her Menace Intent. Although Kunpeng was the Demon Master of the Demon Tribe, he had refused to rescue Fuxi in the final battle of the Sorcerer and Demon tribes. Goddess Nvywa had decided to kill him a long time ago. But, he was a member of the Demon Tribe, after all. Now that the Demon Tribe had declined, and the masters were getting fewer and fewer, if Kunpeng died, the Demon Tribe would suffer a great loss. For the sake of the overall situation, Goddess Nvywa had to control her Menace Intent.
Kunpeng had stealthily entered the Blood Sea and gone out in public. The unstable vital force around him showed that he had been hurt. What was worse, his Original Spirit might have been damaged. Goddess Nvywa considered the possibility that Kunpeng had separated part of his Original Spirit to hand in to Minghe and come to a deal with him.
How admirable her imagination was! It was perfectly logical and reasonable. However, if Kunpeng
had known her thoughts, he probably would have wanted to kill himself.
Unfortunately, it was not only Goddess Nvywa. The other Sages thought this as well. To them, this speculation best explained what Kunpeng had done. Kunpeng was inexcusable. Thinking of this, Goddess Nvywa instantly showed her Menace Intent. For a long time, she had had a
certain expectation of Kunpeng. After all, Emperor Jun and Donghuang Taiyi had died and Fuxi had gotten the incarnation to be a member of the Human Tribe. As a Sage, she could not protect the Demon Tribe forever. Although Luya, the son of Emperor Jun and prince of the Demon Tribe, guarded the Demon Tribe, his cultivation was not powerful enough to protect the entire Tribe. He could not bear the pressure.
Luya was the last Three-legged Golden Crow in Untainted Land. He was born with the cultivation of the Black Immortal. When the ten suns had shone in the sky, he had already obtained a cultivation of Golden Immortal. Luckily, he had survived when Houyi shot the suns. He was then sent to Goddess Nvywa by his father, Emperor Jun. After tens of thousands of years' cultivation, he had now achieved the Late Stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.
In Untainted Land, the number of Sages-to-be became fewer and fewer and they seldom appeared in the public eye. Thus, the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals were ranked as the top masters. However, Luya was still not powerful enough to take the sovereign of the Demon Tribe. Compared with Kunpeng and Bai Ze, his prestige in the Demon Tribe fell far short of expectations. Not to mention his cultivation.
As the son of Emperor Jun, Luya had received Bai Ze's help. However, relying on the poor cultivation and prestige, Luya could not conquer the whole Demon Tribe. It was well known that even Bai Ze and Kunpeng were not able to do so. If Goddess Nvywa supported him, Luya could succeed in holding the power, but it meant that Luya himself was not qualified as emperor of the Demon Tribe.
Goddess Nvywa had been waiting for Kunpeng's apology. For the sake of the Demon Tribe, of course, she would forgive him and ask him to assist Luya together with Bai Ze. If the two were willing to help, Luya would gradually get a firm foothold in the Demon Tribe.
Goddess Nvywa had never thought that Kunpeng preferred to choose Minghe over her, the Sage of the Demon Tribe. This was absolutely unbearable for her. In the final battle of the Sorcerer and Demon tribes, Kunpeng had run away and rebelled against the Demon Tribe. Now he had even transferred his allegiance to Minghe. What a traitor! Goddess Nvywa decided to kill him.
In the Wahuang Palace, a handsome young man stood beside Goddess Nvywa. He had the presence of a king.
He was the 10th son of Emperor Jun, Luya. He was now enraged with what Kunpeng had done.
Kunpeng had surrendered to Minghe. It was an indisputable fact. Luya was extremely angry. As the prince of the Demon Tribe, he felt he had been betrayed by Kunpeng. All he wanted was to kill Kunpeng. However, he was only a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal and absolutely not comparable with Kunpeng.
When he perceived Goddess Nvywa's Menace Intent, he came up with an idea. He indignantly said, "Your Highness, Kunpeng is really treacherous to surrender to Ancestor Minghe and rebel against the Demon Tribe. Please kill him to comfort my deceased father and mother."
Hearing Luya's words, Goddess Nvywa's Menace Intent vanished without a trace. She looked at him and calmly said, "Luya, this seems like a no-brainer to you, but it isn't. If Kunpeng really has given himself up to Minghe, Minghe won't stand aside as we kill him. We'd better observe more and wait until we have a clearer view."
Luya understood that Goddess Nvywa had misgivings about Minghe. He could not kill Kunpeng without her help, even if the Sacred Demon Bai Ze was willing to assist. He could not let it go easily.
Goddess Nvywa understood his regrets. She said, "Luya, I know that you can't let it go, but, Untainted Land is a place where strength is everything. Transfer your resentment and make it the driving force for your cultivation. When you're powerful enough, you can gather up your father's remaining troops and kill Kunpeng. This will build your prestige in the Demon Tribe and you can succeed to the throne as the Demon Emperor. At that time, even if Minghe wants to protect Kunpeng, I won't let things go as he wishes. Anyway, I don't think Minghe will do such a thing as to bully a youth."
Luya caught her meaning and restrained his anger. He hoped that things would go as she said, however, it would take at least tens of thousands of years to become stronger and be able to kill Kunpeng. Since Goddess Nvywa did not want to kill Kunpeng right now, Luya had nothing to do but go back to his residence, close the door and concentrate on his cultivation. With unsettled issues hanging in his heart, Luya was restless. He suddenly thought of one particular thing, which might help him kill Kunpeng. He could not control his smile as he revealed infinite Menace Intent.
...
Compared with the Menace Intent of Goddess Nvywa, the other Sages were calmer. The Three Pure Ones thought that Minghe might intend to interfere with the Demon Tribe so they contacted Kunpeng. As Goddess Nvywa guarded the Demon Tribe, Minghe could scarcely gain any benefits from the Demon Tribe, even he acted in the name of the Demon Master, Kunpeng. Under such circumstances, what on earth was Minghe planning? It boggled their minds.
The Two Sages of the West felt regret. If it wasn't for Goddess Nvywa and the Three Pure Ones, they would have drawn Kunpeng over to their side. Although efforts might not succeed, there was always a little bit of hope. Now that Kunpeng had most probably surrendered to Minghe, it meant that they no longer had a chance. Houtu felt regret. She should not have fallen out with Minghe because of the Human Sovereign. It seemed that Minghe had made a deal with Kunpeng. No matter what the deal was, he would have to at least abandon his friendship with the Wu Tribe. Even if Houtu decided to regain acquaintance with Minghe, it was impossible.
As for Zhenyuanzi and Cangjie, they had originally hated Kunpeng and prepared to get revenge once Cangjie had complete control of his cultivation. However, Kunpeng had now entered into a relationship with Minghe. They had to lay down the grudge in order to avoid ruining Minghe's plan. Unintentionally, Kunpeng had escaped a disaster.
Chapter 205: Arrangement
In the Blood Sea, Minghe looked at Kunpeng in the Northern Underworld with a smile. Although he had let go of Kunpeng this time, he had cut off options for Kunpeng to seek refuge with other Sages, Goddess Nvywa especially. It seemed that Goddess Nvywa had intended to kill Kunpeng but hadn't yet since Minghe had interfered. Given the right opportunity, Goddess Nvywa would definitely kill him.
As the Demon Master of the Demon Tribe, Kunpeng had created the Demon characters just like Cangjie had done for the Human Tribe, so he enjoyed some Luck from the Demon Tribe. If Kunpeng resorted to Minghe, some of the Luck would be taken away. Goddess Nvywa, as the Sage of the Demon Tribe, was not going to let this happen. The most secure way was to kill Kunpeng and the reason why he was still alive now was that the Luck hadn't been decreasing as of yet.
But the meeting between Kunpeng and Minghe was difficult to let go for her. Once she spotted any decrease in Luck, she would kill Kunpeng immediately and ignore Minghe's deal with him. The Demon Tribe was declining, and it would never rise again if the Luck was lost. Actually, Minghe had no intention of taking Kunpeng in. It was not easy to do so, judging from his escape during the decisive battle between the Wu and Demon Tribes. Although Minghe had the power to conquer him, he was afraid that he would escape again at critical moments.
Despite the fact, Minghe still had another plan just in case Kunpeng dared to expose the Chaos; he would kill him in person. Minghe could kill anyone as he wished. Even if the Sages wanted to protect him.
What Minghe was concerned about was the Chaos. He reached out his hands and a visional map appeared in his hands. It had been drawn based on Kunpeng's trip to the Chaos. The map had recorded everything he'd met in the Chaos.
Looking at this map, Minghe was yearning. Previously, he had been busy helping the Human Tribe select the Three Royals and Five Emperors, so he had had to let his Good Separation force Kunpeng to go to the Chaos. Now that the stuff with the Human Tribe was over and there were thousands of years before the God Deification Ceremony, he could tour the Chaos.
Currently, both Minghe and the Three Separations had actualized the Realm of Origin. The combination of Minghe's Middle Stage of Origin and the Three Separations' Early Stage of Origin would terrify all the Sages. Moreover, the Evil Separation, Red Lotus Taoist was about to make a breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Origin and Minghe's power would be lifted again then.
Minghe waved his hands, summoning all Three Separations quickly. The Good separation, the Heaven and Earth Taoist, and the Evil Separation, Red Lotus Taoist, were already in the Blood Sea. They arrived in mere seconds. Musen, however, was in the Human Tribe and took some time to get there after receiving the order.
This was the first time Minghe and the Three Separations had gathered together. Even though the Three Separations were Minghe's Incarnations, they were different from each other.
The trip to the Chaos was a serious matter. He had to discuss it with them. Once all Three Separations were present, Minghe said, "I have forced Kunpeng to tour the Chaos, and now he is back. Since he has brought back some interesting news, I'm determined to make a trip to the Chaos. I convene you three to ask for your advice." The Three Separations fell into silence. Then the Self-centric Separation, Musen, said, "Your Veneration, I have just reached the Realm of Origin, and the Realm is not fully stable yet. I'm afraid I can't go with you. In addition, the Human Tribe needs me, so I'm staying in Untainted Land this time."
Minghe nodded, showing his agreement. At present, the Human Tribe had become the leading role of Untainted Land and occupied over half of the Luck. Minghe valued Musen's Luck in the Human Tribe highly and didn't want anything to go wrong. Over the years, Minghe and Musen had rapidly improved their cultivations largely due to the luck. With Musen protecting the Luck of the Human Tribe, Minghe was more relieved.
The Red Lotus Taoist said, "Your Veneration, right now I have balanced the Principle of Karma and the Law of Killing, so it's time to move forward. By the time I absorb the Ninth Grade Golden Lotus of Merit, the Red Lotus of Fire will embrace its Fulfilment and my cultivation will reach another Breakthrough. Since Your Veneration is going to the Chaos, I'm staying to guard the Blood Sea and to coordinate with Musen.
Minghe thought this proposal was rational. After all, the Blood Sea was his Stronghold and near to the Nether World. If there was no one to protect his place, he would be concerned. By the time the Red Lotus Taoist reached the Middle Stage of Origin, he would be capable to handle any events even if confronted by the Sages.
The Heaven and Earth Taoist took out his Book of Life and Death and the Judge Pen. He presented them to the Red Lotus Taoist, saying, "Since it is so, I'd like to give the Book of Life and Death and the Judge Pen to my Fellow Taoist. Take care of the Nether World, please."
The Book of Life and Death and the Judge Pen in the Nether World were actually projections of these two treasures. Only by controlling these two treasures could one manage to control the Nether World. Since the Red Lotus Taoist was staying in Untainted Land, he could care for the Nether World with these two treasures and pay special attention to the guy in Pingxin City.
Minghe looked at the Heaven and Earth Taoist, laughing. He said, "I know you can't help going with me.
It is a good thing I have you as company. I was meant to bring you. This trip, after all, is tailored for you. The Heaven and Earth Taoist laughed and said, "Your Veneration you do know me. I cultivate the advancement of worlds. I have managed to advance the World of Heaven and Earth into a small chiliocosm, but a further evolution requires a long-time accumulation, which is a slow process. This trip to the Chaos will offer me something."
Minghe nodded again, saying, "Well, I guess this is it. Please take care of Untainted Land even though no significant events are likely to happen. Given the opportunity, you two may commence arranging the God Deification Ceremony."
The Red Lotus Taoist and Musen nodded and then went away, leaving Minghe and the Heaven and Earth Taoist. The Heaven and Earth Taoist said, "Your Veneration since we're going to the Chaos, should we notify Liu Er and Kong Xuan? They have reached Sage-to-be and it's time for them to gain more experience in the Untainted Land. It's not a good thing to stay in the Blood Sea all the time."
Minghe agreed. It seemed that Liu Er and Kong Xuan had become Sages-to-be in the blink of an eye. The third disciple, Black Tortoise, hadn't shown up yet. He was like Minghe's preexistence. Except for when they assisted the Human Sovereign, Liu Er and Kong Xuan had never left the Blood Sea. It was time for them to go out and practice.
Minghe waved his sleeves, summoning Liu Er and Kong Xuan who were quite confused. Minghe said, "I call you two here to inform you that I'm going to the Chaos. The trip may be as short as several hundred years, or as long as several thousand. During my absence, the Evil Separation, the Red Lotus Taoist, and the Selfcentric Separation, Musen will take charge of everything. You two can take advice from them as well."
Liu Er and Kong Xuan saluted, saying, "We will obey your orders." Kong Xuan was serene about this, but Liu Er appeared to be overjoyed. Previously, Liu Er had dared not to do anything outrageous. He'd been kept on the rails as Minghe was here.
Now that Minghe was going to the Chaos, he could be free. Although the Evil Separation was here, he was not Minghe in person, after all.
Minghe was unable to do anything about the cheerful Liu Er, who had retained his naughty character. Indeed, it had been hard for Liu Er to stay confined for the past years. Minghe said, "During my absence, you can tour Untainted Land. It's up to you whether you want to gain enlightenment or recruit disciples."
With that, Liu Er jumped up, saying gladly, "Your Veneration is truly wise. I have been longing to
tour Untainted Land for a long time." Conversely, Kong Xuan behaved quite calmly. He was the most mature one among the three disciples.
Minghe continued saying, "Liu Er, although you have achieved the Good Separation and Evil Separation, you can't loosen your cultivation. By the way, you are going to seek the last one of the Four Monkeys of Destruction. The Good Separation and Evil Separation are easy to achieve, not for the obsession. I hope you can enlighten your obsession during this tour to Untainted Land. Otherwise, you will never reach the Origin."
Liu Er nodded with a smile. It was unknown whether he had taken Minghe's words seriously since his mind was already wandering to Untainted Land. Ever since he began to cultivate under Minghe's guidance, he had been secluded from Untainted Land. Now that he had an opportunity to go out, he would enjoy himself as much as he could. As for recruiting disciples, that would be up to his mood.
Chapter 206: Minghe Leaving for the Chaos
Minghe then turned to Kong Xuan, saying sincerely, "Kong Xuan, the cultivation method you use is unprecedented. I have no idea what will happen in the future, but I sincerely hope you can follow through with it since this is your own cultivation method. Follow your Core of Thoughts and you can get rid of all distractions. I hope you can achieve some accomplishments on your cultivation."
Kong Xuan nodded, "I will remember your teachings and wish you a smooth journey to the Chaos." Although Kong Xuan was the offspring of Phoenix Tribe, he became less arrogant than Dragon Tribe after staying beside Minghe for many years. He was confident and refined now, a modest gentleman.
Minghe waved his sleeves and took out some Spiritual Treasures, saying, "These are some Magic Weapons I have collected during the past years, but they are useless in my hands. I bestow them on you and share them with your third brother, Black Tortoise."
Both Liu Er and Kong Xuan were delighted to see these treasures. Although Minghe had given them some primordial spiritual treasures before, the amount given this time was beyond their expectation. There was at least a dozen, and they could get four or five treasures per person. Even if they might not use the treasures, they could give it to their disciples in future.
Liu Er and Kong Xuan took the treasures and left. Minghe took a glimpse of Untainted Land and left the Chaos in a flash. It was unknown how long this trip would last. Minghe hoped that the God Deification Ceremony hasn't begun when he returned, otherwise he would be missing a historic event.
After Minghe left, Liu Er and Kong Xuan left the Blood Sea and headed for the Holy Land of Human Tribe. They had met Black Tortoise in the Feast of Peaches of the Heavenly Court previously, but they hadn't acknowledged each other. Now that Musen's identity was made known in the Untainted Land, they could naturally visit Black Tortoise in the open.
They were stopped by someone with just Primordial Unity Golden Immortal after arriving at Coast of the East Sea, which was much more inferior to Liu Er and Kong Xuan. It was natural that they were stopped because they made themselves visible in order to meet Black Tortoise. This guy was a guardian of Human Tribe. He was wary since he couldn't figure out the cultivation of Liu Er and Kong Xuan, who seemed to be Sages-to-be based on their vital force, similar to Three Royals and Five Emperors. He had to be vigilant upon their arrival, saying, "May I know your names and the reason for this visit to our Human Tribe Holy Land?"
Liu Er laughed, saying, "Calm down, we are not here for a fight." With that, the guardian became warier and intended to send warning signals out. Kong Xuan was speechless upon hearing that. Although Liu Er was telling the truth, the word "fight" was never going to calm people down.
Kong Xuan said, "Please don't misunderstand. My brother has always been this way. We are disciples of Minghe, and we are here to seek our junior brother, Black Tortoise, who is also the apprentice of Martial Ancestors of the Human Tribe. We are here to deliver something to him, please let us through."
The guardian was relieved as it was well-known that the ancestor of martial arts was the Selfcentric Separation of Ancestor Minghe. He bowed, "My apologies, Liu Er Taoist, and Kong Xuan Taoist. I will lead you to Black Tortoise, please follow me." Under the guardian's lead, they found Black Tortoise easily. Nevertheless, it was very different from what they expected. There was neither any warm welcome nor courteous greetings, all they saw was Black Tortoise sleeping on a stone, bathing in the Sun."
Seeing this, Liu Er hopped on the stone and knocked on Black Tortoise's head, shouting, "Black Tortoise, get up! Your senior brothers are here to see you." But what welcomes him was a fist as large as a sandbag, surprising him.
Liu Er was unprepared for Black Tortoise's reaction, so his right eye was beaten black and blue. The guardian wanted to laugh but dared not to. He said, "Deity, you can't get too close to Black Tortoise while he is sleeping, or you will be hit."
Liu Er became extremely awkward, as who would ever think they would meet in such a way. Black Tortoise gave Liu Er such a special gift for their first meeting, amusing Kong Xuan as well.
Liu Er laughed and the imprint of the fist on his eyes disappeared right away. Liu Er had cultivated a strong physical body just like Minghe. Even if Black Tortoise hit him with his full strength, Liu Er wouldn't be hurt at all, let alone this kind of light punch.
At this time, Black Tortoise slowly awaken, looking at Liu Er in front of him and asked puzzledly, "Who are you? Did you call me? Don't you know the rules? Inform me earlier if you are going to see me. I do not entertain visitors during my sleep time."
Liu Er got indignant. Minghe did mention that his third brother was lazy, but he was unexpectedly such a lazy person. How did he reach Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal cultivation? By sleeping?
Seeing that Black Tortoise was about to sleep again, Liu Er shouted, "Black Tortoise, wake up! Your second senior brother and I are here to see you." Liu Er's shouting was loud enough to wake the dead and Black Tortoise opened his eyes, staring intently at both Liu Er and Kong Xuan.
Black Tortoise said, "Oh, so you are the two seniors that my mentor has mentioned. I remember meeting you during the Feast of Peaches. We have seen each other before, right? Why do you want to see me again and disturb my sleep." Kong Xuan laughed awkwardly as he didn't expect that sleeping was so important for Black Tortoise, saying, "Master asks us to send some Magic Weapons to you." With that, he waved his sleeves, presenting several Magic Weapons to Black Tortoise.
Black Tortoise was overjoyed upon seeing these Magic Weapons, as he had no other Magic Weapons other than a turtle shell given by his mentor, Musen. The master, whom he had never seen in person, had sent him several Magic Weapons. Black Tortoise excitedly took them all.
Liu Er smile and said, "Junior brother, since it is not rare for us to come out, how about taking us around Human Tribe and see if there is anything interesting? The last time we are here, it is to assist Fuxi to actualize, so we did not have any chance to tour this place."
Black Tortoise widen his glistening eyes excitedly, "Big senior brother, I consider sleeping as the most interesting thing, do you want to sleep together?" Looking at his pair of genuine eyes, Liu Er almost burst into anger. Sleeping? You thought everyone was love sleeping as much as you did? Liu Er didn't want to stay here any longer, or he might gained internal injuries after being infuriated by Black Tortoise. Jumping onto a cloud, Liu Er said, "Forget about it, I'm going to other places to have some fun. My brothers, I take my leave now!"
Black Tortoise then asked Kong Xuan, "Second senior brother, how about you?" Kong Xuan replied, "Well, I guess not. Take your time sleeping! I'm going to visit Jingbae in the Holy Land since I have promised her previously."
After Kong Xuan left, Black Tortoise stretched and lay down in a different posture like a real tortoise, which fitted his name that he even slept like a tortoise. Before falling asleep, he took another look at the Magic Weapons Minghe sent him and then slept after a short while.
Liu Er lay on a cloud after leaving the Holy Land of Human Tribe, letting the cloud take its course. He took out some Peaches of Immortality and enjoyed them thoroughly. Thereafter he dropped the kernels casually, which produced Spiritual Roots after several years. Although they were still small, it is of supreme benefits to Human Tribe. When Kong Xuan found Jingbae in the Holy Land of Human Tribe, he was complained by Jingbae for not seeing her for so long. If it were not for the warning of God Farmer, Jingbae would have continued endlessly. Kong Xuan had to bring an encumbrance with him when he left Human Tribe.
Upon hearing that Kong Xuan was about to trekked throughout Untainted Land, Jingbae insisted on following him. Having no other choice, Kong Xuan brought her along, otherwise, he would no peace of mind the next time they met. But it was not a bad thing to bring Jingbae, at least he would not be bored. Minghe asked Kong Xuan to trekked Untainted Land, so being alone or together with Jingbae were pretty much the same, though Jingbae was a tad too noisy.
Chapter 207: Yaoji Descending to the Human World
In the Heavenly Court, Yaoji was attracted by the human world after knowing what went on in it. She constantly came to Haotian in hopes that he could allow her to go to the human world to have fun. While Haotian adored his sister, he wished that she could focus on her cultivation instead of being distracted by the human world, as this would impede the cultivation of the Way of Celestial Immortality.
Haotian did so for Yaoji's own good, yet Yaoji couldn't understand his painstaking efforts. Though she couldn't go to the human world, she often looked at the prosperous human world through the Haotian Mirror in the desolate Jasper Lake and her desire to experience the human world would increase every time.
Finally, Yaoji got an opportunity when Haotian was in Closed Door Meditation. She sneaked out of the Southern Gate with the Haotian Mirror and arrived at the human world. She had already seen various things in the human world through the Haotian Mirror, but she still felt that everything was fun and interesting when experiencing it in person. ···
When Yaoji was in the human world, a conspiracy was formed in Holy Mountain of the West. Jieyin remained composed and engaged in his everyday enlightenment. Zhunti, however, always kept an eye on the East and nothing could escape his eyes.
Zhunti stared at the serene Jieyin, saying, "Senior brother, we have no idea what Minghe is up to. First, he met Kunpeng and then sent his disciples, Liu Er and Kong Xuan, to trek the Untainted Land. Is he planning something again?"
Jieyin opened his eyes, saying mildly, "Junior brother, what Minghe is up to has nothing to do with us. We're in the West, even if he is planning something, it should concern Three Pure Ones, Goddess Nvywa, and Houtu. All we need to do is wait for the right time to act."
Zhunti voiced his disagreement, "You are right, but we can't keep waiting like this. Waiting is not going to help us make the West flourish again. We should seize the opportunity once it arrives; otherwise, we would be wasting a heaven-sent opportunity. Wouldn't that be regretful?" Hearing these words, Jieyin knew Zhunti was planning on something. He asked, "Well, have you seen any opportunities?" Jieyin believed in following the Heaven Law while Zhunti believed in his own strength and thought that waiting would make them lose more opportunities.
Zhunti laughingly said, "Put Minghe aside. I know there is a great opportunity in front of us. Take a look." With that, Zhunti stretched out his hands and a Black Light Mirror appeared before them which reflected an incredible beauty.
Seeing the girl in the mirror, Jieyin said, "This is... Haotian's sister, Yaoji. What're you going to do with her?" Though Jieyin had not seen Yao Ji before, as a sage, he could get to know the outcome through calculation.
Zhunti replied, "Yes, this is Yaoji, Haotian's sister. She was attracted to the human world and snuck out when Haotian was in Closed Door Meditation. As long as we perfect a proper plan, we can get some Luck of the Heavenly Court from her and build a special link between the West and the Heavenly Court. It may not be of any use to us right now, but someday it might serve us well in the future. Zhunti then described his plan in detail. Jieyin fell into silence for a moment and said, "In this case, even if we can get some luck of the Heavenly Court, but I'm afraid we will develop a hostile relationship with Haotian. While it's true that the Heavenly Court is not very strong, but Haotian is the Sovereign of the Heavenly Court conferred by Honourable Ancestor, so he has a significant position."
Zhunti responded, " Though it seems that we will make an enemy out of Haotian but he can do nothing. Moreover, the Heavenly Court is in the East, Three Pure Ones will not let the Heavenly Court expand incessantly. If our plan works out this time, we will build a subtle connection with Haotian. Even if Haotian hates us now, he will have no other choice but to accept our help when he is forced by Three Pure Ones. Then, you may guess, what is Houtu's option?"
Jieyin closed his eyes again, saying faintly, "Then we shall proceed with your plan, and hope that everything will go as smoothly as you expect." Jieyin knew that he couldn't convince Zhunti to give up, so he could only agree with it. Haotian and them might become enemies, but Haotian was not a Sage, which does not incite much attention from Jieyin.
Receiving Jieyin's approval, Zhunti summoned a disciple right away and ordered him to do something. He let him ride the cloud towards the East after injecting several Taoist Seals into the disciple's body. Although the disciple could ride the cloud, he looked like a mortal, which seems weird.
···
After Yaoji came to the human world, she hid all her Magic Skills and transformed into a mere mortal, strolling in the human world. Nowadays Human Tribe had been flourishing after the rapid developments achieved by Three Royals and Five Emperors, and people's lives were getting better and better.
Yaoji was deeply attracted by the prosperity of the human world and didn't want to go back. Ever since she was born, she had been living in Jasper Lake while being accompanied by countless maids. However, Haotian and Yao Chi were busy dealing with affairs of the Heavenly Court or their cultivation, they did not have time to accompany her, so she had never experienced such liveliness.
Just like that, Yaoji stayed in the human world for several years. According to the natural law, one day in the Heavenly Court equals to one year in the human world. So for Yaoji, it was just several days in the Heavenly Court and no one would find out that she had entered the human world.
One day, Yao Ji came to the bank of Yu River after a trip to Chen Du, the former capital of Human Tribe. It was no doubt a city under the rule of Three Royals and Five Emperors, Chen Du was a rare sight in the human world. After witnessing its prosperity, she intended to return to the Heavenly Court.
Haotian didn't know Yaoji went to the human world and would definitely punish her if he found out. Haotian had become the Jade Emperor now with increasing prestige. Despite Haotian being her brother, and adored him but she was slightly afraid of him.
Having experienced the prosperous and entertainment in the human world for several years, it's time for her to return to the Heavenly Court in case Haotian found out. If so, she would be guarded more closely and another visit to the human world would be extremely difficult.
A man was overlooking Yaoji above Yu River, who was the disciple sent by Zhunti in the West. He was a clansman of Human Tribe, called Yang Tianyou, who was recruited by Zhunti as a disciple due to his outstanding aptitude.
Yang Tianyou's ancestors had gone through the Cultivation Tribulation of Human Tribe and were protected by Zhenyuanzi. After the tribulation ended, they settled down around the Wuzhuang Taoist Temple and some of them emigrated to the West to seek a livelihood for various reasons.
Thus Yang Tianyou got an opportunity to become Zhunti's disciple and reached Primordial Unity Golden Immortal after nearly 10 thousand years of cultivation. He was ordered by Zhunti to approach Yaoji, to ensure the smooth run of the plan Zhunti hid Yang Tianyou's cultivation on purpose. Without special Magic Skills, even Sage-to-be couldn't recognize Yang Tianyou's real cultivation.
Seeing Yaoji, he begins the plan. He landed the cloud and built a bamboo house with a wave near the bank of Yu River. He then transformed into a young scholar and played graceful music with a bamboo flute inside the bamboo house.
The sound of the flute was light and refreshing. The melody was mellow and full of gentleness, which was like the song of nature. Standing at the bank of Yu River, Yaoji intended to go back to the Heavenly Court when she heard the music of the flute which was infused with the sound of the Yu River. Yaoji was lost in such music. She had listened to numerous people playing music since she entered the human world. Unlike the music in the Heavenly Court, music in the human world was rich in emotion and makes one feel intoxicated.
But Yaoji had never heard such a pure and refreshing flute sound before, which seemed to originate from the heart of purity with a lasting resonance. The flute sound, intermingled with love and imaginations, ascended slowly to the starry sky, dancing along shreds of clouds. All the noise in heaven and earth were purified as a colorful brocade, like a spiritual painting painted by a soulful song.
Chapter 208: The Hapless Yang Tianyou
Following the beautiful flute-playing, Yaoji crossed the Yu River and came upon a bamboo thicket. She saw Yang Tianyou playing his flute amid the sea of bamboos and was instantly intrigued. He was such an elegant youth, such a well-mannered scholar. To think he would be able to produce such lovely sounds using an ordinary bamboo flute!
Having traveled the human world for several years, she had encountered all sorts of people and events but she had never seen someone like Yang Tianyou. If he was born in the future generations, he would be a master of melody at best. But it was now the time of Xia Dynasty, the beginning of civilization. With just his flute skill, he could be considered as an outstanding talent.
She could detect all sorts of emotions in his flute-playing; there was the pursuit of freedom, the yearning for leisure, and the desire for an unfettered life. Wasn't this precisely what she wanted? She might be Haotian's sister and enjoyed a prestigious position in the Heavenly Court, she wasn't happy there. That was why she yearned for the human world and secretly descended to earth. Looking at Yang Tianyou, it was as if she was looking at herself. The scenery was picturesque and elegant along the bank of Yu River, making it seem like an otherworldly sort of place. Someone capable of staying here and playing the flute so beautifully couldn't possibly be an ordinary person.
Yang Tianyou naturally had noticed her presence as well. His goal was to charm her. Now that his flute-playing had attracted her, the first step of his plan was considered a success. What he needed to do next was to let Yaoji fall in love with him.
When Yaoji looked at Yang Tianyou, an inexplicable emotion stirred in her. She took a step forward and was about to speak when they heard an irritated shout coming from the forested mountain nearby. "You think it's nice to keep playing, do you? You think others don't have to get a good sleep early in the morning, do you? To hell with you! Just who's the reckless idiot who dared to come here and behave so atrociously?!"
With this irritated yell, the sound of the flute stopped abruptly as the bamboo flute in Yang Tianyou's hands exploded. The impact of the roar also threw him several feet away, where he fell down to the ground. His mouth was spewing blood, having been heavily injured. He looked at the forested mountains in horror. He never once thought there would be such a powerful person staying here. Was he from the Human Tribe? Whoever who could injure a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal with mere soundwaves would at least be a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal. And such masters in the tribe were either placed in the Holy Land of Human Tribe or under the Sages' tutelage.
The Sages' disciples wouldn't choose to stay on such an unremarkable mountain, instead favoring famous mountains, great rivers, or Immortal's Caves. Besides those left behind to guard the frontiers of the nine provinces, most humans were summoned back to the Holy Land of Human Tribe. So the person who roared earlier was definitely not from that place. Could he be a reclusive Almighty from the Untainted Land?
Seeing this, Yaoji waved her hands and summoned her Haotian Mirror. She observed the forested mountains cautiously and noticed something odd. This place might be beautiful, but it wasn't famous at all. By all means, this place shouldn't have such rich Spiritual Air. More importantly, the faint aroma drifting in the air was something that was familiar to her but she couldn't recall what exactly it was at the moment.
A person, no, a monkey appeared under the watchful stare of Yaoji and Yang Tianyou. He walked slowly out of the forest with a massive peach in his hand. He ate the peach as he walked, his eyes taking in the two people as if trying to determine their identities.
The monkey was dressed in a Golden Chain Mail Shirt, layered with a Cloud Brocade Red Robe. His head donned a phoenix-feather cap and his feet were tucked in Cloud-walking Boots. His outfit was grand and imposing but what a pity it was worn on a monkey. Holding the Haotian Mirror, Yaoji said, "What evil being are you, to wound an innocent without reason?"
The monkey swallowed the last bite of the peach and tossed it away. He wiped his mouth and laughed. "Evil being? Ha, that's new! Not even your brother, Haotian, dares speak to me that way. You're just a silly little girl, a mere Golden Immortal. How can your brother feel assured to have you running around? Oh well, he can control Haotian Mirror remotely. Unless it's a Sage- to-be, no one can hurt you."
Yaoji's face instantly became red. A silly little girl? She had never heard anyone describe her as such since she was born. From his words, the monkey knew her brother and had no respect for him at all. That meant he couldn't be an ordinary person. Rather, he wasn't an ordinary monkey spirit.
She began to feel curious about the brightly-dressed monkey that didn't care for his brother. So she asked, "What kind of monster are you to know my brother? Aren't you afraid of him? He's the Great Jade Emperor."
The monkey laughed. "I, Liu Er, am only afraid of my mentor in the entire Untainted Land. I wouldn't yield even when it comes to the Sages. Though your brother is the Lord of the Heavenly Court, his cultivation is beneath mine. Why do I need to fear him?"
This monkey was none other than Liu Er. After he parted with Kong Xuan in the Holy Land of Human Tribe, he traveled on the clouds and headed west all the way. When he passed by Chen Du, he couldn't help thinking about his days mentoring Fuxi here and decided to stop and stay for a while.
Liu Er was born with a carefree nature and naturally wouldn't feel sentimental over the loss of a mentor-apprentice relationship. He only stayed because the peach trees he had planted back then were now ripe. The peaches that had been left unplucked for many years fell to the ground, resulting in even more new peach trees. The entire mountain was now a sea of peach trees.
The peach stone that he planted in the first place was from the Peento Tree that Minghe cultivated and could be considered a Postcelestial Spiritual Roots. However, the peaches it would bear would not be of similar rank but he wasn't particular about it. With his cultivation, all peaches were the same to him. And the peaches on this mountain were enough to feed him for a very long time.
Thus, Liu Er stayed here and ate peaches whenever he was not sleeping. He would also spend time doing what he loved best, brewing Monkey Liquor. Minghe and Kong Xuan loved drinking the liquor and he himself also liked it. More importantly, he found himself feeling more serene while making the liquor. Thus, this became his daily cultivation and it was something that he had done incessantly for thousands of years.
Ordinary people shouldn't be able to approach this place due to the Confusion Formation that Liu Er placed somewhere nearby. Even if people came to this mountain, they would subconsciously leave the place. As time passed, those from Chen Du wouldn't visit anymore. Some said the mountain had an Immortal's Cave that barred ordinary people, while others claimed that there were demons.
But today, there were actually two visitors. Liu Er didn't much care for it until that damned Yang Tianyou started playing his flute. He even used the Sounds of Sanskrit, an art of enchantment by the Western Religious Sect! Liu Er had never liked the religion and now one of its followers had come up to his doorstep to create a disturbance! Though he didn't know what the person's intentions were, he knew it couldn't be anything good. Thus he showed no mercy and that was the beginning of Yang Tianyou's tragedy.
Liu Er instantly recognized Yaoji thanks to the mirror in her hands. The mirror was a Spiritual Treasure gifted by Honourable Ancestor. It was impossible for Haotian to lend it a stranger. It was said that he had a sister named Yaoji, who he doted on. Thus, this must be her.
Yaoji's bright eyes blinked when she heard Liu Er's words. She didn't know who he was but she did know the Sages. Even her brother needed to show respect for them. How could she not be curious now that this monkey was saying he was unafraid of the Sages? She asked, "You're called Liu Er? Why haven't I heard of you?" Liu Er was speechless. He didn't think her to not know him at all. Could he really be such an insignificant figure in the Untainted Land? He looked at Yang Tianyou and laughed. "You may not know me, little girl, but that guy sure does. Am I right?"
Yang Tianyou felt helpless when he heard this question. He thought his task would be smooth-sailing when Yaoji had nearly fallen into his trap, but who knew a monkey would appear out of nowhere? And it was a master among all monkeys at that. Being a disciple of the Western Religious Sect, he naturally knew Liu Er who dared to confront Honored Lord of the Origin and weren't afraid of the Sages. In the entire Untainted Land, Liu Er was the first one who would have the courage to do so.
Chapter 209: Failure of the Plan
Yaoji became angered with the mention of Yang Tianyou. She looked at the man spitting blood and said, "You still dare bring him up? As a cultivator, you actually injure an ordinary person until he's vomiting blood. How shameless!"
Liu Er looked at her speechlessly. An ordinary human? But he can't blame her. Yang Tianyou was wearing a spell to conceal his cultivation and power. If not for Liu Er's extraordinary wisdom and ability, he would really be tricked as well. It seemed like this was a trick from one of the Sages of the West.
Looking at Yaoji, he could understand why the West targeted her. She was so kind and innocent. He extended his hand, summoned a peach, and handed it to her with a smile. "Here, take it."
Bewildered, she accepted the peach. After a careful inspection, she said, "Why does this look like a peach out of my sister-in- law's Garden of Peaches of Immortality? But it doesn't seem to be it either. Where did you get it from? And why are you giving it to me?" "What nonsense. Of course, the peaches looked alike! This peach was borne by the same Peento tree from her sister-in- law's garden. As for the reason why he gave it to her... Liu Er smiled and replied, "I'm going to sell you off and this peach is my bargaining chip."
Yaoji became furious and pointed the Haotian Mirror at him. She cried, "There's no enmity or grudge between us. Why are you selling me off? No, wait. Could you be one of those human traffickers in the human world? That's not right either! Isn't that something only humans do?"
Liu Er patted the back of his head speechlessly. He pointed at Yang Tianyou and said gloomily, "Couldn't you tell something is off with this guy? He only sustained minor injuries after being hit by the supernatural force in my voice. Do you think that's possible for mortals? And you're drawn here by his flute- playing. Do you think a mere mortal can create such a melodious sound, enough to lure an immortal like you?"
Yaoji pondered over his words and began to feel suspicious about it as well. Since Liu Er wasn't afraid of her brother, that could only mean his cultivation was in the realm of Sage-to-be as well. Though he didn't pack too much of his strength in his roar earlier, it wasn't something that a mere mortal could withstand. From the look of things, this so-called mortal couldn't possibly be ordinary.
Liu Er walked up to Yang Tianyou and squatted down in front of him. With a grin, he said, "What's your name? From the way you played the flute earlier, you must be a disciple of the Western Religious Sect. Your cultivation and supernatural power are both concealed by a forbidden formation. Looks like a trick of one of the two Sages of the West. For a grown man like you tricking a little girl, you must have bad intentions."
Yang Tianyou didn't know how to respond to Liu Er, who had basically exposed his plan. He could only grit his teeth and deny everything. "I have no idea what you're saying. After injuring me for no reason, you're now questioning me. You're really unreasonable."
Liu Er's grin became even wider. "Who told you I, Liu Er, am reasonable? My master has only taught me to do whatever I like. What do right and wrong have anything to do with me? It's fine if you won't talk. I'll just hand you to Haotian and see how the Western Religious Sect will react."
His Black Golden Stick instantly appeared in his hand. Liu Er's face wore a wicked and vicious look, so terrifying that Yang Tianyou trembled and wondered if he was planning to kill him. Standing on the sidelines, Yaoji was stunned at how quickly Liu Er changed and demonstrated his vigor of the Late Stage of Sage-to-be. He seemed no less powerful than her own brother.
Liu Er lifted his stick but instead of aiming it at Yang Tianyou but at a stream of golden light charging at him. Within the light was the faint silhouette of an oddly-shaped twig. When Liu Er's stick hit the light, a booming sound reverberated through the atmosphere. The heaven and earth trembled following the deafening sound.
The blast stirred chaos in the world and seemed to have sliced the Yu River in half. The river overflowed, spilling its water all over it banks. It devastated everything in the forest, wilting all the plants, birds, as well as the peach orchard. The entire mountain was wiped out by the blast. What a pity for the peach orchard.
The stick in Liu Er's hand quivered. In an instant, he dashed next to Yaoji. His hand was trembling. Though he had met the power of the light as an equal, it was enough to numb the purlicue his hand. But there were no traces of fear in his eyes, only an endless will to fight. The golden light didn't struggle with Liu Er, instead aiming for Yang Tianyou. As the light swiped past him, he instantly disappeared without a trace. The light disappeared as well. All that was left was the severely damaged bank of the Yu River that witnessed the terrible blow earlier.
When the golden light faded, Liu Er put away his stick. He stared at the disappearing light, his expression carrying the desire to wage war. If he guessed correctly, the light came from Zhunti, one of the Two Sages of the West. The twig was none other than Zhunti's Magical Tree of Seven Treasures. The seemingly understated strike was enough to let Liu Er experience a Sage's might. He vowed that he would one day confront Zhunti properly and give him a good fight.
Yaoji, who was enveloped by the protective Green Light of Haotian Mirror, saw everything unfolding before her. She couldn't help feeling stunned. She finally understood why her brother refused to let her leave the Heavenly Court. The Untainted Land was too dangerous. If not for the mirror's protection, she would long be dead.
Back in the Jasper Lake of the Heavenly Court, Haotian was still in Closed Door Meditation when he sensed that the mirror was attacked. He instantly woke up from his cultivation and, after an inspection, realized the mirror was not in the Heavenly Court. He became alarmed. Could it be that his sister took the mirror, descended to the Untainted Land, and was attacked by someone?
He carefully made some calculations and found Yaoji's whereabouts. He saw her surroundings through the mirror and became startled. It turned out that the mirror was only affected by the aftershock, and of a very limited impact as well. Otherwise, Yaoji would really be hurt.
When he saw Liu Er, he became puzzled. If the collision was due to Liu Er, then who was the one who fought him earlier? There weren't many in the Untainted Land who would dare to fight Liu Er and had the ability to do so. Whatever it was, it can all wait until he summoned Yaoji back to the Heavenly Court.
Yaoji looked at Liu Er and was about to speak when the mirror suddenly flew high and showed her brother's reflection. "Sister, who gave you permission to leave the Heavenly Court? Hurry up and come back!" Yaoji instantly nodded with fear.
Haotian then turned his attention to Liu Er and said, "What are you doing here, Liu Er? Who is it that you fought earlier, to be able to cause such great tremor? I fear there's not many who have the ability to do so in the Untainted Land."
Liu Er replied indifferently, "Why don't you just watch over your sister more carefully? You can direct all your questions to her. This time, she got lucky and met me. I don't know if she'll be that lucky the next time."
Haotian could tell things weren't as simple as they appeared and immediately urged Yaoji to return to Heavenly Court. She could only obey and flew to the clouds. When she was about to leave, she noticed the peach in her hand. She turned around and said, "Thank you for your peach! Goodbye!" She instantly left after.
Liu Er could only smile helplessly. Haotian's sister was truly an interesting character. After watching her disappear among the clouds, a dejected look crossed his face. A fine peach orchard had been ruined just like this. It was a good thing that he had already plucked all the peaches. He would die of a broken heart otherwise.
After Yaoji returned to the Heavenly Court, Haotian was naturally waiting to question her about everything and she could only answer honestly. Though she wasn't aware of Yang Tianyou's identity, Liu Er's words indicated that he was someone from the Western Religious Sect.
Haotian was naturally enraged to hear this. He didn't think the Two Sages of the West would dare scheme against him, even targeting his beloved sister. Infuriated, he said, "Jieyin, Zhunti! What kind of Sages are you to scheme against my sister? But it's fine. Oh, it's fine. I'll just fight you to my death."
After hearing his words, Yaochi could only comfort Haotian and said, "Haotian, don't be mad. Since the Sages of the West had rescued the person who tried to hurt Yaoji, we don't have any proof at all. It's fortunate that Yaoji encountered Liu Er this time, otherwise, she'll really fall into the trap laid by theTwo Sages of the West ."
Chapter 210: Yaoji Returns to the Human World
Haotian pulled himself together and said resentfully, "I won't let this slide. I'll make the entire Western Religious Sect pay someday! But speaking of Liu Er, his cultivation really improves at a surprising speed. He's actually like me, in the late Stage of the Sage-to-be. He's really impressive to be able to take on a strike from a Sage without even batting an eyelid!"
Beside him, Yaoji was puzzled by his words. "Is the one called Liu Er that formidable? Brother, you're the Great Jade Emperor but he doesn't seem to care about you at all. Is he even more powerful than you?" In her mind, her brother had always been the most powerful person in the world beneath the Sages.
Haotian felt a little resentful to hear this but had no way of refuting her. It embarrassed him as well. Honorable Ancestor made him the master of the Heavenly Court, so he was supposed to dominate the Untainted Land. But was the land truly under his control?
The Untainted Land was immeasurable in size, with so many forces that it was hard to counterbalance all of them. The Heavenly Force was only the ruler in name and didn't possess absolute strength. Outside of the Heavenly Court, only the Human Tribe living off the Coast of the East Sea and the Dragon Tribe of the Four Seas yielded to him. Which among the Wu Tribe, Demon Tribe, Earth Immortal's Residence, Nether World, and the Blood Sea truly obeyed him?
Noticing Haotian's awkward expression, Yaochi said, "Liu Er is the eldest disciple of Ancestor Minghe. His cultivation is on a par with your brother's. Ancestor Minghe is an existence akin to The Sage, so with his backing, not even the Sages could force Liu Er to submit to them. Once, Liu Er beat up a disciple of Sage Jade Pure, but there wasn't anything they could do about it."
Haotian's awkward expression faded as he listened to Yaochi's consoling words. He looked at his sister in the eyes and said earnestly, "Sister, you can't act so recklessly in the future. You're not allowed to sneak into the Untainted Land without permission. You got lucky this time, but who knows what will happen next time?"
...
Over on the Holy Mountain of the West, Yang Tianyou might have been rescued but he nevertheless sustained severe injuries. This time, Liu Er's superpower had harmed him and he was only safe thanks to Zhunti's Magical Tree of Seven Treasures. But his injuries were so bad that it remained to be seen if he would be able to ascend to the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.
Zhunti was naturally infuriated by the situation. Though he had struck Liu Er almost carelessly, Liu Er still managed to block the attack with ease. What an incredible humiliation. Considering how big the commotion was, there was no way the other Sages wouldn't find out about this. Though Yang Tianyou's life was intact, his path to the Celestial Immortality was basically over. Unless there was a fateful interference, he would likely remain a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal for the rest of his life.
Given Zhunti's temper, there was no way he would let this slide. But just as he was preparing to make his move, a murderous aura firmly sealed his Magical Tree of Seven Treasures. He naturally knew where this aura came from and could only give up.
Honestly, Zhunti was envious of Minghe's three disciples. Among them, Liu Er had the highest cultivation in the Late Stage of the Sage-to-be realm. Few people could rival him at this point. Minghe's second disciple, Kong Xuan, was a descendant of the Phoenix Tribe. He was a talented young man who was now in the Early Stage of the Sage-to-be. But what surprised Zhunti was the third disciple, Black Tortoise.
All the Sages had already done their research on the mysterious Black Tortoise. Surprisingly, he turned out to be Exotic Beast that held the Sky with his limbs when the Sky was being mended. Though he was just in the Realm of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, he owned so many Merits that it was enough to make Zhunti green with envy. More importantly, he would continue to receive Merits as long as the Pillars of Heaven remain upright. Naturally, everyone was envious of him.
Now that Liu Er had sabotaged his plan, Zhunti was naturally enraged. Not only did the plain failed, he even drew the ire of Haotian and the attention of all the other Sages. It would be difficult to come up with a second plan, but fortunately, it didn't affect the West much. After all, the West never had much influence over the East and thus the West wasn't afraid of losing anything.
... On the bank of the Yu River, everything that had been destroyed earlier was restored to its original condition. Liu Er's fighting spirit was rekindled after taking Zhunti's hit and he decided to go into a Closed Door Meditation for the moment. Since he intended to stay here for a while, he restored the hills and rivers nearby, as well as the large peach orchard.
Though he was now in the late stage of the Sage-to-be realm, he had only managed to enlighten the Law of War to the Early Stage of the same realm. Since he had time now, he really ought to start enlightening it again. The collision with Zhunti only lasted a blink of an eye, but it inspired Liu Er. The Law of War existed because of war and only battles could accelerate his understanding of it.
After he completed this, he planned on looking for new opponents. Whether it was the Wu Tribe, Demon Tribe, or Human Tribe, they all had no shortage of strong Sage-to-be warriors. It was a great idea to use them as stepping stones. His blood boiled even hotter. It was only now that he knew he had been suppressing his true nature all along. Zhunti had awakened his instincts. This was fate as well as good fortune.
For the next few decades, Liu Er lived like a hermit near the bank of the Yu River, enlightening on what he had learned. He had basically reflected over most of his experience and comprehended about 40 percent of the Law of War. The rest he could only learn when he gained another inspiration. He planned to live in a short while.
His first stop would be the Wu Tribe with its inherent warlike tendencies. At the moment, Xuan Ming was the only Ancestor of Sorcerer holding down the fort at the tribe, but his policy was not to fight women. Whom he was looking for was the God of War, Xing Tian, who was rumored to have surpassed the Realm of Sage-to-be. He ought to be a worthy opponent.
"Hey! Liu Er, are you in? Hurry up and come out!" Liu Er heard someone yelling miles away from outside the mountain. He looked past the tactical formation he laid and saw Yaoji. He was stunned that Haotian still allowed her to leave after that incident the last time. Wasn't he afraid of Yaoji getting tricked again?
Outside the mountain, Yaoji looked dejected as she stared at the tactical formation that barred her entrance. Without any options, she could only yell for Liu Er and hope he heard her. Sure enough, the formation instantly vanished. It seemed that Liu Er had lifted the formation and she happily ran inside. Inside the forest, she saw a large field of peach trees with a massive stone in the middle. Liu Er was seated cross-legged on the stone, looking like he was immersed in his cultivation. He opened his eyes the moment she stepped in. "I wonder what brings Yaoji Fairy here."
Yaoji smiled. "Nothing really. It's just that the Heavenly Court is too dull, so I came down here to play. Since I don't know anyone here, I can only come and find you. Oh right, I brought you something this time." She held out a plate full of Peaches of Immortality and handed it to him.
Liu Er's heart instantly stirred. The peaches that Yaoji brought him could only be harvested once every 9,000 years. He had never tasted any of it since the peach feast the last time. With his cultivation, all peaches were just food to him. Even so, these peaches were the best he had ever tried. Of course, he would be intrigued by them.
Watching Liu Er devour the peaches, Yaoji found a seat beside him. She looked at him doubtfully and said, "Why do you like peaches so much? Won't you get bored of them? Are they really that delicious? I always eat them in the Heavenly Court but I never thought they're particularly tasty." Liu Er couldn't help rolling his eyes. Nonsense! Could a monkey that didn't like eating peaches be considered a monkey? It was the same with humans. Could they get sick of rice? Facing a girl who didn't know how to count her blessings, he really had no idea what to say.
Suddenly, Liu Er's ears quivered. He looked up to the Sky before turning to Yaoji. "You sneaked out again, didn't you?" He could sense someone was spying on him. It must be Haotian. Considering Yaoji's "criminal record", it wasn't hard to guess that she had secretly left the Heavenly Court again.
Yaoji looked surprised. "How did you find out? My brother went into Closed Door Meditation again and my sister-in-law is off running the Heavenly Court. I was bored on my own so I sneaked out. I didn't take my brother's Haotian Mirror, so he wouldn't be able to find me this time."
Looking at the smug expression on Yaoji's face, Liu Er was rendered completely speechless. The mirror was something gifted by Honorable Ancestor himself and it was capable of monitoring the entire Untainted Land. It would be so easy to find her whereabouts. How could she not know about this function after having the mirror with her for so long? Liu Er asked, "How did you know I'm here?"