Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 872 - 17: Disappointment and Gain

It was still a void space, and the enemy remained the Immortal Puppets.

But the guardian Immortal Puppets in the fourth checkpoint within the treasure were solid Tier Seven Top-Grade Immortal Puppets, and there were three of them!

These three Immortal Puppets were a Gold-Attribute Giant Ape Puppet, an Earth-Attribute Giant Turtle Puppet, and a Fire-Attribute Giant Wolf Puppet.

All three Immortal Puppets could wield the Power of Laws, master powerful Immortal Techniques, and their bodies were solid and sturdy. Even the Tier Seven Top-Grade Immortal Artifact [Sun God Sword] could only leave a sword mark on them, unable to cleave through or pierce them.

On Zhouyang's side, Lan Daoist was equivalent to an Early-Tribulation Crossing Stage combat power. When his forbidden technique failed, he couldn't handle even one Immortal Puppet alone, so Zhouyang had to call upon his clone to securely hold off the Earth-Attribute Giant Turtle Puppet.

This meant that Zhouyang's main body needed to face two Tier Seven Top-Grade Immortal Puppets simultaneously.

This outcome resulted in an extremely tough battle for them, with Zhouyang essentially fighting one against three.

Even though Zhouyang's combat strength was formidable, surpassing that of ordinary peers, fighting one against three was very challenging.

Especially since the adversaries were Immortal Puppets that feared neither life nor death!

"Fellow Daoist Lan, do you really have no other means? Even if we manage to forcefully pass this checkpoint, the next one will inevitably be even more difficult!"

Amidst the fierce battle, Zhouyang posed his inner doubt to Lan Daoist.

He felt Lan Daoist might be hiding something because knowing how powerful the guardians were in this treasure, he certainly wouldn't have invited him to take such a risk at this time.

But Lan Daoist did not answer him directly, merely responded solemnly: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, rest assured, if you can defeat these three Immortal Puppets and pass this checkpoint, Fellow Lan will naturally have a way to safely get both of us through the next one!"

Hearing this, a strange light flickered in Zhouyang's eyes, and he immediately said sullenly: "I cannot guarantee success, I can only try my best!"

He then performed a gesture with his hands, releasing the Gold Crow Fire Spirit he had nurtured.

As Zhouyang's cultivation broke through to the Late-Tribulation Crossing Stage, this Gold Crow Fire Spirit became even more lively.

Zhouyang even had the feeling that if he could get through the Fire Calamity, this Gold Crow Fire Spirit might undergo a fundamental transformation, becoming a powerful trump card for him.

Once he released it, the Gold Crow Fire Spirit charged towards the Gold-Attribute Giant Ape Puppet with blazing golden flames.

Roar!!!

The Giant Ape Puppet roared angrily, sending substantial golden sound waves sweeping towards the Gold Crow Fire Spirit.

The Immortal Puppet's combat intelligence irritated Zhouyang greatly; its danger perception was exceedingly sharp, seldom making errors.

If not for being puppets, limited in manipulating magical artifacts, with fairly fixed divine techniques, the combat power of these Immortal Puppets would be even stronger than True Immortals of the same realm.

"It seems some sacrifice is necessary!"

Thought whirling, Zhouyang's face flashed with a fierce look, and he immediately drove his lifebound Immortal Artifact [Qianyang Golden Tower] to its limit, forcefully absorbing the Giant Ape Puppet into the tower.

Fortunately, though powerful, this Giant Ape Puppet was ultimately just a lifeless object.

Otherwise, if it were a Late-Tribulation True Immortal or True Spirit of the Same Realm, even if Zhouyang had the idea, it would be difficult to implement.

After absorbing the Giant Ape Puppet into the treasure tower, Zhouyang then let the Gold Crow Fire Spirit inside to engage with the puppet.

He himself went all out, wielding the [Sun God Sword] and various Immortal Techniques to fiercely attack the Fire Wolf Puppet.

This Fire Wolf Puppet was indeed extraordinary; the dark purple flames it breathed out, if Zhouyang saw correctly, should be the renowned Immortal Flame in the True Immortal Realm [Silent Extinction Immortal Flame], its power surpassing his [Qianyang Immortal Flame].

However, the [Silent Extinction Immortal Flame] released by the Fire Wolf Puppet was clearly activated through special means; it couldn't match the power when enacted by a true Late-Tribulation True Immortal.

Meanwhile, Zhouyang's [Qianyang Immortal Flame] was his innate divine technique.

At this moment, Zhouyang went all out, directly manipulating the Heaven and Earth Laws, turning the battlefield into a world of flames, then using the [Sun God Sword] as a guide, engaged in a fierce confrontation with the Fire Wolf Puppet.

Zhouyang had no choice. Ideally, dealing with such lifeless puppets involves gradually delaying time to investigate, and once their known divine techniques and attack rhythm are fully understood, it becomes easier to handle them.

But currently, he was alone against two; if he didn't quickly resolve one Immortal Puppet, under the combined attack of two Immortal Puppets, there would be no time for observation.

Fortunately, head-on confrontation was Zhouyang's usual combat style. Even if the opponent was the fearless Immortal Puppets, he remained unafraid.

After a hard battle, Zhouyang managed to shatter the Fire Wolf Puppet into pieces at the cost of some minor injuries.

Then he hastily turned his attention towards the Giant Ape Puppet, still struggling and causing havoc within the [Qianyang Golden Tower].

He had initially relied solely on the sturdy nature of his lifebound Immortal Artifact [Qianyang Golden Tower] to withstand its assaults, resulting in considerable damage to the newly upgraded lifebound Immortal Artifact.

But for gain, there must be loss; for the treasure about to be seized, Zhouyang could only risk it all.

At worst, he'd spend the next hundred years nurturing it back to state.

After a series of wear and tear, Zhouyang forced the Giant Ape Puppet inside the [Qianyang Golden Tower] to be destroyed and refined.

Lastly, his main body and clone worked together, with Lan Daoist assisting from the side, they ground down the most difficult Giant Turtle Puppet too.

However, at this moment, an event that changed Zhouyang's expression drastically occurred.

After destroying the Giant Turtle Puppet, he intended to take a break and restore his state.

However, upon the death of the Giant Turtle Puppet, the void space they were in rapidly collapsed and shattered.

Then, unprepared, they immediately found themselves in the fifth checkpoint.

Unlike the previous void space, the fifth checkpoint was within a mountain and water-filled space.

It was precisely this reason Zhouyang's expression dramatically changed.

Because he immediately realized he was in a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land!

"Fellow Daoist Lan, your joke is quite big; don't tell me this Blessed Land Grotto Heaven is opened by your true body?"

After taking a deep breath, Zhouyang looked at Lan Daoist with a grim face, hoping for an explanation.

He didn't believe Lan Daoist was unaware of the seriousness of this situation.

Accidentally entering a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, especially one set up as a treasure vault by a Returning Void Cultivator, wasn't a matter of delight.

"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Zhou. Though this Grotto Heaven Blessed Land was indeed opened by Fellow Lan's true body back then, compared to his genuine residence, this is merely a half-finished product."

Spoken plainly by Lan Daoist, his gaze suddenly sharpened, fixing at a certain point.

And Zhouyang also instantly felt something and looked in the same direction.

Before them, a flash of spiritual light appeared, and soon a beautiful female immortal in cyan immortal robe emerged before them.

Another Immortal Puppet!

An unusual glint flashed in Zhouyang's eyes, as he recognized that the cyan-robed female immortal was not in fact a real person.

Although in every aspect she seemed exactly like a real person.

Yet the words spoken by the cyan-robed female immortal took Zhouyang by extreme surprise.

Her gaze briefly swept over Zhouyang before landing on Lan Daoist, and she sighed softly, "Who would have thought that the one to finally arrive here would be you? It seems that despite always priding himself on flawless calculations, he still made an oversight!"

"Man proposes, Heaven disposes. It's not just him with a Returning Void cultivation, even those Celestial Immortal Dao Ancestors wouldn't dare claim they can calculate everything in this world!"

Lan Daoist replied to the cyan-robed female immortal with a cool tone, seeming to recognize her.

"Indeed! Man proposes, Heaven disposes. He should have understood this long ago!"

The cyan-robed female immortal nodded slightly, her gaze very complicated.

Seeing her agree with his words, Lan Daoist immediately said: "According to the rules he's left behind, since I found this place first, then the things he left behind should be inherited by me. Shouldn't you execute the regulations now?"

Unexpectedly, the cyan-robed female immortal shook her head firmly and refused: "No, even though you are one of his backup means, your inheritance sequence is too behind. You don't qualify to inherit the entire legacy before this Grotto Heaven Blessed Land collapses!"

Upon hearing this, Lan Daoist's expression changed suddenly, and he frowned as he looked at her and said: "Why are you so stubborn? So much time has passed, and he hasn't returned from his tribulation, it shows his plan has completely failed. Do you truly want to wait until this place collapses, and perish with the treasures he left behind?"

He candidly said: "How about this, if you are willing to hand over the things he left to me, I will share with you my experience with the great Dao, which will give you the opportunity to break free from the constraints of being an Immortal Puppet and carve out your own path like I have!"

But the cyan-robed female immortal remained unmoved, calmly replying: "Rules are rules, and I am not you. I have no interest in your so-called great Dao."

"So Fellow Daoist Lan, what exactly is going on?"

Zhouyang, who had remained silent up until now, could no longer hold back and spoke out.

He looked intently at Lan Daoist, evident dissatisfaction apparent in his eyes.

Prior to this, Zhouyang was very trusting of Lan Daoist; otherwise, during the fourth trial, he wouldn't have tried so hard.

But now he realized Lan Daoist seemed to be taking advantage of his trust.

Moreover, there were many more things Lan Daoist hid from him than he had expected.

This made him very unhappy, feeling his trust had been betrayed, manipulated by Lan Daoist.

His choice to voice his discontent was naturally to demand an explanation from Lan Daoist.

Lan Daoist too discerned Zhouyang's dissatisfaction, and after a glance at the cyan-robed female immortal, hesitated briefly before explaining via transmission:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, please don't be offended. The reason I concealed the situation here from you was because I was uncertain how much we could ultimately gain, and I dared not guarantee anything lightly!"

"From our earlier conversations with Fairy Qing Lan, you now understand that the treasures here are all guarded by Fairy Qing Lan, and my inheritance sequence belongs to the very end."

"Now, Fairy Qing Lan is adamantly clinging to the regulations left by my true self, unwilling to hand over all the treasures. I'm afraid we might only obtain a small portion of them before leaving this time!"

This explanation had some merit, but still wasn't enough to satisfy Zhouyang.

He immediately asked sternly: "Fellow Daoist Lan, you clearly knew things well, why have you not disclosed the origins of your true self to me until now? Are you aware of the cost and risk I've endured accompanying you here?"

By the end, Zhouyang's tone clearly carried a sense of accountability.

It was evident he was genuinely upset this time.

Fellow Daoist Lan became silent at Zhouyang's serious words, pondering how to respond.

But at this moment, the cyan-robed female immortal's expression suddenly changed, and she sharply turned to Lan Daoist and angrily shouted: "You've brought others here? Are you attempting to steal the treasures he left behind?"

"Others are coming?"

Lan Daoist's face also changed, and he hurriedly explained: "No, aside from Fellow Daoist Zhou, I haven't told anyone else about this place's existence!"

At this point, both turned their gaze to Zhouyang.

Seeing this, Zhouyang knew they suspected him of leaking information.

His face darkened immediately, and he coldly said: "Before arriving here, I didn't even know how to get to this place. If I truly intended to monopolize the treasure, I could have seized Fellow Daoist Lan before entering!"

Lan Daoist didn't actually doubt Zhouyang; he was momentarily flustered by the sudden turn of events.

Upon hearing Zhouyang's words, he realized and hurriedly turned to the cyan-robed female immortal, saying: "Fellow Daoist Zhou is utterly trustworthy, that incoming person is definitely an enemy. Please, Fairy, activate the grand array to annihilate him, we cannot let him reveal the secrets here!"

"Rest assured, he won't escape."

The cyan-robed female immortal's face turned cold, and with a swift motion of her sleeve, she removed Zhouyang and Lan Daoist from the Grotto Heaven Blessed Land.

Once outside in a safe area, Zhouyang and Lan Daoist witnessed a middle-aged man with dragon horns engaging the Immortal Puppets they encountered during the first three trials.

"Such powerful aura, this man has at least crossed the Thunder Calamity, and may even have crossed the Fire Calamity!"

Zhouyang's eyes narrowed, quickly sensing the powerful aura emanating from the middle-aged man, secretly surprised.

Crossing the three disasters is not something most Late-Tribulation True Immortals dare attempt unless they have immense confidence or are forced by circumstances.

So if there were ten thousand Late-Tribulation True Immortals in the True Immortal Realm, those who had actually survived any disaster might amount to less than a tenth.

Witnessing someone who has survived at least one disaster, how could Zhouyang not be astonished?

Moreover, the middle-aged man's strength evidently matched his cultivation.

Alone against five Five Elements Puppets wielding the Combined Attack Skill, he not only easily blocked the joint attack of five Tier Seven Lower-Grade Immortal Puppets but also subdued each puppet in nearly a single move.

Yes, subdued and sealed, not destroyed!

Watching the middle-aged man subdue and seal the five Immortal Puppets and store them into his Pocket World Spiritual Artifact, Zhouyang's eyebrows twitched, feeling quite regretful.

After all, those were five Immortal Puppets, highly useful for guarding a cave or aiding in battle.

Presumably, that middle-aged man chose to subdue and seal the Immortal Puppets intending to slowly tame them for personal use later.

However, just as the middle-aged man easily passed the first round and entered the second, the situation dramatically changed.

Under the control of the Cyan Robed Female Immortal, the original guardian immortal puppet of the second round was replaced directly with five Tier Seven Top-Grade Immortal Puppets, with the immortal array controlled by the Cyan Robed Female Immortal also participating in the attack.

After encountering such a drastic change, the middle-aged man realized he was being specially targeted and felt both shocked and angry, deeply regretting his decision.

Before entering, he only thought that this place was some Returning Void True Monarch's old residence and relic, with the Guardian Immortal Array unmanned.

Or even if it was manned, as long as the controller hadn't crossed a Thunder Calamity like him, he could at least escape with his life.

However, he hadn't expected that the one who left this Guardian Immortal Array was far from a common Returning Void True Monarch, and the guardian power left behind was beyond comparison to merely a residence.

Facing the overwhelming offensive from the Cyan Robed Female Immortal, the middle-aged man could do nothing but roar in fury and transform into a black True Dragon, fighting the immortal puppets with all his might.

"Rest assured, he definitely won't escape. The guardian power here is sufficient to ensure that those below Returning Void Stage cultivation cannot leave, and even ordinary Early-Stage Returning Void True Monarchs would struggle to leave in a short time!"

Beside Zhouyang, seeing him watching the battlefield with concern, Lan Daoist sensed his anxiety and softly comforted him, presuming he was worried about the middle-aged man's escape.

No one expected Zhouyang, upon hearing his words, suddenly shifted his gaze to Lan Daoist and said, "Fellow Daoist Lan, you have yet to answer the question I asked earlier!"

At this moment, seeing Zhouyang's persistence on this matter, Lan Daoist knew there was no evading it.

He could only look apologetically at Zhouyang and said, "I'm sorry, it's not that Lan doesn't want to answer your question, Fellow Daoist Zhou, but Lan's original name has become a taboo not to be mentioned in the True Immortal Realm!"

"If Fellow Daoist Zhou truly wishes to learn, when you enter the True Grotto Immortal Court, or once you break through to the Returning Void Stage, you will naturally find related clues in the Langya Immortal Pavilion within the court!"

A taboo not to be mentioned?

Zhouyang's face slightly changed, looking at Lan Daoist with surprise.

Although he had only been in the True Immortal Realm for around a thousand years, Zhouyang knew that any existence that cannot be mentioned is at least a Late-Stage Returning Void Great Power.

Could Lan Daoist's true form possibly be such a powerful existence?

After contemplating briefly, Zhouyang gently nodded and softly said, "Alright, since Fellow Daoist Lan has brought it up, then I shall trust you once more. I hope that you will be honest in the future and not deceive me like this time!"

Lan felt relieved and hurriedly responded, "Thank you for trusting me, Fellow Daoist Zhou. I assure you, this won't happen again!"

After half a day of watching the battle, the black True Dragon that the middle-aged man had transformed into had already suffered heavy injuries under the Cyan Robed Female Immortal's fierce offensive, unable to fight back.

"Stop! I am an Elder of Bi Shui Immortal Palace. If you dare kill me, Bi Shui Immortal Palace definitely won't spare you!"

Inside the array, realizing that he couldn't escape and had fallen into a death trap, the middle-aged man finally shouted his background in a panic, hoping to intimidate the enemies with the name of his backing force.

But unfortunately, neither the Cyan Robed Female Immortal nor Lan Daoist showed any reaction upon hearing his words, nor did they intend to hold back.

This result made the middle-aged man panic even more.

He frantically shouted, "Damn! If you won't give me a way out, then we'll die together!"

Before his voice ceased, his massive black dragon form suddenly cracked inch by inch, and his aura surged to a terrifying level.

"It's the True Dragon Race's desperate immortal technique 'Reversed Dragon Heaven-Fighting Technique', a forbidden technique that burns one's own bloodline completely as a price for its execution. Unexpectedly, even such a half-demon could use it!"

Lan Daoist suddenly expressed aloud, though his tone was extremely calm, showing no hint of worry.

Reminded by Lan Daoist, Zhouyang recalled the relevant materials on Demon Race True Spirits that he had read before and soon showed a hint of surprise.

Indeed, it was somewhat surprising that a non-genuine True Dragon could use this forbidden technique, generally reserved for True Dragons.

But it was just a surprise.

Because even after executing the forbidden technique, the middle-aged man's strength was raised to about the same as those who had just crossed the Three Calamities, and the duration was very short.

And Lan Daoist had previously mentioned that the guardian immortal array here was strong enough to trap even Early-Stage Returning Void Cultivators for some time.

Which indeed was the case.

Even though the middle-aged man's strength was significantly boosted by the forbidden technique, after a period of struggle and as the enhanced strength faded, he was quickly destroyed by the Cyan Robed Female Immortal, his True Dragon Body shattered and his Immortal Soul and Primordial Spirit sealed.

Afterward, Zhouyang and Lan followed her into that Grotto Heaven, watching her conduct a Soul Search on the middle-aged man's Immortal Soul and Primordial Spirit.

After the Soul Search, the Cyan Robed Female Immortal eased her expression and nodded slightly to Zhouyang, "It seems like I indeed wrongly accused you earlier. This guy only happened to find out that you were entering this place before suddenly following to intrude."

She spoke, then unexpectedly raised a hand, releasing a Spiritual Light flying towards Zhouyang, "Moreover, this message should be useful to you."

The message she referred to was about the rare immortal treasure, Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi, guarded by the middle-aged man.

Upon reading the information she sent, Zhouyang's heart was fiercely shaken, and a look of intense delight appeared on his face.

He immediately saluted the Cyan Robed Female Immortal, "Fairy, your kindness is greatly appreciated, and Zhou sincerely thanks you for it."

"Alright, since the misunderstanding has been resolved, Fellow Daoist Lan, come over and select your treasure!"

The Cyan Robed Female Immortal spoke, leading Lan Daoist to the depths of the Grotto Heaven to the treasure site, leaving Zhouyang alone to wait.

Having witnessed the Cyan Robed Female Immortal's formidable power, Zhouyang was filled with deep respect and dared not search around, instead focusing entirely on the matter concerning the Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi.

This rare immortal treasure that could assist True Immortals in Crossing the Fire Calamity, Zhouyang was determined to acquire it.

However, the middle-aged man had left a considerable strength black flood dragon clone to guard it, with the assistance of the immortal array, obtaining it would require additional effort.

After waiting alone for a while, Zhouyang saw Lan Daoist returning with the Cyan Robed Female Immortal, his expression sullen, evidently dissatisfied with his acquisition.

But having acquired the Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi as a guaranteed prize, Zhouyang felt more stable inwardly and wasn't affected by this.

Thereafter, the Cyan Robed Female Immortal communicated some words to Lan Daoist telepathically and teleported both of them out of the Grotto Heaven Blessed Land to the Sea of Spirit Void outside the Guardian Immortal Array.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, judging by your expression, you seem quite dissatisfied with this acquisition?"

Outside, with no more reservations, Zhouyang directly asked Lan Daoist about the matter.

Upon his inquiry, Lan Daoist sighed deeply, "Alas! It's embarrassing to say, but Lan had expected to take at least half of the treasures if not all, yet Fairy Qinglan proved impenetrable and only granted me one-tenth, and those were not overly rare either!"

Having spoken, he proactively disclosed all the items he acquired to Zhouyang.

The situation was just as he described; the items he obtained were simply a few immortal treasures and elixirs, the most valuable being a bottle of immortal pills and a Tier Seven Middle-Grade Immortal Puppet.

He retained the bottle of immortal pills for his cultivation, while distributing the immortal puppet and several immortal elixirs to Zhouyang as compensation for helping him enter the treasure's location.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, there is no need to be saddened. The treasure is right here, and in the future, after Zhou crosses the Three Calamities and refines the spirit to Void, we can come back and claim it all. By then, it won't be up to Fairy Qinglan."

After receiving the items, Zhouyang also offered some comforting words to Lan Daoist, urging him not to dwell on it.

Upon hearing this, Lan Daoist let out a long sigh and said, "Alas, at this point, it's the only option!"

So, after exchanging a few more words, the two discreetly made their way toward the seabed abyss where the "Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi" was located.

At this time, the Cyan Robed Female Immortal deliberately spared the celestial soul and primordial spirit of the middle-aged man. With the Immortal Array blocking it, even if his clone sensed that the main body was in trouble, he could not imagine that the main body had already been captured.

Zhouyang and Lan Daoist, arriving outside the seabed abyss, observed for a while before formulating a plan to lure the snake out of its hole.

Several months later, a Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul Cultivator of the Human Race and a Tier Six High-grade Demon King were engaged in a fierce pursuit within the Sea of Spirit Void, quickly triggering a mysterious Immortal Array deep beneath the sea.

Following this, both seemed like children knowing they'd gotten into trouble, hurriedly fleeing in different directions.

But before they got far, a black giant flood dragon burst out of the Immortal Array with killing intent, directly chasing the Human Race cultivator.

Yet, just as the black giant flood dragon extended its claw to extinguish the Human Race cultivator, a golden treasure tower suddenly appeared above it, immobilizing it instantly, followed by a beating from four Tier Seven beings.

It's said that this black giant flood dragon was indeed extraordinary. Even though it was just a clone, it had Late-Stage Tribulation Cultivation and grasped special Immortal Eye Divine Techniques, watching from afar without Zhouyang noticing its presence.

But, after all, it was only a clone!

Facing Zhouyang's true body and clone, along with Lan Daoist and the Tier Seven Middle-Grade Immortal Puppet, struck by surprise, its fate was sealed from the moment it emerged from that ocean abyss.

After some effort, they successfully trapped and killed the black giant flood dragon. Zhouyang then used the method obtained from the black flood dragon's main body to enter and collect the abyss's Immortal Array, refining it into his possession.

"Is this the [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi]? Nurtured over ten thousand years with the remnants of a Returning Void cultivation Black Water True Dragon, no wonder it can suppress and weaken the power of the Fire Calamity!"

In the abyss, Zhouyang gazed at the ink-black Immortal Mushroom growing upon a dragon's head, his eyes filled with admiration.

This ink-black Immortal Mushroom was tall; though called a mushroom, it resembled a mushroom tree, with ten mushroom leaves each capable of supporting several people, growing nearly three zhang high!

On this ink-black Immortal Mushroom lay hundreds of black small dragons, resembling silkworm cocoons, motionless atop it.

Whenever someone approached within a thousand zhang, these black dragons would awaken, roaring at the intruder and actively casting various magic attacks.

Although these magic techniques are insignificant to a True Immortal like Zhouyang, they can harm Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Meaning, ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, even Ninth-Layer ones, may not be able to take this [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi].

In terms of grade, this [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi], growing from the remains of an Tier Eight Black Water True Dragon, is undoubtedly an Tier Eight Immortal Elixir, even sought after by Returning Void True Monarchs.

However, as of now, this [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi] is not fully mature; picking it prematurely yields less than eighty percent of its full effect.

After carefully observing this [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi], Zhouyang turned to Lan Daoist, saying, "Fellow Daoist Lan, Zhou intends to guard this [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi] until it matures. I ask you to return to the Chixiao Immortal Palace and inform my Sect Brother Zishan of my whereabouts, and feel free to cultivate peacefully at my grotto."

"I understand, and I assure you I'll deliver your message to your Sect Brother."

Lan Daoist nodded and readily agreed.

For the next three hundred years, Zhouyang focused on cultivating quietly within the Sea of Spirit Void's seabed abyss, anticipating the maturation of the [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi].

Patience paid off, and three hundred twenty-seven years later, the [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi] finally matured.

On that day, dragon roars emanated from the seabed abyss, indomitable even to the Guardian Immortal Array.

Simultaneously, a vibrant rainbow light burst forth from the abyss, coloring tens of thousands of li of sea in a rainbow hue.

Such a phenomenon stirred countless Human Race cultivators and Demon Cultivators in "Chaotic Sky Sea".

But due to the Sea of Spirit Void's uniqueness, most were unable to locate the phenomenon's source directly.

Those nearby, finding the source, were soon intimidated by a formidable dragon's might, unwilling to move rashly.

After a period, the phenomenon dissipated, and bold Demon Cultivators discovered that the emerging Exotic Treasure had been claimed.

Taking the matured [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi], Zhouyang, knowing its significance, dared not use the Cross-Immortal Domain Transmission Array, but flew back slowly to Chixiao Immortal Palace.

After decades of travel, he returned safely to Chixiao Immortal Palace.

Even upon returning, due to the [Dragon Spirit Immortal Reishi]'s importance, Zhouyang only shared the news with Lan Daoist.

His plan was to seclude in cultivation for one or two centuries, then apply to [Li Yang True Monarch] for a treasure aiding the Crossing the Thunder Calamity, hoping to simultaneously overcome two disasters.

Yet, to his surprise, less than thirty years after resuming cultivation at Chixiao Immortal Palace, he was summoned to venture out once more.

"They want me to represent our sect at the Phoenix Palace of the Demon Race?"

In the Sect Leader's Immortal Hall, Zhouyang was perplexed upon hearing the summons, surprised it involved such a distant trip.

"Indeed, Phoenix Palace is one of the demon race's foremost factions. This time, they host the Ten Thousand Beasts Immortal Assembly, selecting Dao companions for five True Spirit of Phoenix young bloods and assessing the strength of the Human Race sects and demon race clans' young Tier Seven talents."

"Performance at this assembly significantly impacts outside evaluations of a sect's potential, making it exceedingly competitive."

"Among Chixiao Immortal Palace, only Junior Brother Huan Yang and Junior Brother Jin Lan are under ten thousand years of age, fitting the criteria, but Junior Brother Jin Lan is only Early-Tribulation Crossing Stage, unsuited to represent us."

"Thus, we truly need Junior Brother Huan Yang to take the mantle!"

Zishan Zhenren explained while looking at him expectantly, hoping for his agreement.

This made Zhouyang ponder deeply.

Initially, he wished to avoid such a trip, and indeed, to steer clear of the spotlight.

Yet, he understood Zishan Zhenren's reasoning.

Currently, Chixiao Immortal Palace needs presence on grand stages, among human and demon races alike, disproving rumors of its decline.

By making its presence felt, acknowledging the Chixiao Immortal Palace's potential, friendly faction ties might extend a hand.

Such changes could alter the palace's fate entirely!

"Very well, since Sect Brother Zishan has spoken extensively, I'll make the journey."

With a gentle sigh, Zhouyang finally agreed to Zishan Zhenren's proposal.