Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 525 - 494: Ghost Immortal Ascension!

Thirty thousand miles away.

Budai Arhat and Sitting Arhat exchanged glances, clearly embarrassed.

Budai Arhat was the first to recover, looking in the direction of Yellow Wind Ridge and reluctantly said, "That Yellow Wind Demon’s ’Sanmei Divine Wind’ really is troublesome. I thought my brother’s Sitting Meditation could withstand the gale, but it seems I have led my brother into this predicament."

He rubbed his eyes; they were already bloodshot from the wind, and tears couldn’t help but flow.

Indeed, a sorry sight.

Sitting Arhat fared slightly better, though his eyes pained him too. He only frowned and said, "The Yellow Wind Demon is formidable. We must seek out Lingji Bodhisattva for the Wind Stabilizing Pearl and Flying Dragon Staff to counter it."

But both items were supreme treasures.

Besides, the Yellow Wind Demon was originally suppressed by Lingji Bodhisattva and somehow returned to Yellow Wind Ridge many years ago, continuing his reign as the Carefree Demon King. The two Arhats didn’t know what methods he used.

Who could brazenly ask for such help?

"Enough, enough!"

"That Yellow Wind Demon once troubled the Combat Buddha and his disciples, leaving four or five of them in a sorry state—how can we contend with that. Let the Green Fox Demon stay at Yellow Wind Ridge. If it causes trouble, I shall put my reputation on the line and plead with Lingji Bodhisattva to subdue him!"

Budai Arhat shook his head; it was a surrender. After all, they had already retrieved the Mountain Opening Pearl, and other matters could wait for another time.

Sitting Arhat was unwilling to let go.

The Qingjing Method Bamboo greatly aided his cultivation, and losing it was indeed a great loss. But now under the protection of the Qingjing Saint, and the Qingjing Method Bamboo itself having attained the Dao,

Might as well—

"Let’s leave, let’s leave!"

Sitting Arhat, with a sweep of his monk robe’s large sleeve, took long strides like shooting stars and disappeared into the distance.

Budai Arhat quickly followed, clutching the Mountain Opening Pearl and once again appearing jubilant and content.

Equally disappearing into the distance.

...

In front of the Yellow Wind Cave.

Green Fox Great Saint, seeing Budai Arhat and Sitting Arhat blown tens of thousands of miles away and out of sight, instantly burst into laughter and praised: "Big Brother, what a skillful technique! With the ’Sanmei Divine Wind,’ even if the Eighteen Arhats were here, they’d be blown about so haplessly, unable to show their strength!"

He had escaped from under Budai Arhat and sought refuge with the Yellow Wind Saint, but he was well aware of how formidable the Eighteen Arhats were. All these years, he had felt apprehensive inside.

Today, seeing the Yellow Wind Saint’s display of power, he finally set his mind at ease.

As long as he remained the Third Great King of Yellow Wind Ridge, he had no fear of Budai Arhat.

After all,

Budai Arhat wouldn’t go to all corners for help just for the sake of a minor Green Fox Demon like him; that would just result in losing face for nothing.

"The Eighteen Arhats have a mighty Great Array, not to be underestimated."

The Yellow Wind Saint commented, his tone then shifted to smugness: "However, my ’Sanmei Divine Wind’ is rarely matched. If the Eighteen Arhats come, while I may not be able to capture them, they too have no real means to handle me."

Lu Qingfeng listened on the side, nodding inwardly.

The Yellow Wind Saint had cultivated the Sanmei Divine Wind to perfection.

The gale he exhaled with a breath was truly indomitable.

It counted as one of the best among Divine Skills.

Only a true Great Power from Primordial times could possibly deal with it when unleashed with the Yellow Wind Saint’s inscrutable cultivation. Presently, Lu Qingfeng could not compare.

Perhaps only the true top tier powers of Primordial age could manage it, otherwise, it was an unstoppable force. While the Western Spiritual Mountain Eighteen Arhats had a resonating title, they still fell one level short.

"Forget the monks."

"Today, my third brother has attained the Dao; we brothers should drink to our hearts’ content and not return until drunk!"

Yellow Wind Saint waved it off and swiftly moved past the subject, looking down at Lu Qingfeng with a big laugh, "Third brother, you’ve just achieved Transformation; you must taste the finest delicacies in the world!"

Lu Qingfeng had lively eyes and delicate features, quite charming.

Listening to the Yellow Wind Saint’s words, he had a bad premonition.

...

Ten days later.

Lu Qingfeng awoke from his drunken stupor.

"Hmm~"

"It’s been a long time since I last felt so drunk."

Lu Qingfeng opened his eyes, feeling his head splitting with pain. It took a while before he recovered. Sitting up on a stone bed in a cave dwelling within the Yellow Wind Cave, he stared blankly outside.

Reflecting on it,

The last time he was deeply inebriated seemed to be when he was abducted as a groom by the Dragon Palace. Back then, as a mortal, after being forced to drink by his third brother Ao Lie, he had passed out on the spot.

That’s how he ended up as Ao Le’s husband.

"Le’er."

As the drunken haziness in his mind gradually cleared, Lu Qingfeng rubbed his head with his tiny hands. His face still flushed from the hangover, adding a touch of liveliness.

Thinking of Ao Le, his expression turned somewhat somber.

He descended from the stone bed.

Lu Qingfeng, with his hands clasped behind his back, paced around the cave dwelling in his small form.

Organizing his thoughts—

"In this life,"

"I am the embodiment of the Qingjing Dharma Bamboo, having become a True Immortal; my future is boundless. If possible, I should avoid dying and reincarnating."

The body of Qingjing Dharma Bamboo, though difficult to achieve Dao, is certainly not ordinary, far superior to a mortal body.

If reincarnated,

The next life might not be as fortuitous.

Moreover, while this reincarnation could be seen as an opportunity, it was actually a mishap against his wishes. As a result, he and Ao Le were separated by the vast Constant Sand Realm, unlikely to see each other.

It was even more tragic than the love story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

Caution is needed for future reincarnations.

"The Immortal Qin Realm is exiled by Emperor Immortal Qin, cut off from the Earth Immortal World."

"One cannot ascend from the former to the latter."

"Upper Immortals and gods of the Earth Immortal World also cannot find the Immortal Qin Realm."

Lu Qingfeng furrowed his brow, his small face scrunched up, "According to my brother, with his cultivation, searching thousands of Lower Realms is trivial. But to specifically find a small world that has been exiled, severed from the path of ascension, and deliberately concealed, is not so easy."

To find the Immortal Qin Realm,

There are not few methods.

Seeking the assistance of a Great Power adept at Derivation, like the Demon God Bai Ze or the Saint Emperor Fu Xi, could lead to instantaneous insight into the location of the Immortal Qin Realm.

Alternatively, taking charge of the Eight Divisions of the Heavenly Court and overseeing the Constant Sand Infinite World could also yield results. A thorough investigation, despite being laborious, might uncover the Immortal Qin Realm.

But whether it’s the former, seeking help from a Great Power,

or the latter, both are challenging endeavors.

The assistance of a Great Power needs no further elaboration. Not to mention Lu Qingfeng’s modest level of Cultivation, which alone would prevent any interaction. Even if the Qingjing Saint were to step in, forget about having a word with a Great Power of that caliber.

The gap is too vast.

As for the Heavenly Court,

in the Four Great Continents, countless Earth Immortal True Monarchs and Heavenly Immortal Dao Juns aspire to join the Heavenly Court, to enjoy the stipends and status of an Upper Immortal, and cultivate with the aid of the power of the heavenly stars.

Yet, among them, those who actually make it into the Heavenly Court, let alone find a position within the Eight Divisions, are the rarest of the rare.

Although Lu Qingfeng’s background is not ordinary, he is merely a True Immortal.

Going to the Heavenly Court, even if he were to pass through layers of selection, at best, he might only become a charging Heavenly General, far from the status he held in the past at the Soul Searching Temple of the Changqing Realm, and certainly nowhere near that of the Four Bright Gongbin Yuanjun.

As for the Qingjing Saint,

though exceptionally powerful with his Sanmei Divine Wind, its lack of proficiency in Derivation means it cannot determine the whereabouts of the Immortal Qin Realm. Being a Carefree Demon King, he wouldn’t join the Heavenly Court for the sake of his sworn younger brother either.

As for Reincarnation upon death—

"After death,"

"It’s either reincarnating in the current world or at random. Returning to the Immortal Qin Realm in death is unlikely."

"The immediate priority is to diligently cultivate to increase strength. To build reputation and if the opportunity arises, to potentially join the Thunder Department, Dou Department, or Water and Fire Department as a deity, or even to forge connections with various Great Powers—any of these could greatly increase the chances of discovering the Immortal Qin Realm."

Anxiety filled Lu Qingfeng’s heart,

Yet he knew that urgency wouldn’t hasten the matter.

For now, the primary focus must be on Cultivation and careful study of the Derivation methods of the Great Divine Powers, such as the "Seven Beasts Small Divine Number" and the newly acquired "Star Constellation Dao Yan Jue" within the Immortal Qin Realm.

To see if he could locate the Immortal Qin Realm.

Though his Reincarnation severed his ties and karma with the past, the relationship formed over fifty to sixty thousand years as husband and wife with Ao Le couldn’t be easily broken.

Perhaps, by tapping into the faint connection and performing calculations, he might find a pleasant surprise.

With his plan in mind,

Lu Qingfeng continued his Cultivation in the Yellow Wind Cave on Huangfeng Ridge.

Time passed day by day.

His title as the Qingjing Saint of Huangfeng Ridge spread further, and here Lu Qingfeng commanded a mountaintop, with three thousand great and small demons gathering under him, training incessantly. With his skills in Alchemy and Artifact Refining, he boosted the power of his demons, forging fine weapons and Armor.

Patiently waiting for the opportunity.

...

Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

In a blink of an eye, more than six hundred sixty years had passed since the destruction of Green Wood Valley.

On this day,

At East Sea Jin Mountain,

Within Zhu Rong Hall,

Lu Qingfeng sat at the seat of honor, with a middle-aged man beside him, neither monk nor Daoist, clad in a half-length robe, with his hair tied back and streaks of white by his temples, yet his face radiated with health.

Anyone who saw him

would find it hard to believe that this was once the top power of the East Sea, referred to as the "Ghost Immortal"—

Zhu Yang!

"Fellow Daoist’s recent expedition to North Sea Turtle Mountain to slay the Gui Mountain Old Mother, that wasn’t a minor commotion," said Lu Qingfeng, looking towards the rejuvenated "Ghost Immortal" Zhu Yang, whose Life Span had fully returned. He carefully eyed something in Zhu Yang’s sleeve and was inwardly impressed, yet he spoke brightly.

"Brother Dutian jests,"

"The outside rumors are largely mistaken. Although I did indeed injure the Gui Mountain Old Mother during my trip to the North Sea, she ultimately managed to escape through a contingency plan set up within Ghost Mountain."

Zhu Yang, now free of illness and looking vigorous, shook his head but felt no regret. The Gui Mountain Old Mother had been seriously wounded by him, with little chance of quick recovery. Moreover, his trip to North Sea Turtle Mountain had been hugely profitable; he had gained tremendously.

"Just to injure her was already quite remarkable," Lu Qingfeng smiled.

The Gui Mountain Old Mother had lost the Yuan Gui Divine Sword to him, but she was still a Primordial Spirit Old Demon, with formidable cultivation and tactics. In the North Sea, ordinary Primordial Spirit Practitioners would hesitate to enter, let alone come out victorious.

That Zhu Yang could beat her into a retreat was a testament to his status as a top existence in the Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

But it was not yet clear why he had come.

Zhu Yang didn’t keep him in the dark, and with a salute, said, "These past few years, Zhu owes much to Dutian Brother for the assistance in acquiring Cold Marrow and refinishing the Rejuvenation Water. Careful nursing has healed my wounds over the years. Staying in the Three Mountains and Nine Waters offers little room for significant progress, so I plan to Ascend to the Upper Realm in the coming days."

"Ascend?"

Lu Qingfeng was momentarily startled,

but then, looking at Zhu Yang, he couldn’t help but nod his head. With Zhu Yang’s current level of cultivation and strength, staying any longer in the Three Mountains and Nine Waters would be futile. It’d be better to cultivate earnestly in the Upper Realm rather than wasting the years away.

"Fellow Daoist is brave indeed."

"May I then wish my Daoist friend early success in achieving Mahayana and becoming a True Immortal!" Lu Qingfeng laughed heartily.

Not many Primordial Spirits in the human world are driven to progress to the highest levels; instead, they prefer to bask in mortal pleasures. As the saying goes, it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small one in the ocean. In the mortal world, Primordial Spirits are among the elite, with few equals and even fewer who could fell them.

They live carefree and at ease.

However, the Upper Realm is fraught with dangers. Many Primordial Spirits, dulled by luxury and power, choose to squander their time in the Three Mountains and Nine Waters rather than Ascend.

Another portion fears the consequences of their misdeeds: they worry about reprisals awaiting them in the Upper Realm and therefore hesitate to Ascend.

But Zhu Yang is barely over three thousand years old.

Having seven thousand more years to flourish as a Primordial Spirit, yet rushing to Ascend showcases his ambition. Coupled with his unmatched fortune, his move to the Upper Realm will likely stir up significant events and promises considerable accomplishments.

"Zhu has come here today for two reasons,"

"To bid farewell to Brother Dutian,"

"And to caution Brother; it’s rumored that Green Wood Valley holds significant influence in the Upper Realm with many True Immortals. Should Brother ascend in the future, caution is advised."

"Furthermore, concerning the Six Dust Temple—"

...