Chapter 44

As the Heavenly Emperor set out, the ceremony was naturally extraordinary.

The chariot drawn by nine divine dragons traveled through the clouds.

The aura of the Great Dao enveloped the heavens, immortal music rang out in waves, and endless phenomena arose.

After traveling thirty million li westward, they finally caught sight of Lin Fan.

Lin Fan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.

But Xiong Batian was stunned by the scene before him.

The bamboo shoot in his hand stopped at his mouth, and he did not take a bite for a long while.

For no other reason than that the spectacle was simply too shocking.

Wherever the Nine Dragon Treasure Chariot passed, golden flowers drifted down and radiant clouds gleamed. Hundreds of thousands of Great Luo Golden Immortals followed behind, their pressure intimidating heaven and earth.

Only then did he realize that his big brother possessed such majesty.

He truly was an existence beyond the ordinary.

East Prince slowly descended from the Heavenly Emperor's carriage, stood in the void, and respectfully bowed to Lin Fan.

"I have long heard of Lin Fan's great reputation and admired you for a long time, yet unfortunately, we never had the chance to meet."

"Lin Fan, greetings."

That bow shook all the immortals and gods of Purple Mansion Prefecture.

As the ruler of one heavenly realm, Emperor Donghua was among the Primordial World's foremost great powers. There were only a handful of people in the world worthy of receiving a bow from him.

Not to mention such a solemn bow.

Moreover, Emperor Donghua had led everyone thirty million li to welcome him. Such treatment had never been seen before and would be difficult to see again in the future.

It was enough to show how highly His Majesty regarded Lin Fan.

The immortals and gods of Purple Mansion Prefecture looked at Lin Fan with reverence, their hearts filled with emotion.

So young, yet already possessing such achievements.

His future heights were simply impossible to estimate.

Naturally, they also understood that Lin Fan deserved such treatment.

Lin Fan's strength was terrifying enough, not to mention that Nuwa stood behind him. No one in the entire Primordial World dared underestimate him.

East Prince personally welcomed him into the Purple Mansion Immortal Palace. Seated before a table of gold and jade, East Prince brought out two peerless treasures—the Sky-Shaking Hammer and the Pure Yang Bell.

The Daoist handed over the treasures and said, "This time, it was thanks to your rescue that Chen Xuan survived. Consider these Dharma treasures a token of thanks."

Lin Fan accepted them without hesitation. "It was a small matter. There is no need to dwell on it." Although these two Acquired Spiritual Treasures were nothing to him, they were rare supreme treasures to ordinary cultivators.

Seeing Lin Fan accept the gifts, satisfaction flashed through East Prince's eyes. Changing the subject, he said, "Your feat of storming the Heavenly Court alone and crushing the Demon Emperor's Palace that day was truly admirable. I hope you will visit the Purple Mansion often in the future. If you do not disdain it, I am willing to appoint you as the Purple Mansion's Supreme Guest Elder, to share authority with me."

Chen Xuan, standing nearby, changed expression upon hearing this. Being on equal footing with the Heavenly Emperor meant commanding all immortals—something countless cultivators sought their entire lives.

"No need." Lin Fan refused decisively. In his eyes, the empty title of Supreme Guest Elder was not worth mentioning. True strength was what mattered.

East Prince grew somewhat anxious. He had intended to use this to draw closer to the Saint's Orthodoxy and gain aid at critical moments. Seeing that Lin Fan remained unmoved, he could only change his words...

"To be honest, the demon race has coveted my Purple Mansion Prefecture for a long time. Sooner or later, they will raise troops and invade. I wish to ask that you lend a hand when danger comes."

Lin Fan had already seen through East Prince's thoughts. Hearing this, he chuckled softly.

"That is easy enough. If you fear the demon race, why not place Purple Mansion Prefecture under the Human Teachings? With my sister's protection, I doubt the demon race would dare act recklessly."

East Prince immediately looked embarrassed.

Naturally, he had other plans.

He had founded Purple Mansion Prefecture, gathered the immortals of the Primordial World, and declared himself Heavenly Emperor. He had always harbored ambitions to contend for the world.

Like Di Jun, he wished to rule the heavens and ascend the supreme imperial throne.

East Prince gave a dry laugh.

"You jest, little friend. What I desire is an alliance with your teachings, so that we may watch over and aid one another."

"If you help Purple Mansion Prefecture through this crisis, the immortals within the prefecture will also protect the human race and resist the demon race together. This is a matter of mutual benefit."

Lin Fan smiled faintly. "I will remember your words."

"If Purple Mansion Prefecture encounters trouble, I will naturally lend aid."

He had originally intended to bring Purple Mansion Prefecture under the Human Teachings to bolster its influence.

But seeing that East Prince's ambitions had not faded, he knew he could not force the matter.

Still, he did not refuse this request for help.

After all, Purple Mansion Prefecture could still restrain the demon race for now. It could not be allowed to perish.

Hearing this, East Prince felt somewhat reassured. After all this trouble, he had finally gained something.

Lin Fan then took his leave.

Even now, this East Prince remained stubbornly deluded.

Lin Fan pondered to himself. The demon race's restless movements had already become obvious—they intended to swallow Purple Mansion Prefecture and strengthen themselves.

Yet East Prince was still immersed in his dream of becoming Heavenly Emperor.

Such stubbornness could never lead to a good end.

From the moment of his birth, East Prince had fallen into Hongjun's scheme.

In former years, when teachings were bestowed at Zixiao Palace, Hongjun had personally named him the Head of Male Immortals.

It was precisely to stir his ambitions, make him contend with the demon race, and bring the Witch-Demon Tribulation to completion.

Even after such a scheme had unfolded to this day, East Prince still had not awakened.

He was truly poisoned to the core.

After pondering briefly, Lin Fan stopped thinking about it.

He immediately summoned Xiong Batian and Xiong Aotian.

"Big Brother, what do you need us for?" Xiong Batian asked, tilting his head upward.

Xiong Aotian was stuffing chopped Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir into a bamboo shoot. He grinned foolishly as he took a huge bite, his round face overflowing with satisfaction.

"As the Black and White Twin Fiends, the guardian divine beasts of the Human Teachings, when you travel the Primordial World, you represent the human race," Lin Fan said with his hands behind his back. "You need weapons worthy of supporting your presence."

As he spoke, he tossed out two Acquired Spiritual Treasures—the Sky-Shaking Hammer and the Pure Yang Bell.

The two bears' eyes lit up. Xiong Aotian even threw away his bamboo shoot and lunged forward, tightly hugging the Pure Yang Bell, while Xiong Batian gripped the Sky-Shaking Hammer in his palm.

"Fine hammer! Perfect for my mighty Batian!"

"Fine bell! Perfect for my Aotian spirit!"

Lin Fan silently rubbed his forehead.

"Big Brother, it is time to teach us divine abilities, right?" Xiong Batian suddenly asked. Xiong Aotian added eagerly, "The earth-shattering kind, the kind that suits my grandeur!"

Lin Fan closed his eyes and began to deduce. Then he suddenly raised two fingers and pointed.

Two streams of light entered the brows of the two bears.

Tiangang Divine Abilities immediately appeared within their seas of consciousness—Move Stars and Change Constellations, and Shake Mountains and Tremble Earth.

"Perfect match!"

"Powerful enough!"

Lin Fan then took them traveling across the East Sea.

As the thirty-six Sea Calming Divine Pearls rose and fell within his Spiritual Platform, a system prompt rang out:

Ding! By fusing the laws of all heavens with the Dao resonance of the sea, you have comprehended the Hunyuan-level divine ability, World in the Palm.

World in the Palm was a powerful spatial art capable of sealing all things. Even Zhenyuanzi's Universe in the Sleeve was inferior to it. This art could create a complete world within one's palm, and anyone who entered would be unable to escape for eternity.

With a raised hand, Lin Fan activated the divine ability. Laws instantly intertwined in his palm, forming the framework of a new world. Earth, wind, water, and fire churned and surged within. Even the slightest leak of its aura made Quasi-Saint experts change expression.

Suddenly, murderous intent arose between heaven and earth. Lin Fan looked over with focus and saw a black flood dragon ten thousand zhang long soaring into the sky, demonic aura rolling from its body like waves across ten thousand li of sea. The black flood dragon was using the Black Water Divine Art to attack a severely wounded red dragon.

The red dragon was young, yet it possessed nine claws, and the aura of the Ancestral Dragon faintly flowed around its body. Lin Fan recognized her as a descendant of the Primordial World's dragon race and could not help sighing that the once-mighty dragons had fallen to such a state.

"Ao Yue, do not even think of escaping!" The black flood dragon laughed wildly and launched another attack. At the critical moment, the little dragon cried out in a clear childlike voice, "Save me!"

With a casual wave of Lin Fan's hand, the laughing black flood dragon immediately turned to ash. The little red dragon instantly hid behind Lin Fan and revealed her adorable true form.

Her snow-white dress was soaked in blood, and the young girl's breath was faint as a thread.

Looking at the little dragon's entirely crimson body, Lin Fan's heart suddenly softened.

A glass-like radiance rippled from his palm, wrapping around the dragon girl.

In the blink of an eye, all her wounds vanished, and color returned to her pale cheeks.

The little dragon girl's eyelashes trembled lightly, her golden eyes filled with surprise.

"Thank you, Brother." Her trailing voice was sweet and childish.

She suddenly leaned close to Lin Fan's neck, her nose twitching slightly.

"Brother smells... like sun-warmed pine needles."

She innocently pressed herself against him, like she was hugging a warm plush toy.

Lin Fan flicked the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.

"A moment ago, the black flood dragon was chasing you down. Now you are not afraid of me?"

"Flowers bloom in Brother's palm." The dragon girl examined his fingers one by one.

Her scales reflected specks of golden light beneath the sunlight. "And besides..."

She suddenly buried her face in Lin Fan's sleeve. "You smell nice."

A rumble like mountains collapsing came from afar.

The bear brothers were using the black flood dragon as a drum.

Every heavy punch burst with the radiance of exploding stars.

"Where did your clansmen go?" Lin Fan smoothed her disheveled braids.

His arms suddenly grew heavy as the dragon girl clutched his robes and trembled.

"Brother... Brother was killed by the black flood dragon..."

Pearl-like tears fell onto his black robes.

They bloomed into dark flowers.

"I will be your brother." Lin Fan wiped away the moisture from her chin.

His fingertips paused on her trembling dragon horns. "Then... shall I call you Lin Xiao Chi?"

The little dragon girl sobbed and placed her dragon horns into his palm.

The little red dragon nodded gently, leaning against Lin Fan's shoulder. Only after a long while did she stop crying.

"Do you have any other family? Do you want to return to the dragon race?" Lin Fan asked softly.

"No." Ao Yue tightly hugged his arm, her eyelashes trembling, unease filling her eyes. "Wherever Brother is from now on, I will be there too."

Lin Fan smiled and rubbed her hair. "All right, then follow Brother. I will never let you suffer again."

This little girl possessed extraordinary talent, but she was trapped by karmic burden, making it difficult for her cultivation to advance. She had only barely reached the Golden Immortal Realm. If he wished to help her progress further, he would need to find an opportunity to sever her karmic ties with the dragon race.

Hearing this, Ao Yue happily rubbed her cheek against his. Lin Fan gazed at her for a moment, his mood sinking slightly.

This branch of little red dragons had likely long been slaughtered by the demon race, leaving only this lonely and helpless little girl. If the Ancestral Dragon knew in the underworld that his bloodline had fallen to such a state, who knew how heartbroken he would be.

"Big Brother, how should we deal with this black flood dragon?" Xiong Batian and Xiong Aotian had already subdued it and imprisoned it in the Pure Yang Pagoda before stepping forward to ask.

Ao Yue looked at the black flood dragon, and flames of hatred ignited in her clear eyes. The black flood dragon met Lin Fan's gaze and was immediately terrified out of its wits—today, it had actually run into this fiend!

"Immortal, spare my life! I am willing to be your slave and serve you like a dog or horse!" the black flood dragon pleaded hoarsely.

The laws of confinement flowed through Lin Fan's palm and descended from the air. Entangled by the laws, the black flood dragon's body rapidly shrank until it became palm-sized. It discovered in terror that all its Dharma power was gone, its primordial spirit sealed. It could no longer even sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, like an ordinary ant.

"I leave it to you." Lin Fan placed the black flood dragon in Ao Yue's palm.

"Thank you, Brother." The little girl held her enemy, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"All right, do not be sad. Later, I will teach you the most powerful spells. One day, you will be able to avenge your family."

"Mm! Thank you, Brother."

Ao Yue nodded lightly, crystalline tears sliding down her cheeks as both hands tightly wrapped around Lin Fan's arm.

Golden light bloomed in her palm, turning into countless sharp blades of light that shredded the black flood dragon's body and destroyed its primordial spirit.

The shrill screams gradually faded, and the black flood dragon was finally annihilated in form and spirit.

Lin Fan stroked Ao Yue's head, worry faintly rising in his heart. This little girl had suddenly suffered the destruction of her family and bore a blood-deep vengeance. It might hinder her future cultivation.

"Little Yue, are you tired? How about resting in the Dharma treasure space first?"

"No~" Ao Yue hugged his arm and shook her head. Some color had returned to her childish face. "I just want to stay with Brother."

Lin Fan did not force her and took her wandering leisurely through the East Sea.

Ding! The host has observed the origin Dao resonance of a nine-clawed divine dragon. Comprehension of the wind and water laws has increased.

You have comprehended innate divine abilities: Call Wind and Rain, Soar Through Clouds and Ride Mist.

Ding! The host has comprehended the Great Dao of the sea and fused it with divine dragon Dao patterns.

You have created a Quasi-Saint-level body refinement art: Ancestral Dragon Sacred Body Art.

A faint smile curled Lin Fan's lips. Though this art was useless to him, it was perfectly suited for Ao Yue's cultivation.

"I will teach you some minor spells. Study them carefully."

As he spoke, he lightly tapped her brow and passed on everything he had deduced.

Ao Yue closed her eyes and focused for a moment. Then she suddenly opened them wide and cheered, "Brother is amazing!"

She happily circled Lin Fan, then began jumping about on Xiong Batian's back. The art resonated with her bloodline, and the profound sense of perfect compatibility filled her with delight.

Looking at the little girl's innocent smile, warmth rippled through Lin Fan's eyes.

A relieved expression appeared on Lin Fan's face.

That smile showed that hatred had not left too deep a mark on the little fire dragon's heart, and seeing this, he no longer worried.

Purple Mansion Immortal Domain

Above Penglai Immortal Island, dark clouds suddenly gathered, and a chilling aura pervaded heaven and earth.