Two years later.
One day.
Zhou Yi had just opened the shop's restriction when the Foundation Establishment cultivator waiting outside entered and respectfully presented a golden invitation.
"True Monarch Tang, our sect's ancestor sincerely invites you to attend his birthday banquet."
Zhou Yi accepted the invitation, opened it for a look, then nodded. "Reply to Fellow Daoist Feng: this poor Daoist will certainly attend the banquet on time."
The cultivator bowed and left the shop, turning into an escape light as he departed.
"It finally came—far sooner than expected."
The invitation in Zhou Yi's hand came from Feng Yang, the Grand Elder of Earthfire Palace, who was inviting friends from all quarters to celebrate his four hundredth birthday.
Feng Yang had visited the Four Arts Hall several times to discuss the art of artifact refinement with Zhou Yi, and the two had gotten along splendidly.
Earthfire Palace was one of the sects Zhou Yi had once marked down. This sect specialized in using the fire of the earth's veins to refine spiritual ores. The Mystic Items they forged leaned toward sharpness and durability, and their most famous magic treasure was the Earth Origin Armor.
This treasure incorporated the primordial magnetism of the earth's veins through a secret art. It countered the five-element spells and could borrow geomagnetism to greatly accelerate Earth Escape. It could be called a supreme magic treasure for protection and flight.
"Fellow Daoist Feng is already four hundred years old. How old am I again...?"
Zhou Yi calculated carefully. In another six years, he would be eight hundred.
Earthfire Islands.
Zhou Yi and Wanbao rode the clouds there together. Below them, dozens of islands stretched across the sea, encircling an island at the center that was spewing raging flames.
Surging earthfire dyed the heavens red, while