Great Harvest

"Holy shit, we're rich!"

Qing Xuan stood inside the Phoenix Clan Treasury, surrounded by countless treasures. Radiant light blazed in every direction as various magical artifacts shimmered with distinct auras.

"Can I take all of these?"

If Yuan Feng dared say yes, Qing Xuan wouldn't hesitate to empty the place.

Yuan Feng had now transformed into a beautiful young woman. Hearing this, she shot Qing Xuan a glare.

"Kid, you're thinking too big. These are my clan's accumulated collections from hundreds of millions of years. Even as the clan leader, I can't let you take everything."

Just as Qing Xuan felt a twinge of disappointment, Yuan Feng's voice came again.

"But letting you choose ten items to take? That, I can authorize."

Qing Xuan was overjoyed. Ten pieces was still a lot—this was pure profit.

He began inspecting the treasury carefully. The first things to catch his eye were two banners.

"This... this is!"

"These are the 'Southern Lidi Flame Light Banner' and the 'Western Suseo Cloud Realm Banner' from the Five Directions Innate Banners. Even within our clan's treasury, these two banners are top-grade magical artifacts."

Qing Xuan had certainly heard of the famous Five Directions Innate Banners. The five banners were: the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, the Eastern Green Lotus Treasure Banner, the Southern Lidi Flame Light Banner, the Western Suseo Cloud Realm Banner, and the Northern Profound Origin Water Control Banner.

All five banners were Innate Supreme Treasures. When gathered together, they could set up the Innate Five Elements Grand Formation, possessing the mighty power to reverse Yin and Yang and reenact Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. It was the strongest defensive formation in the Three Realms, unbreakable even by a Sage.

"Can I take both banners?" Qing Xuan asked, uncertain.

"You can, but one counts as two items." Yuan Feng thought it over and generously agreed, though she gave him a proper reminder not to be too greedy.

Hearing this, Qing Xuan quickly stowed away the two banners, feeling a sense of security settle in his heart. He then turned his gaze to the other treasures.

"Oh, a Water Spirit Pearl!"

"This pearl was seized from the Dragon Clan. Our clan found no use for it."

"I'll take it."

"And this seal?"

"This treasure is called the Kongtong Seal. Its purpose is unknown for now."

A lone seal sat in a corner. Qing Xuan picked it up. On the seal were Dao Talismans forming the characters "Kongtong."

Qing Xuan was inwardly shocked. The Kongtong Seal was a supreme treasure of the human race—of course the Phoenix Clan couldn't use it. This seal could appoint or depose a Human Emperor. In later ages, it would fall into Laozi's hands, used to establish the Human Teachings and appoint the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, earning boundless merit.

"Though this treasure is useless to me now, the human race will rise in later ages. I can scheme around it." Qing Xuan thought to himself.

"I'll take this too."

"Take it, then."

Yuan Feng was puzzled but sensed that Qing Xuan must have seen the seal's true purpose.

"Four items left. Which should I choose?"

Qing Xuan's eyes blurred as he scanned the array of Innate Spiritual Treasures. Finally, he locked onto a lamp and a bucket.

"This lamp is called the 'Jade Void Glazed Lamp.' Inside it resides the 'Golden Flame of Sin Cleansing,' golden in color, known as the 'Ancient Flame of Myriad Spirits.' It is one of the Four Great Heavenly Fires. Besides killing enemies, it can also eliminate karmic obstacles."

"As for this bucket, records call it the 'Primordial Golden Dou.' It is inscribed with Innate Dao Patterns and was discovered by an elder of our Phoenix Clan in a valley."

Yuan Feng introduced them.

"What a coincidence. Yuanshi's Jade Void Glazed Lamp and Tongtian's Primordial Golden Dou are both here. If I remember correctly, both treasures were obtained at the Treasure Distribution Cliff. It seems after the Three Clans War, Hongjun paid a visit to this treasury."

Qing Xuan silently scorned Hongjun in his heart, then cheerfully accepted the two High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. Having already gained so much, he chose the Origin Qi of Li Fire and a piece of Chaos Refined Gold as his last two items.

The former was for Kong Xuan. The Five-Colored Divine Light naturally cultivated the Five Elements Law, and absorbing the Qi of the Five Elements would allow rapid progress to minor mastery.

The latter was in case Qing Xuan ever needed to refine a specific magical artifact. With Chaos Refined Gold, even the worst result would be a Mid-grade Acquired Spiritual Treasure, and at best, it could become an Acquired Supreme Treasure.

"If only I had Ancestor Qian Kun's Qian Kun Cauldron. That cauldron has a heaven-defying effect—it can turn Acquired treasures into Innate ones when refined. I recall that after Ancestor Qian Kun died, the Qian Kun Cauldron ended up in Hongjun's hands." Qing Xuan thought enviously. As many treasures as he now had, he still couldn't compare to Hongjun, the Primordial Wilderness's richest man.

Yuan Feng watched Qing Xuan's final choices with great satisfaction. He hadn't even formally taken on disciples yet, and this cheap master was already thinking of his future students. Her judgment was spot on.

The two left the treasury. Yuan Feng led Qing Xuan to the Volcanic Crater, then summoned Er Dan.

"These are my two children. Take them in."

This was Qing Xuan's first time becoming a master, and he couldn't help feeling a bit excited. Since Er Dan had not yet reached the stage of transformation, Qing Xuan could only take in the two disciples for now, planning to place them on Square Inch Immortal Island and hold the formal disciple ceremony after they transformed.

"Though they are my children, I have extracted their Phoenix Bloodline. So after they transform, they will not take the form of the Phoenix Clan."

"As their mother, I have the right to name them. But since I don't know their forms before transformation, I have given them the character 'Xuan' as a placeholder. I hope you will teach them well in the future."

Yuan Feng's eyes were filled with reluctance. But if they stayed in the Phoenix Clan, once they became entangled in Karma, it would be like falling into an abyss, cutting off all paths to immortality. So she had no choice but to send them away.

"So that's it. Yuan Feng must have sensed something. But unfortunately, the current state of the Primordial Wilderness isn't something a single Quasi-Saint can overturn. The Calamity is decreed by the Heavenly Dao—irreversible." Qing Xuan sighed inwardly. As the aerial overlord of the Primordial Wilderness, even the Phoenix Clan was nothing but a pawn before the Heavenly Dao.

"This junior will certainly teach them well. Since everything is settled, I shall take my leave. Farewell."

Qing Xuan bowed to Yuan Feng, his only thought being to hurry home and refine his treasures. This trip's gains were astonishing, and lingering any longer made him uneasy.

"Da Bai, let's go home."

Qing Xuan mounted Da Bai and left the Phoenix Clan, then flew toward the East Sea at top speed.

"Boss, how was the haul?"

"Hahaha, absolutely fantastic!"

"Awesome, killing people to pave the way and fatten the purse!"

"Ahem ahem, Da Bai, why do you only learn the bad stuff and not the good?"

"Ah, but I learned it all from you, Boss."

"..."

"Boss, why aren't you talking?"

"Let's drop it. Just keep moving. I'm tired."

And so, day after day for decades, Qing Xuan traveled while collecting corpses, eventually gathering Tens of Millions of Beast Bones. This trip's harvest was truly rare, but he never expected to run into an old acquaintance on the road.

"Senior Hongjun, long time no see. You're still as impressive as ever!"

Qing Xuan hadn't expected to meet Hongjun here—fate was truly a strange thing.

"Haha, Little Friend Qing Xuan, your foundation is extraordinary! You've already entered the Zenith Heaven Realm. Congratulations, congratulations!"

Hongjun hadn't expected to encounter Qing Xuan again either. As he marveled, he noticed that Qing Xuan had become a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal—truly remarkable.

"Senior Hongjun, what business do you have here? Do you need any help?"

"Little friend, I'm looking for someone, but I just can't find him." Hongjun said with considerable frustration.

"Looking for someone? Luohu!"