Chapter 24

At this moment, dark clouds churned across the sky, gathering into a vast sea of thunder in an instant. Countless terrifying thunder dragons swam through the inky cloud waves. This commotion alerted Li Peng, who was opening up the Thirty-Six Heavens. Seeing that the middle thousand world was about to take shape, he summoned his Good Corpse, Daoist Jinlian, and entrusted the remaining matters to him, while he himself teleported to the mountaintop to observe the tribulation.

Facing the thunderous might that filled the heavens, Kong Xuan stood in the air without the slightest fear. The first thunder dragon, several thousand meters long, struck down but failed to harm him in the least. Kong Xuan sneered at the weakness of the lightning tribulation, and the heavenly thunder immediately surged even more violently. The second thunder dragon, ten thousand zhang long, descended in response, its power increasing tenfold. Though it still failed to break his defenses, Kong Xuan's expression gradually grew solemn.

After that, more than fifty bolts of heavenly thunder struck in succession, and Kong Xuan was already finding them difficult to withstand.

Kong Xuan thought, Looks like I have to use my innate divine ability.

At that moment, another thunder dragon came roaring down from the sky.

Seeing this, five-colored light flickered behind Kong Xuan.

In an instant, two streams of five-colored light shot from his tail, charging straight toward the thunder dragon.

The next moment, the thunder dragon collided with the five-colored light.

Yet no great explosion rang out from the collision. Instead, the thunder dragon was directly swallowed by the five-colored light.

Kong Xuan safely passed the following twenty-plus transformed lightning tribulations using this method.

The instant he had passed all the lightning tribulations, Kong Xuan felt some sort of restraint on his body vanish.

Immediately afterward, he transformed from a peacock into a young man dressed in a five-colored Daoist robe.

Seeing Kong Xuan successfully pass the transformation lightning tribulation, Li Peng smiled in satisfaction.

Just then, a voice rang out.

Li Peng was stunned when he heard it—he knew that voice all too well. It belonged to the most ** person in the prehistoric world,

Daoist Zhunti!

Sure enough, in the next moment, a Daoist radiating golden light all over appeared before Kong Xuan.

"Why did you stop me, Fellow Daoist?" Kong Xuan asked warily.

Only after hearing Zhunti's name did Kong Xuan recall that this person was the most ** disciple in the prehistoric world mentioned by his elder brother, one of the two Quasi-Saints currently in the west—Daoist Zhunti.

"The west? Does such a barren place deserve to invite me?" Kong Xuan said disdainfully.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Zhunti's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a cold sneer.

"Sigh. Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, I can only forcibly convert you." Zhunti spoke coldly.

Kong Xuan was furious. He had not expected Zhunti to be so ** as to plan on forcibly converting him.

"You dare! My elder brother is Li Peng. How dare you lay a hand on me?" Kong Xuan said coldly.

When Zhunti heard Kong Xuan claim to be Li Peng's younger brother, he was greatly startled!

But he quickly came to his senses and glared furiously at Kong Xuan. "Your elder brother? Li Peng? What a joke! Li Peng is a mighty Quasi-Saint. If you really were his younger brother, how could you have only just transformed?"

At this point, Zhunti's gaze grew even colder. His face filled with murderous intent as he said, "You should be thankful that you are not Li Peng's younger brother. If you truly were, I would make you die today, your body and Dao extinguished, your soul utterly destroyed!"

Kong Xuan was shocked by his words. He had not expected to encounter his elder brother's enemy just after transforming, while his elder brother was in seclusion. What was he supposed to do?

Just as Kong Xuan was at a loss, a voice brimming with killing intent suddenly rang out.

Zhunti abruptly turned around at the sound. Li Peng's figure slowly emerged from the formation ahead, and a look of horror immediately appeared on Zhunti's face.

"How are you here?" Zhunti could not conceal his shock as he spoke.

"My younger brother was undergoing tribulation to transform. Naturally, I had to be here to protect him," Li Peng replied calmly.

"He really is your younger brother?" Zhunti still could not believe it.

Li Peng countered, "Do you think I have that much free time? If he were not my biological younger brother, why would I specifically wait here?"

Zhunti knew he had stirred up trouble today. Given Li Peng's strength, taking his life would be no difficult task. He hurriedly begged for mercy. "This humble Daoist truly did not know this Fellow Daoist was your younger brother. Please show mercy, Fellow Daoist."

"Oh? But I clearly heard Kong Xuan state his identity just now. I also heard someone declare that he would make Kong Xuan die, his body and Dao extinguished, his soul utterly destroyed." Li Peng looked at Zhunti meaningfully.

Zhunti inwardly groaned. He had never expected his earlier harsh words to have been heard so clearly. He secretly thought the matter would be difficult to settle peacefully, so he could only grit his teeth and ask, "How do you intend to resolve this karma?"

Li Peng pondered for a moment. Killing Zhunti was naturally impossible. After all, the other man was a heaven-destined Saint; opposing the Heavenly Dao in the prehistoric world would be no different from seeking his own **. Since he could not take Zhunti's life, he could only demand some compensation.

"Kong Xuan, you are the victim in this matter. Tell me, how should this be resolved?" Li Peng handed the decision to his younger brother.

Kong Xuan was initially startled, then immediately understood—his elder brother wanted him to demand compensation from Zhunti. He promptly said, "Since Fellow Daoist Zhunti sincerely wishes to resolve this karma, why not casually give me three to five Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures?"

Hearing this, Li Peng secretly praised him. Such an outrageous opening demand was precisely the essence of business negotiations.

At the same time, Li Peng gained an even deeper understanding of Sun Guan's shrewdness.

When Zhunti heard Kong Xuan's demand, he felt both furious and stifled. He had never imagined that, as a dignified Quasi-Saint Mid-stage cultivator, he would be pressed so hard by a mere Grand Unity Golden Immortal like Kong Xuan.

If Li Peng had not been present, he would have long since been unable to hold himself back and slapped Kong Xuan to death with one palm.

Unfortunately, circumstances were stronger than he was. With Li Peng standing guard, no matter how furious Zhunti was, he could only grit his teeth and endure.

"Three to five Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures? The west's only Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure has already been taken by Fellow Daoist Li Peng. Where am I supposed to find another three to five?" Zhunti said as he forcibly suppressed his anger.

Kong Xuan was stunned. He had not expected Zhunti to have already been "visited" by his elder brother once. The entire west could not even produce a single Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure now. It was truly difficult for him to believe.

"Elder Brother, is that true?" Kong Xuan looked at Li Peng skeptically.

Li Peng coughed lightly and answered, "The west truly no longer has any Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures."

Only then did Kong Xuan understand why Zhunti bore such a grudge against his elder brother—Li Peng had actually taken the west's only Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure.

"Then give me two High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures, and we can put this matter to rest." Kong Xuan sounded helpless, clearly no longer holding much hope for someone as "poor" as Zhunti.

"No! At most, one High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure!" Zhunti said through gritted teeth, his face ashen.

Judging Zhunti's expression, Li Peng knew he had reached his limit. If they continued pressing him, Zhunti might disregard everything and fight to the bitter end.

Although Zhunti's strength was nothing to fear, if he was truly driven mad and Li Peng killed him in a fit of rage, things would become serious.

Thus, Li Peng gave Kong Xuan a look, signaling him to stop while he was ahead.

Kong Xuan understood. He waved his hand and said impatiently, "Fine. Since this is your first offense, I will not pursue it further this time. Hand over one High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, and the karma between us will be settled today."

Zhunti relaxed slightly upon hearing this, but he was still uneasy. His gaze turned to Li Peng—after all, Li Peng was the one who could truly make the decision.

Li Peng said irritably, "Since my younger brother has agreed, I naturally have no objections."

Hearing this, Zhunti hurriedly summoned a sword-shaped spirit treasure from within himself.

Zhunti withdrew his soul imprint from the spirit treasure, then told Kong Xuan, "This is the High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the Hunyuan Two Qi Sword. Please accept it, Fellow Daoist Kong Xuan." With that, he tossed the spirit treasure toward Kong Xuan.

Kong Xuan caught the Hunyuan Two Qi Sword and briefly examined it. After confirming that it was a High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, he said to Zhunti, "The karma between us has now been settled."

Zhunti felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted. He hurriedly said to Li Peng and Kong Xuan, "Since the matter has been settled, I shall take my leave, Fellow Daoists." Before his words had even faded, he had already ridden away on the clouds, clearly unwilling to remain even a moment longer.

After Zhunti departed, Li Peng and Kong Xuan looked at each other and could not help bursting into laughter at the same time.

After laughing, Li Peng asked Kong Xuan, "What are your plans next? Why not come to my Daoist field and cultivate for a while to stabilize your cultivation?"

Kong Xuan shook his head with a smile. "I plan to return to the Phoenix Clan first. After all, it is Mother's clan, and I want to learn about its current situation."

Hearing this, Li Peng recalled that he had never returned to the Phoenix Clan since his birth. Kong Xuan's words also gave him the urge to go back and take a look. After all, his mother was the Clan Leader of the Phoenix Clan, and he had occupied her son's body. After the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, the three clans had declined, and the Phoenix Clan surely had little strength remaining. Furthermore, the Wu and Demon Clans were flourishing now, while there were also many races with whom the Phoenix Clan had formed grudges in the past. The Phoenix Clan's life could not be easy these days.

Thinking of this, Li Peng said, "I will accompany you back to take a look."

Kong Xuan said joyfully, "All right!"

Seeing Kong Xuan's happiness, Li Peng smiled faintly. He then took Kong Xuan and flew toward Bucephalus Volcano.

A year passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Peng and Kong Xuan arrived at Bucephalus Volcano. Li Peng's physical cultivation had now reached Quasi-Saint Peak, while his primordial spirit cultivation had reached Quasi-Saint Late Stage. With the two combined, his travel speed was more than five times faster than before.

Looking at the smoke billowing from the unbearably scorching Bucephalus Volcano, both of them felt unfamiliar with the place.

"Let's go down," Li Peng said calmly.

"All right." Kong Xuan nodded.

Then Li Peng and Kong Xuan entered Bucephalus Volcano directly.

As for the formation at the entrance of Bucephalus Volcano, as Sons of Ancestor Phoenix, Li Peng and Kong Xuan naturally possessed a method of entering Bucephalus Volcano within their inherited imprints.

After entering Bucephalus Volcano, the two did not encounter any patrolling Phoenix Clan members along the way.

Kong Xuan's expression grew solemn as he asked, "Elder Brother, has the Phoenix Clan declined so much that it does not even have guards anymore?"

Li Peng shook his head. "I do not know."

Kong Xuan suggested, "Why don't we investigate with our divine sense?"

After considering it for a moment, Li Peng still shook his head. "This is our first time returning to the Phoenix Clan. The clansmen do not know us, and using divine sense to investigate might cause a misunderstanding."

Kong Xuan could only nod and give up.

He then asked, "Where should we go next? We cannot search through Bucephalus Volcano bit by bit, can we?"

Li Peng smiled. "We will go directly to the Phoenix Clan's council hall. There should be people guarding it."

Kong Xuan's eyes lit up. "Right. Important places must be guarded by clansmen."

Having settled the matter, Li Peng followed his inherited memories and led Kong Xuan toward the council hall.

In less than two hours, the two had arrived outside the council hall.

Before they could enter, the doors slowly opened.

Li Peng and Kong Xuan exchanged a glance, both stirred inwardly—they had finally encountered Phoenix Clan members.

They looked expectantly behind the doors.

Moments later, the doors fully opened, and a middle-aged man stood in the entrance. His face was full of vigilance as he asked:

"Who are you two, Fellow Daoists? Why have you trespassed into Bucephalus Volcano?"

"I am Ancestor Phoenix's eldest son—Li Peng!"

"I am Ancestor Phoenix's second son—Kong Xuan!"

The two spoke at the same time and released the pressure of their bloodlines.

In an instant, cold sweat covered the middle-aged man's forehead. His legs trembled, and he nearly fell to his knees.

This was bloodline suppression. Among members of the same clan, the purity of one's bloodline determined the strength of one's pressure, unrelated to cultivation.

Of course, those with profound cultivation could also resist it with their mana.

"It truly... truly is the Sons of Ancestor Phoenix!" The middle-aged man could not believe it.

He immediately bowed in salute:

"This subordinate, Feng Yun, pays respects to both Your Highnesses!"

Li Peng waved his hand. "Rise."

Only after hearing Li Peng's words did Feng Yun stand, though her face was still full of excitement.

After seeing her rise, Li Peng asked, "How many Phoenix Clan members are left now? Why did I not see even a single patrolling Phoenix Clan member on my way here?"

Hearing this, Feng Yun sighed softly, her expression dim.

"How many clansmen are left? Hurry and tell us!" Seeing that she remained silent for so long, Kong Xuan could not help urging her.

"Fewer than fifty thousand clansmen remain." Feng Yun answered bitterly.

Fifty thousand might sound like a considerable number, but among the great clans of the prehistoric world, populations often numbered in the hundreds of millions. The Phoenix Clan's numbers did not even compare to those of a small clan.

"What are the cultivation levels of these fifty thousand clansmen?" Li Peng frowned.

"More than half are at the Golden Immortal realm, while most of the rest are at the Great Yi Golden Immortal level," Feng Yun said helplessly.

Li Peng's frown deepened. "Does the Phoenix Clan no longer have even a single expert at the Grand Unity realm?"

"No, there is still one Quasi-Saint Mid-stage expert." Feng Yun shook her head.

"Who is it?" Li Peng asked in surprise.

"The Third Elder."

"Strange. The other Phoenix Clan experts all perished in the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity. How did he survive?" Kong Xuan asked in confusion.

"During the calamity, the Phoenix Clan needed an expert to guard its headquarters, so the Third Elder did not join the battle and was able to preserve himself," Feng Yun explained.

Only then did Li Peng and Kong Xuan understand.

Suddenly, Li Peng frowned again and asked, "The Dragon-Phoenix Calamity ended so long ago. With the Phoenix Clan's talent, even if everyone had started cultivating from scratch, someone should have broken through to the Grand Unity realm. Why is there not a single Grand Unity Golden Immortal even now?"