The Great Heavenly Dao

Dark clouds churned across the sky, quickly gathering into a vast sea of lightning. Countless terrifying lightning dragons roamed through the inky waves, a spectacle that disturbed Li Peng, who was currently creating the Thirty-Six Heavens. Seeing that his intermediate world was nearing completion, he summoned his Good Corpse, Daoist Jinlian, to entrust the subsequent matters to him. Li Peng himself then instantly teleported to the mountaintop to observe the tribulation.

Facing the overwhelming lightning power, Kong Xuan stood in mid-air without a trace of fear. The first lightning dragon, thousands of meters long, struck down but failed to harm him in the slightest. Kong Xuan scoffed at the weakness of the heavenly tribulation, and the celestial lightning immediately churned with greater intensity. The second lightning dragon, ten thousand meters long, descended in response, its power increasing tenfold. Though it didn't break through his defenses, it caused Kong Xuan's expression to become serious.

Afterward, more than fifty consecutive bolts of heavenly lightning struck, and Kong Xuan found it increasingly difficult to resist.

Kong Xuan thought, It seems I must use my innate spiritual power.

Just then, another lightning dragon surged down from the sky.

Seeing this, a five-colored light flashed behind Kong Xuan.

Instantly, two beams of five-colored light shot out from his tail, heading straight for the lightning dragon.

The next moment, the lightning dragon and the five-colored light collided.

However, the collision did not produce a loud noise. Instead, the lightning dragon was directly swallowed by the five-colored light.

Kong Xuan safely passed the subsequent twenty-odd transformation lightning tribulations using this method.

The moment he passed all the lightning tribulations, Kong Xuan felt a certain restraint on his body disappear.

Immediately after, he transformed from a peacock into a young man wearing a five-colored daoist robe.

Seeing that Kong Xuan had successfully passed the transformation lightning tribulation, Li Peng smiled with satisfaction.

Just then, a voice rang out.

Li Peng froze upon hearing the voice—it was a voice he knew all too well, that of the foremost figure in the Primordial Era, Daoist Zhunti!

As expected, the next moment, a daoist radiating golden light appeared before Kong Xuan.

"Fellow Daoist, why have you called me?" Kong Xuan asked warily.

Upon hearing Zhunti's name, Kong Xuan remembered that the person before him was the disciple of Eldest Brother's mention of the foremost figure in the Primordial Era, one of the two Quasi-Saints currently in the West—Daoist Zhunti.

"The West? A barren land like that, and you expect me to go?" Kong Xuan said disdainfully.

Hearing this, Zhunti's smile gradually vanished, replaced by a cold sneer.

"Alas, since Fellow Daoist refuses a toast and prefers a beating, I shall have to forcibly convert you," Zhunti said coldly.

Kong Xuan was furious. He hadn't expected Zhunti to be so audacious, intending to forcibly convert him.

"How dare you! My Eldest Brother is Li Peng, how dare you lay a hand on me?" Kong Xuan said coldly.

Upon hearing Kong Xuan claim to be Li Peng's brother, Zhunti was greatly surprised!

But he quickly reacted, glaring at Kong Xuan with a face full of rage, "Your Eldest Brother? Li Peng? How laughable! Li Peng is a Quasi-Saint-level Great Power. If you were truly his brother, how could you have only just transformed?"

At this point, Zhunti's gaze grew colder, his face filled with murderous intent. "You should be glad you are not Li Peng's brother. If you were, I would have made sure you perished and your soul was annihilated today!"

Kong Xuan's heart trembled. He hadn't expected to encounter his Eldest Brother's enemy right after transforming, and with his Eldest Brother in seclusion, what was he to do?

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

Zhunti turned his head abruptly at the sound. He saw Li Peng's figure slowly emerging from the formation in front of him, and a look of horror flashed across his face.

"How can you be here?" Zhunti asked, unable to conceal his shock.

"My brother is undergoing tribulation and transforming. Naturally, I must be here to protect him," Li Peng replied calmly.

"He is truly your brother?" Zhunti still couldn't believe it.

Li Peng retorted, "Do you think I have nothing better to do? If he weren't my own brother, why would I wait here specifically for him?"

Zhunti knew he had stumbled into trouble today. With Li Peng's strength, taking his life would be no difficult task. He hurriedly pleaded, "This humble one truly did not know this Fellow Daoist was your brother. I beg you to show mercy."

"Oh? But I clearly heard Kong Xuan state his identity just now, and I also heard someone threaten to make him perish and his soul be annihilated." Li Peng looked at Zhunti meaningfully.

Zhunti felt immense bitterness. He hadn't expected his earlier threats to be heard so clearly. He inwardly mused that this matter would be difficult to resolve and could only grit his teeth and ask, "How does one settle this karma?"

Li Peng pondered for a moment. Killing Zhunti was out of the question; after all, the other party was a destined Saint. To oppose the Heavenly Dao in the Primordial Era was akin to seeking his own destruction. Since he couldn't take his life, he could only demand some benefits.

"Kong Xuan, you are the wronged party here. How do you think this should be settled?" Li Peng handed the decision over to his brother.

Kong Xuan was stunned at first, then understood—his brother wanted him to demand compensation from Zhunti. He immediately said, "Since Fellow Daoist Zhunti sincerely wishes to settle this karma, why not casually gift me three to five Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures?"

Li Peng secretly praised this. Such a sky-high demand was the essence of business negotiation.

At the same time, Li Peng gained a deeper understanding of Sun Guan's cunning.

Hearing Kong Xuan's request, Zhunti felt both angry and stifled. He never expected that he, a mid-stage Quasi-Saint, would be so provoked by a Grand Unity Golden Immortal like Kong Xuan.

If Li Peng weren't present, he would have lost his temper long ago and crushed Kong Xuan with a single palm.

Unfortunately, circumstances were beyond his control. With Li Peng present, no matter how angry Zhunti was, he could only grit his teeth and endure.

"Three to five Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures? The only Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure in our West has already been taken by Fellow Daoist Li Peng. Where am I to find three to five more?" Zhunti said, suppressing his rage.

Kong Xuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhunti to have already been "visited" by his Eldest Brother. The fact that the entire West couldn't produce even one Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure now was almost unbelievable to him.

"Eldest Brother, is that true?" Kong Xuan looked at Li Peng, half-believing, half-doubting.

Li Peng coughed lightly and replied, "Indeed, there are no more Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures in their West."

Only then did Kong Xuan understand why Zhunti harbored such resentment towards his Eldest Brother—it turned out Li Peng had snatched the West's only Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure.

"Then give me two Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasures, and let this matter be settled," Kong Xuan said with a tone of helplessness, clearly no longer holding much hope for Zhunti, a "penniless" individual.

"No! One Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure at most!" Zhunti said through gritted teeth, his face ashen.

Seeing Zhunti's expression, Li Peng knew he had reached his limit. If they pushed any further, he feared Zhunti might lash out desperately, leading to a mutual destruction.

Although Zhunti's strength was not a threat, if he were truly provoked, Li Peng might kill him in anger, which would escalate the situation considerably.

Thus, Li Peng gave Kong Xuan a look, signaling him to stop.

Kong Xuan understood, waved his hand, and said impatiently, "Fine. Considering this is your first offense, I won't dwell on it. Hand over one Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, and our karma today will be settled."

Zhunti breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this but remained uneasy, his gaze shifting to Li Peng—after all, Li Peng was the one who could make the final decision.

Li Peng said with annoyance, "Since my brother has agreed, I naturally won't object."

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

Zhunti removed the soul imprint within the spirit treasure and then informed Kong Xuan, "This is the Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, the Hunyuan Two Qi Sword. Please accept it, Fellow Daoist Kong Xuan." As he spoke, he tossed the spirit treasure to Kong Xuan.

Kong Xuan took the Hunyuan Two Qi Sword, examined it briefly, and confirmed it was a Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure. He then said to Zhunti, "Our karma today is settled."

Zhunti felt as if a great weight had been lifted. He hurriedly said to Li Peng and Kong Xuan, "Fellow Daoists, since the matter is settled, I shall take my leave." Before he even finished speaking, he had already soared away on his cloud, clearly not wanting to linger for another moment.

After Zhunti departed, Li Peng and Kong Xuan exchanged a look and couldn't help but burst into laughter simultaneously.

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

Kong Xuan shook his head and chuckled, "I plan to return to the Phoenix Clan first. After all, it's my mother's clan, and I want to understand the current situation of the Phoenix Clan."

Li Peng, upon hearing this, recalled that he had never returned to the Phoenix Clan since his birth. Kong Xuan's words sparked a desire in him to go back and see for himself. After all, his mother was the clan leader of the Phoenix Clan, and he had taken over the body of her son. After the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, the three clans had declined. The remaining forces of the Phoenix Clan were likely not many. Furthermore, with the rise of the Witch and Demon clans, and the many grudges they had with other races, Li Peng imagined the Phoenix Clan was not having an easy time.

With this thought, Li Peng said, "I'll accompany you back to take a look."

Kong Xuan's eyes lit up with joy, "Great!"

Seeing Kong Xuan's happiness, Li Peng smiled slightly and then took Kong Xuan towards the Bucephalus Volcano.

A year passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Peng and Kong Xuan arrived at the Bucephalus Volcano. Li Peng's physical cultivation had already reached the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, and his Primordial Spirit cultivation had reached the late stage of the Quasi-Saint realm. With both combined, their travel speed was more than five times faster than before.

Gazing at the billowing smoke and the unbearable heat of the Bucephalus Volcano, both felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

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

"Okay," Kong Xuan nodded.

Immediately, Li Peng and Kong Xuan headed straight into the Bucephalus Volcano.

As for the formation at the entrance of the Bucephalus Volcano, as the sons of Ancestor Phoenix, Li Peng and Kong Xuan naturally had a method to enter the Bucephalus Volcano recorded in their inherited imprints.

After entering the Bucephalus Volcano, the two encountered no patrolling members of the Phoenix Clan along the way.

Kong Xuan's expression turned solemn, and he asked, "Eldest Brother, has the Phoenix Clan truly declined to the point where they don't even have guards?"

Li Peng shook his head, "I'm not sure."

Kong Xuan suggested, "Why don't we use our spiritual senses to scan the area?"

Li Peng considered for a moment, then shook his head again, "This is our first time returning to the Phoenix Clan, and the clan members don't recognize us. If we use our spiritual senses to scan, it might cause a misunderstanding, which would be inappropriate."

Kong Xuan had no choice but to nod and give up the idea.

He then asked, "Then where should we go next? We can't just search slowly within the Bucephalus Volcano, can we?"

Li Peng chuckled, "Let's go directly to the Phoenix Clan's Council Hall. There should be someone guarding it."

Kong Xuan's eyes brightened, "That's right. Important places must have clan members guarding them."

With their plan decided, Li Peng, following his inherited memories, led Kong Xuan towards the Council Hall.

In less than two hours, the two had arrived outside the Council Hall.

Before they could even enter, the large doors slowly opened.

Li Peng and Kong Xuan exchanged a glance, their hearts stirred—they had finally encountered members of the Phoenix Clan.

They looked expectantly towards the doorway.

A moment later, the doors opened completely, and a middle-aged man stood at the entrance, blocking their path. With a face full of vigilance, he asked, "Who are you two, Fellow Daoists? Why have you trespassed into the Bucephalus Volcano?"

"I am the eldest son of Ancestor Phoenix—Li Peng!"

"I am the second son of Ancestor Phoenix—Kong Xuan!"

The two spoke simultaneously, releasing their bloodline pressure.

In an instant, cold sweat broke out on the middle-aged man's forehead, and his legs trembled. He almost fell to his knees.

This was bloodline suppression. Among members of the same clan, bloodline concentration determined the strength of the pressure, unrelated to cultivation.

Of course, those with profound cultivation could resist it with their magical power.

"Really... truly the sons of Ancestor Phoenix!" the middle-aged man exclaimed in disbelief.

He then bowed respectfully:

"This subordinate, Feng Yun, greets both Your Highnesses!"

Li Peng waved his hand and said, "Get up."

Hearing Li Peng's words, Feng Yun finally stood up, but her face was still full of excitement.

Seeing her stand up, Li Peng asked, "How many members does my Phoenix Clan have left? Why haven't I seen a single Phoenix Clan patrol along the way?"

Feng Yun sighed softly upon hearing this, her expression turning somber.

"How many clan members are left? Tell me quickly!" Kong Xuan couldn't help but urge when he saw her remaining silent.

"Less than fifty thousand clan members remain," Feng Yun replied bitterly.

Although fifty thousand might seem like a lot, among the great clans of the Primordial Era, populations easily reached hundreds of millions. The Phoenix Clan's numbers were even less than those of minor clans.

"And what is the cultivation level of these fifty thousand clan members?" Li Peng frowned.

"More than half are at the Golden Immortal realm, and the rest are mostly at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level," Feng Yun said helplessly.

Li Peng's brow furrowed even tighter. "Does my Phoenix Clan not even have a single Grand Unity realm expert anymore?"

"No, there is one expert at the mid-stage Quasi-Saint realm," Feng Yun shook her head.

"Who is it?" Li Peng asked, surprised.

"It's the Third Elder."

"Strange, all other Phoenix Clan experts perished in the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity. Why was he able to survive?" Kong Xuan was puzzled.

"During the calamity, the Phoenix Clan needed experts to guard the main camp, so the Third Elder did not participate in the battle and was thus spared," Feng Yun explained.

Li Peng and Kong Xuan finally understood.

Suddenly, Li Peng frowned again and asked, "The Dragon-Phoenix Calamity has been over for so long. Given our Phoenix Clan's talent, even if we had to cultivate from scratch, someone should have broken through to the Grand Unity realm by now. Why are there no Grand Unity Golden Immortals yet?"