Chapter 9

As this mana surged in, Li Peng's physical body was continuously strengthened.

In just a short while, his Nine Revolutions Profound Technique broke through once more, directly rising to the peak of the seventh revolution.

Yet after the breakthrough, only a little over half of the mana had been consumed, and part of it continued tempering his physique.

Li Peng did not stop it. He knew that the remaining mana was simply insufficient for the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique to enter the eighth revolution.

Just as he relaxed slightly, a map suddenly appeared in his mind.

It clearly marked the precise location of the Three Immortal Islands Overseas, as well as the layout of the island-protecting formation and how to enter it.

Li Peng was overjoyed.

He glanced at the unconscious Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin, as well as Zhu Rong, who lay heavily injured on the ground, and sighed helplessly.

"These ancestral shamans can neither be killed nor released. They are truly troublesome.

"Forget it. I should go to the Three Immortal Islands Overseas and search for treasures first!"

Having made up his mind, Li Peng waved his hand and recalled the Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda and Yin Yang Twin Swords into his body.

He turned to Zhu Rong and said coldly,

"You are descendants of Pangu. I will spare you this once today. If you dare offend me again, do not blame me for showing no mercy."

With that, Li Peng mounted an auspicious cloud and drifted away.

Zhu Rong wanted to argue upon hearing this, but seeing his body covered in wounds and then looking toward Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin, whose fates remained uncertain within the abyss,

he swallowed all his words.

He struggled to his feet and slowly flew toward the abyss with his injured body.

Just as Zhu Rong reached the middle of the descent, several whistling sounds tore through the air in succession.

His heart jolted. He, Di Jiang, and Zhu Jiuyin were all unable to fight now.

If the newcomers were enemies, they would likely be doomed today.

Before Zhu Rong could react, a teasing voice reached him.

"Isn't this Zhu Rong? How did you end up in such a miserable state?"

Zhu Rong's expression immediately darkened.

He knew that voice all too well. It belonged to Gonggong.

The two had never gotten along and were constantly bickering. Now that Gonggong had caught him in such a state, mockery was inevitable.

But Zhu Rong had no heart to argue with him. Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin were still within the abyss, their lives and deaths unknown.

At that moment, Gonggong, Ju Mang, Houtu, Xuan Ming, and the other nine ancestral shamans landed before Zhu Rong together.

Gonggong laughed. "Zhu Rong, were you beaten so badly that you cannot even speak?"

The other ancestral shamans paid no attention to Gonggong's teasing. They had long grown accustomed to the verbal battles between him and Zhu Rong.

"Gonggong, I have no mood to trade insults with you," Zhu Rong said impatiently. "Brother Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin fell into this abyss. Their lives are unknown!"

The moment those words were spoken, the ancestral shamans' expressions changed drastically, and they all flew down into the abyss.

In the blink of an eye, the nine had reached the bottom.

They saw the unconscious Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin and hurriedly stepped forward to examine them.

A moment later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The two had only suffered light injuries.

The nine ancestral shamans immediately carried Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin back to the surface.

Zhu Rong asked anxiously, "How are they?"

Houtu replied, "They are fine. Just lightly injured."

Only then did Zhu Rong finally relax.

"What exactly happened? How did you suddenly end up fighting someone?" Houtu asked Zhu Rong in confusion.

Zhu Rong scratched his head and said awkwardly, "I came here to hunt today and encountered an expert with an extremely powerful aura passing by, so..."

His face reddened, and he could not continue.

"So what? Hurry up and say it!" Xuan Ming demanded angrily.

"So I wanted to spar with him and test his strength, but then..." Zhu Rong said quietly.

"I suppose you never even asked whether he wanted to spar, did you? You got yourself beaten into this state and disgraced the ancestral shamans!" Gonggong mocked.

As expected of brothers who had bickered for years, Gonggong saw right through him at a glance.

Zhu Rong wanted to retort, but he had nothing to say.

"Then why did Brother Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin intervene?" Houtu continued asking.

"When they saw that I was injured, they rushed in directly," Zhu Rong explained.

In an instant, all nine ancestral shamans understood. This conflict had been entirely caused by themselves.

Though they knew they were in the wrong, they could not help feeling angry. Their brothers had been beaten so badly; how could they not be furious?

"It seems the other party is very strong. Otherwise, he could not have defeated the three of you alone."

"Indeed. If we encounter him again, several more ancestral shamans must join forces."

"That is right! Anyone who dares injure members of our Wu Clan must repay this debt!"

The ancestral shamans all talked at once about how to deal with Li Peng.

At that moment, Houtu suddenly spoke. "Stop thinking only about revenge. The other party already showed mercy this time."

"Mercy? They were injured this badly, and you still call that mercy?" Gonggong said indignantly.

"Look carefully. Di Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin are still unconscious, while Zhu Rong is so heavily injured that he can barely rise. If he had truly struck ruthlessly, we would likely be looking at three corpses," Houtu said gravely.

The ancestral shamans fell silent upon hearing this and gradually understood the seriousness of the matter.

"But why would he show us mercy?" Xuan Ming asked in confusion.

Everyone turned their gazes toward Zhu Rong, who was still able to speak.

Zhu Rong sighed helplessly and said quietly, "That person said... he spared our lives out of consideration for Pangu the Father God."

The ancestral shamans nodded one after another. It seemed the other party respected Pangu's merit in creating heaven and earth and transforming into the primordial world.

"Since the other party bore no ill intent and showed mercy, he has done us a favor," Houtu said.

Though the other ancestral shamans remained unwilling, they had no choice but to admit it.

"A favor must be repaid. I hope you will not seek trouble with him again. Our Wu Clan has never been one to repay kindness with enmity," Houtu continued.

The ancestral shamans all nodded in agreement.

Though the ancestral shamans were fierce by nature, they could distinguish right from wrong and understood the difference between gratitude and resentment.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Houtu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly feared that they would impulsively go seek trouble with that person again.

"Right, what is the name of the person who injured you?" Houtu suddenly remembered.

"Li Peng," Zhu Rong answered after thinking for a moment.

After leaving Buzhou Mountain, Li Peng flew directly toward the East Sea.

Now that he had a map of the Three Immortal Island and a method to break its formation, it would be absurd not to seek its treasures.

Time flowed on, and three hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Li Peng rode the clouds near the East Sea.

Suddenly, an immense pressure descended from the nine heavens. Birds in the sky fell to the ground in terror, and all things bowed their heads.

Li Peng was likewise stunned by the sudden pressure. The mana within his body abruptly stagnated, and even his cloud-riding art nearly went out of control.

He hurriedly activated the Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda and barely managed to withstand the pressure.

At that moment, a solemn voice descended from the nine heavens.

"High upon the Ninth Heaven, I attained the true Dao.

"Beyond heaven and earth's mystery, I alone hold the honored teaching seat.

"Pangu gave rise to the Supreme Ultimate; the Two Principles and Four Images followed.

"One path passed to three friends; two teachings became Exposition and Interception.

"Leader of the Mystic Sect, one breath transformed into Hongjun.

"I am Hongjun. I have now become a saint. In three thousand years, I will expound the Great Dao at the Purple Cloud Palace within chaos. All those with fate may come."

The voice spread throughout the primordial world. Heavenly music echoed, Heavenly Flowers drifted down, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and auspicious energy filled heaven and earth.

Countless beasts, plants, and trees were enlightened by the Heavenly Flowers and golden lotuses, gaining spiritual intelligence. Some even directly transformed into human forms and entered the world.

"Hongjun became a saint so quickly?" Li Peng muttered.

Hongjun's sudden sainthood disrupted Li Peng's plans. He had already obtained the map of the Three Immortal Island and the method for breaking its formation, yet this unexpected development prevented him from immediately claiming its treasures, leaving him somewhat frustrated.

Still, Li Peng had no choice but to attend such a momentous event as Hongjun becoming a saint.

Not only did he wish to contend for one of the six seats that might obtain Primordial Violet Qi, but he also wanted to listen to the Dao and make up for deficiencies in his cultivation.

Li Peng had always cultivated alone. Although he had received many inheritances, there were still many aspects he had not fully understood.

This lecture at the Purple Cloud Palace was the perfect opportunity to solidify his foundation and seek a breakthrough.

With that thought, Li Peng no longer hesitated and set off toward the outer heavens.

A hundred years passed swiftly. After passing through countless obstacles, he finally arrived before the world membrane of the primordial world.

As long as he took one more step, he would enter chaos.

Li Peng did not hesitate and stepped through the membrane.

In an instant, endless Chaos Qi enveloped him, bringing waves of mild pain.

"My physical body has already reached the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, yet I can still feel pain? If cultivators with slightly weaker bodies entered this place, would they not be torn to pieces?" he muttered.

Before his words had faded, the primordial world membrane in the distance rippled, and another figure appeared within chaos.

The moment that person emerged, a shrill scream rang out.

This immediately drew Li Peng's attention, and he turned to look.

He instantly felt helpless.

The humanoid creature that had just entered chaos was only at the Early Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.

Daring to head to the Purple Cloud Palace within chaos to hear the Dao at such a level was truly overestimating himself!

Not long after, the screams stopped.

That humanoid creature had been completely torn apart by chaotic currents, leaving not even a primordial spirit behind.

Li Peng shook his head and sighed. "Dao Ancestor Hongjun's methods are indeed formidable! With a test like this, only Grand Unity Golden Immortals with solid foundations can probably pass.

"Alas, who knows how many primordial beings will perish within this chaos."

After saying that, Li Peng immediately summoned the Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda and suspended it above his head.

The instant the Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda appeared, Li Peng noticed that it was trembling excitedly.

Then, the pagoda began madly absorbing the surrounding Chaos Qi, like a starving person suddenly seeing delicious food.

Li Peng was startled at first, then understood.

The Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda had been born within chaos and nurtured by Chaos Qi.

Previously, it could not absorb Chaos Qi in the primordial world.

Now that it had returned to chaos, it naturally wished to devour as much as it could.

Having figured it out, Li Peng flew in the direction of the Purple Cloud Palace that he sensed in the dark, with the Chaos Yin-Yang Pagoda overhead.

Within chaos, years could not be counted. In the blink of an eye, a thousand years passed.

Li Peng had drifted through chaos for a thousand years, yet he still had not found the exact location of the Purple Cloud Palace, leaving him somewhat irritated.

Just then, an anxious and helpless cry came from afar.

"Help! Can anyone help us?"

Li Peng was startled when he heard it, but he had no intention of intervening.

After all, many Primordial Great Powers had entered chaos, and people were swallowed by chaotic currents every moment.

He had encountered such situations several times before and had ignored them all.

The only difference this time was that the plea for help came from female cultivators rather than male cultivators.

Having made up his mind, Li Peng prepared to continue searching for the Purple Cloud Palace.

But just as he was about to move, the system's voice suddenly rang out.

"Ding! The host's current situation has been detected. Please make a choice!"

"Choice one: Ignore Xihe's plea for help and continue searching for the Purple Cloud Palace!

"Reward: Steel Straight Man title!"

"Choice two: Go save Xihe and Changxi.

"Reward: High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, Taiyin Jade Hairpin!"

"Choice three: Save Xihe and Changxi, then escort them to the Purple Cloud Palace.

"Reward: High-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, Taiyin Jade Hairpin; comprehension of the Law of Yin increased by ten percent."

Hearing the system prompt, Li Peng felt mildly surprised.

According to the original course of events, Xihe and Changxi should have safely reached the Purple Cloud Palace. Why had things changed now?

He temporarily set aside his doubts and turned his attention to the system's options.

The moment he saw the reward for choice one, Li Peng's expression stiffened.

"If I do not save the girls, I get the 'Steel Straight Man' title? Is the system mocking steel straight men?"

He immediately shouted at the system in dissatisfaction, "System! Why is the reward a Steel Straight Man title? Are you looking down on steel straight men? Change it now!"

"Ding! It has been detected that the host already possesses the traits of a steel straight man. The reward has been changed to an irremovable green hat!" the system replied.

Li Peng's face darkened as he angrily said, "What nonsense are you talking about? How am I a steel straight man? I..."

Before he could finish, the system prompt sounded again.

"Ding! The host's request has been fulfilled. Enjoy your choice!"

After that, no matter how Li Peng called out, the system gave no further response.

Li Peng grumbled angrily for a while before noticing the updated reward, and he was so furious he nearly coughed up blood.

"System, you set me up! You actually gave me an irremovable green hat? What exactly are you trying to do? You..."

After venting, Li Peng turned his gaze toward choices two and three.

Neither option would be difficult to complete.

Especially since the reward for choice three could actually increase his comprehension of the Law of Yin by ten percent.